FicWad

Disturbance in the Peaceful Era:



Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy VIII. Original characters and names belong to me. All names and characters relating to Final fantasy belong to Square-Enix.

Author's Notes: 18 August - Happy Birthday for me. To celebrate, I'm releasing this fanfic chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter VII – Fork in the Road:

Kane stood there, holding the gun with the burning church in the background. She was standing before him, her tear filled brown eyes locked onto his own murky sapphires.

What was he doing? Why was he doing this, to fulfill some stupid vow? Fuck that. They'd all been on a coke rush when they made that sick vow. Had Kane been sober, he'd never have agreed to it. Then again, none of them thought they'd ever have to go through with this. It was just something to make them look hardcore. It was really just a cool thing to say if they were ever interviewed.

Who knew it would come down to this, Kane certainly had no idea it would go this far. They had burned down Timber Chapel. They had committed the Timber Chapel Massacre. Now they were picking each other off, one by one in a euthanasia orgy.

There were only the two of them left and now, here he was; pointing a gun strait in the face of an angel. She was the only one he cherished. She was the only good thing left in a world of corruption and hypocrisy.

"D-do it" she said. He could tell she was suppressing a sob. She wanted to be as far away from this situation as he did.

Kane's hands tightened around the automatic pistol's grip. "No, I-I can't... I just can't do it."

"You have... to"

"I know! But I can't. I can't bring myself to... why do we have to? We're the last ones left. We can run away and live our lives peacefully."

"You said you would, you gave your word!"

"Listen!" he said, emotion bleeding through his voice. "You can't bring yourself to end your own life, can you? Neither can I. What do you think that means?! It's a sign, use it. You're too good to end up like this. You're too good for... for me." He broke eye contact with her. "Just turn your back on me and leave. Leave me here in the hellish warmth of these flames. No tricks, you can just get on with your life."

A slight breeze blew through her raven hair, messing it up. Kane felt a longing for her, her hair, her skin... she was divine; she had not one impurity about her. Even the tear rolling down her cheek did nothing to ruin the image of her face. Why did this have to happen? If there was a god waiting in the next life, he would surely pay for making Kane suffer through this torment.

The angelic being placed her hands around Kane's; she squeezed them tightly and injected a surprising amount of her own body-warmth into him. She struggled to construct a smile upon her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a gunshot.

Kane was sure he had not touched his finger to the trigger, yet he felt sure that something had just happened that could never be undone. He saw it in her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

His eyes glanced down to see a nasty bullet wound. Blood was running down her body under her clothing. Kane was astounded by her will and her strength. She had just been shot and was able to stand on her own. She was standing up to the situation better than any modern soldier wearing body armor would.

Her tough charade however, was coming to a close and her strength was running low. She collapsed forward into Kane's arms. He hardly had enough time to react before quickly dropping his gun and wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Looks like... looks like... I was... I was right. Tonight was our... it was call, our final curtain call... and now, our curtain has closed. Tonight... it closed for the last time" she talked in a barely audible whispered stutter.

"You, you honored the vow, willing or not. Of course you did, you had... you had no choice. You are perfect, inside and out. The least I can do... is to honor it with you."

"Eternal... unrest"

"That's right; together we sleep... together forever"

"Tha... I..." she couldn't get the words out. She tried to smile but couldn't muster the energy, her muscles refused her. The life was swiftly draining from her. She was dying and Kane knew it. He had precious few seconds with her left in this world before she was gone for good.

Her head dropped down to rest on Kane's shoulder. He tried to say something but no words came out. He was running out of time. What was he doing? He never froze like this, "I... I wanted to say something"

"Wha...at?"

"I've been meaning... to say this, I... I want..."

"Stop" her hushed interruption caught his attention in its entirety. "You don't have to say anything"

"But..."

"Don't say it... I already know."

Kane's eyes widened.

She was now whispering in his ear. "It wasn't hard to figure out... I should've said something sooner... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong" he whispered.

He ran his right hand through her long hair while his left hand touched the soft skin of her cheek.

He lifted her face from his shoulder and gazed at her eyes, dismal and cloudy as they were russet... in them he saw something new, a new look showing in them... uncaring weakness, failure. Her unfocused eyes appeared more gloomy and cheerless than he had ever seen them. She had given up on life... her spirit was fading.

He held her closer to him, so close it was almost painful. She leaned against him in a dying embrace. She used his frame completely for support; she was leaning against him with all her weight.

He tightened his hold around her and she began to struggle. She struggled to hold up her head. He brought his face even closer to hers. At a time like this he was able to contemplate just how weak a couple of human beings really could be.

He gently kissed the loving warmth of her mouth and all her muscles seemed to relax. Her thin pink lips did nothing to resist his intrusion, on the contrary; they seemed to welcome him like an open door.

"All right...put 'er down" An electronically distorted voice said from behind.

Kane felt for her pulse... there was nothing. At some point her soul had passed on during their final embrace. The sad fact; it was their first and last true embrace, their first and last true kiss.

"Put 'er down" the voice repeated.

"She's...she's dead" Kane said aloud, still clutching tightly to the body.

"Drop it already, Kane. Put the body down and put your hands on your head."

He did so, he did it delicately. He turned around with his hands on his head. That's when he saw them, there were four of them. Marines; President Delling's secret police, Existing only in rumors and conspiracies about government cover-ups... but here they were, standing before him.

Each of the four men wore the same uniform; a dark green camo suit of light bullet-proof body armor and a helmet that combined with a face mask and communication device; thus leaving them in direct communication with each other at all times. The man in front held a semi automatic pistol. The remaining three Marine's each held an AK-47 assault rifle, all of which were trained on Kane.

"Which one?" Kane asked the question in a growled tone, demanding of an answer "who made the shot; it was you, wasn't it?" he asked, keeping eye contact on the Marine closest to him, the one holding the pistol with elite martial discipline.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in a nearby tree. An ominous figure jumped out from seclusion and charged for the group. Just before he reached them, he made an impossibly high leap in the air. When he was directly above Kane, he drew his weapons; dual micro Uzis, and did a one eighty degree turn in midair, landing behind Kane."

The man holding the two miniature submachine guns circled Kane like a grounded vulture until he stood with the other armed Marines. His uniform matched theirs.

"So what, do I have to fight all of you now? That's gonna be a pain." Kane said to the five men, removing his hands from his head.

"Freeze!" one of the men shouted in a distorted voice.

"Shut your mouth!" Kane shouted back.

"Relax, Kane. If you were truly our target, you wouldn't be standing there now."

"How do you know my name?"

"We know a lot about you, suspect #33257; First name: Kane... Last name: unknown. We've had you under surveillance for quite some time" said the man with the Uzis, his voice electronically distorted by his mask. All Marines wore the same uniform and used the same voice distorters. This removed the threat of their individuality and hid any officers from hostile sharpshooters.

"And yet you don't seem to know my last name. I guess it's not in the Galbadian government databanks. I know you guys have been too busy dealing with all those... what did you call them again, political prisoners?"

The squadron of marines advanced on Kane. "You should respect us if you know what's good for you" one of them said.

"Forget him" another said. "Blood thirteen, acquire the target"

"Affirmative" another responded. He walked beside Kane and picked up his angel, the one he called 'The Sheik.'

"Don't you come near her!" Kane roared; the sound came from deep down within him.

The Marine approached him and thrust the AK's barrel into Kane's gut, causing him to bend over from the pain. "You shut up and do what we tell you, and you might just survive this night."

"Shut your face" Kane retorted, "And get that gun outa mine." He took up a 'phoenix' defensive stance; leaning down, bent over low with his arms outstretched behind him, rising into the air at forty five degree angles. He quickly rose up to a standing position, performing a palm thrust that caught the marine off guard and sent him tumbling to the ground like a poorly constructed tower.

"You don't want to mess with us, Kane. We can do things to you that would make death seem heavenly."

"You talk too much for stealth ops."

"It is an interesting thing, this girl. The Sheik, it is an odd name. I am curious about its origin."

"Don't you know the word's meaning?"

The marine paused for a short while before speaking. "No... Please, indulge me."

"The Sheik was... In ancient Centra, the Sheik was a man of great importance. He was head of the church... and he who spoke the truths of the gods, so did he rule over the lands. He was the world's wealthiest man and not only was he Sheik; he was also general of the imperial army. Alexander Centra... was the first Sheik of Centra. His title was inherited by his bloodline. There was only one she-Sheik, because she was a woman, she was seen as unfit to rule. Thus began the fall of Centra. The name 'Sheik' means perfection. Her name is a tribute to that legend. So true was it for Centra, so it is true now for her."

"I see. Now I must take her, this 'Sheik' into custody"

"On what charge?"

"Conspiring against our government, of course."

"Bullshit, why can't you puppets screw someone else for a change?"

"We're all puppets here, our leader is flawless and we follow his every whim. In Galbadia, we don't take kindly to stragglers. All must swim down the same stream. So says our perfect president and so we follow, Galbadia strives!"

"Galbadia Strives!" the other Marines chanted in united response."

"Funny," Kane remarked "I thought all were equal in our communist nation."

"Galbadia is a republic!"

"You keep telling yourself that. I'm sure it's the only way you can all live with yourselves."

"Search her" the marine ordered.

"What?" Kane asked in disbelief.

"Do It, Search her!" the marine repeated.

Kane picked up the 'Sheik' and checked the inside pocket of her jacket. There he found a white envelope. The marine snatched the envelope and tore it open. "Just as I thought... She has been in contact with a resistance faction all this time, the Timber Forest Chocobos."

"The target is accused of treason. The verdict: guilty. Response: true, blood team respond!" the Marine with the Uzis commanded.

"Guilty!" the others answered in unison.

"Response: untrue, blood team respond!" the Marine with the Uzis commanded, the others remained silent. "This is Blood team leader calling HQ, permission to report" he waited for a few seconds before continuing. "Mission: pending, target: incapacitated. Target judgment complete, verdict: guilty, response: four-oh green positive. Blood team: moving for extraction zone, report over."

After another pause, the marine took the document he was holding, folded it, placed it back in the envelope and put the envelope inside a utility pocket on his vest.

"What, no trial? Whatever happened to the 'great democratic Galbadian justice system?"

"Republican!" the marine barked. "I'll die before the democrats ruin this great nation, we are marines, blood team; an elite assault team. Marines may act as judge, jury and executioner. Our target has been found guilty and I have all the evidence I need right here."

"Fine, whatever, I don't care what she's done. You killed her, isn't that enough? Just leave us alone. At the very least, she deserves to be mourned by those survivors whom knew her. That would be me."

"Negative, we need her corpse for our mission. Besides, she deserves nothing of the sort. Blood thirteen, take her. One of the marines equipped with an assault rifle bent down to lift up the lady Sheik.

As he did so, Kane kicked him so hard that he flipped over in the air like a pancake and landed hard on his back. "Mitts off!" he said.

"Yeah Kane," the marine squad leader said boastfully. "I know you can fight, your skills are adequate... I guess, for a street fighter... but do you really think you can take us on, even in unarmed combat? We are marines! We make the Rangers of the Galbadian military look like savage toddlers. On top of that, we are the blood red squadron, how do you think we got that name?"

"Luck of the draw?" Kane said sarcastically. By now, he had lifted up the Sheik and was carrying her over his back. Sorry, but I gotta run, not that it hasn't been fun." He raised his palm, which seemed to spontaneously combust. He mentally formed the flame into a ball, about the size of his hand and launched it at the Marines. When the fireball hit the ground, it exploded, showering the area with its ember. The flame burnt out after a few seconds and the smoke soon cleared.

The Marines searched for Kane but he had seemingly run off after launching the fireball.

"Para-magic, how quaint" the Marine leader laughed. "Very well, the hunt begins. This is blood team leader requesting all available units. We are in pursuit of a hostile individual. You may fire at will, shoot to kill. The target is Kane. Repeat, the target is Kane."

"Blue Delta five; Kane took the Sheik? He has the target?" a voice asked over Blood team Leader's radio.

"Affirmative" Red team leader replied.

"Then Kane is the target, Blue Delta five out."

"Right, maintain radio silence until the target is either in custody or incapacitated. That means no talking, Red team leader out." He removed his helmet to reveal tanned skin and short bleached hair. He had a deep scar running across his eye socket. He removed his armor, keeping only the two micro submachine guns and an ample supply of ammunition. "I know we were planning on a long vacation after this mission, but there's been a change in plans" he said to his team, "Find Kane and take him down. I want him dead! Move out!"

The other Marines charged in the direction that Kane had run off in. "Well now, Kane. I've been waiting for this... for quite a long time." He laughed shortly before running after the other Marines.

Kane's eyes flickered open. His breathing began to shallow. He tilted his head to the left to see the girl sleeping beside him. His brain felt like it was pounding against his skull. He recognized the girl sleeping beside him as Rinoa and panic shot through his body faster than a bullet ever could.

He felt worried and afraid. Afraid of why Rinoa slept beside him, was she really sleeping or something worse? He wanted her to wake, so he could ask her so many questions... but he was unable to disturb her, to disturb her peaceful slumber. The thing that scared him, it worried him more than any other. Why couldn't he remember? Why couldn't he recall anything, how... he didn't know how he had gotten here. He hadn't a single clue.

Rinoa... did she... did he? Did they? "Oh Shit, did we...?"

His eyes closed.

Rinoa awoke suddenly. When she remembered where she was, she looked over to Kane. She sat up, took a deep breath then lay back down. She noticed something poking out of his pocket. Carefully, she took it.

She examined the faded photograph. The old object from his pocket, it was an old photo. As she looked at it, it was like staring into a magic mirror, a portal, a rip in time. Five years into her future.

This is it; she thought to herself, this was the photo Seifer had mentioned. She turned and put her arm around Kane. "You awake?" she asked with a grin making it's way onto her lips.

"Could you maybe... back off?" Kane said with closed eyes.

"What's with you anyway? Any normal guy would be enjoying this."

"What may seem fun to you... forget it. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Aw, come on" Rinoa teased. "It was just a joke, just a bit of fun." She sat up once more and looked at the small photo before concealing it behind her thigh. "So... why'd you do it?"

Kane's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"You heard. Why'd you go out last night? I know you drank a lot so where'd you go... and why didn't you invite me? We could've kept each other company. Don't you trust me?"

"I don't... I don't trust myself. I don't trust myself around... around drink, around you. You don't want to see me drunk. I no longer hold anyone or anything dear to me... yet I hurt none of them while sober."

"I think I saw a glimpse of you last night."

"I was afraid of that. Did I... did I hurt you... in any way?"

"No, you basically passed out as soon as you got here."

"Thank Hyne" Kane remarked. He stood, removed the choker from his own neck and placed it around the neck of Angelo, using it as a dog collar. He then walked across to the corner of the room where there stood the wooden table. He picked up a leather dog lead, walked back and clipped it onto the choker chain around Angelo's neck.

He approached Rinoa. "Stand" he ordered. "As soon as Angelo's up, we're leaving.

When Kane had turned his back, Rinoa put the photo in her formally empty pocket and got up on her knees. She ruffled the fur on Angelo's head, waking her from a weak nap.

Kane noticed this and said "Alright, we're off."

"You know; for a man with a bitch of a hangover, you sure are covering it up well" Rinoa commented.

She walked over to join Kane at the door. He had Angelo's lead in hand. "Angelo is well behaved and doesn't always need a lead. I just thought you might want to know." He unbolted the door and was preparing to open it.

"Kane" Rinoa's voice quietly broke the silence. "Kane..." she said once more, a little louder this time. "I have... something of yours. I don't know why I took it, I just had to... I had to see it."

"What are you talking about? Kane asked his mind on other things. "I don't have anything you could've..." he put his hands in his pant pockets, searching them for something. Suddenly his eyes widened in panic as his hands rapidly groped around in his pockets.

"I'm sorry; I just had to see it. I had to see it for myself... because Seifer told me..."

"Seifer?" asked Kane.

She presented the old photograph to Kane. "Please, don't be mad."

When Kane's eyes came to rest on the stolen object in Rinoa's hand, his face was consumed by anger. He snatched the photo from her and held it in both hands as though it were more precious to him than anything else in the world.

He pulled out his empty wallet, placed the picture inside and returned his wallet to his pocket. "I'm sorry." He apologized after taking some time to calm down. "It's just... that photo, it's all I have... All I have left, and that's the sad truth. I can't get over it; I can't get on with my life. It was so long ago and even now... and now you've come along and..." he seemed to trail off, finding himself unable to finish a simple sentence. "Fuck!" he swore in frustration."

Rinoa felt more like a burden on Kane than anything else. "I-I shouldn't have taken it."

"No, you were just curious. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. Now you've seen it, I guess you want to know all about it."

"Not if you don't want to talk about it. I know you haven't told anyone before. Seifer warned me but..."

"Seifer doesn't know half as much as he thinks he does."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have taken that picture."

"That picture, it is old" Kane said "it is faded and worn, ripped and torn. The last thing I have left from a better time... in reality, I'm not sure it was so great. Come on, we can talk about this on the way.

The three new friends walked together, side by side on a dirty dusty road. The day was so dry and barren; it was like walking on a path built in the desert at midday in blistering daylight hours.

Kane had allowed Rinoa to hold Angelo's lead on the way to the Forest Owl's mobile base. Despite the scorching temperature, it was a relatively peaceful and overall enjoyable journey.

Both Kane and Rinoa took it in turns to speak, their short periodic vocalizations breaking up each length of silence. Kane took a pack of cigarettes out from his pocket and placed one between his teeth. He put away the packet and summoned a ball of fire in the palm of his hand. He cupped his hands around the fire and raised them to his face, putting the cigarette's tip to the open flame.

He took a slow drag from the cigarette, held it and blissfully exhaled the bittersweet toxins. He looked toward Rinoa to see her eyes staring back toward him.

Although Rinoa had never smoked, she knew people who did and had become used to the second hand smell. The smoke did not concern her at all as it wafted up her nasal passage

"I don't suppose you smoke?" Kane said to her.

"No"

"Didn't think so... that's not your style, is it?"

"My style?" she asked.

Kane took another drag before answering. "You got caught up in that whole drug bust scandal."

"How do you know about that?"

"It's been quite a few years of slow news days" he answered "Galbadian newspapers are full of two types of articles; propaganda and gossip. You, my young daddy's little princess, made the front page."

"What, the front page? Geese, doesn't anyone have a social life anymore?"

"Apparently not... but hey, that's the price of fame."

"I never wanted to be famous" she said absentmindedly, her eyes transfixed on the ever shrinking cigarette Kane held between his thumb and index finger.

He exhaled more smoke as he spat the bitter words as though they were more cancerous than the tobacco. "No, you never wanted the world to watch you. You never wanted fame, but you willingly reap and relish in its rewards."

Rinoa looked almost insulted.

"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you'd be anywhere without Caraway's money."

"I don't have any of his money."

"And where are you"

"I... I don't actually know."

"My point exactly" he said triumphantly. Without me, you'd be lost."

Rinoa tried to argue but knew she was beaten. Kane knew just what to say to win an argument.

"So, princess?" he asked "what was it like? What kind of rush did you get? What did you take, anyway?"

"It was... do we have to talk about this? Can't we change the subject?"

"Maybe you should've thought about that before you took the upper express. What was it anyway, meth, coke, what?"

"It was... cocaine" Rinoa said in a lower volume than usual, despite the fact there was no one around to eavesdrop.

Kane raised the remains of the cigarette to his mouth and inhaled deeply before smothering its flame and tossing the butt behind him. "So then, I guess we have something in common."

"Don't get the wrong idea" she said defensively. "I didn't want to, at least... not at first." She looked away from Kane, into the horizon ahead. Under the clear blue sky she saw green. "Now, I actually do regret it. That part of my life... I just want to forget it."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"You don't truly regret it. You aren't really sorry at heart."

"Yes I am; how would you know? Don't think you can lecture me. You're not my father you know!"

"You're not sorry for what you did. You're only sorry because you got caught. It is not a true emotion; it was implanted in your brain. You were programmed with that false knowledge."

"I can't believe you just said that. I had to do it! It's not like I had a choice! My friends were doing it, everyone was doing it. I couldn't be the odd one out, too scared to try something new."

"So then what, what happened when you got caught?"

"That night... we had another party. I offered the mansion."

"The mansion, you mean Caraway's mansion?"

"I knew he'd be out at a meeting with the president. He wasn't due back for a while. He said he was going out of town for a few days. I think it was two or three, at least."

"So, it all happened in the General's home, right under his nose. Let me guess what happened. Caraway came home early to find a bunch of drugged up teens, right?"

Rinoa shook her head slowly. "No, it was worse than that" she said. "A bunch of cops stormed in and said we all had problems. I tried to say I'd only used it once or twice; it wasn't like I was an addict. I wasn't... I wasn't!" she said to Kane's disbelieving face.

"Sure you weren't" he mocked."

"Anyway, we were all fined for possession of an illegal substance and sent to some stupid rehab clinic."

"They fined you? Is that all, it should've been a lot worse than that."

"They made us a deal. It's not like they had arrest warrants or anything, they didn't even have a search warrant. They said they'd keep it private, keep it out of the courts, you know?"

"What about the substances, the drinks, the drugs."

"The cops took them, said they were evidence."

"Evidence huh, yeah right. I know for a fact those corrupt bastards were using it themselves." Kane looked up at the sky, then to his watch."

Rinoa carried on with her story, not noticing Kane's gesture. "Caraway got me pulled out of there of course, he pulled some strings... but he was impossible to live with after that. He's been getting worse lately. Now he's totally unbearable. That's one of the reasons I came here."

"So you don't really care about the resistance after all then." Kane assumed.

"That's a bonus" she told him. "What about you" she asked, looking at him to see he was staring into the distance. "What about you? Why are you here?"

Kane didn't answer, so Rinoa repeated the question. Still he refused to answer strait away. "I... I made a promise. It was arranged that myself and one other would help to liberate Timber and try get it back the way it was before this damn occupation... before Adel screwed everything up, not that Vinzor Deling didn't do his fair share of bad deeds."

"The way it was? Why, it's not like Timber was so great to begin with."

"Well, that's your opinion. Don't be offended if I don't agree with you."

"Who were you talking about, anyway?" she asked Kane.

"Oh, that. It was... we called her 'the Sheik.'

Rinoa guessed that Kane was talking about the girl in the photo. "What was she like?"

"She... was far above us."

"You mean she was a snob?"

"No" he shrieked. "She was not like that!"

"I take it you liked her then."

"Yeah... what's not to like. She had hair darker than charcoal and skin paler and purer than the clouds in the heavens. Her eyes were brown. 'Dirt brown' some called them, 'dirt common.' Not me though, she may have come from the poverty of Timber but rose from the ashes like a phoenix born from flame. Despite this, she remained eternally modest, from the blessing of her birth, to the dread-filled night of her demise."

He looked at Rinoa closely as though examining every inch of her appearance. "She looked a lot like you" he said. "Sometimes I think it can't be mere coincidence. It's just too..."

"Am I that similar?"

"In appearance: yes. It's so absurd yet I'm sure it must mean something. You are too old to be her reincarnation... but you are too young to be related. If you were alive back then as you are now... if I ever saw the two of you together, I would have no choice but to assume you were sisters."

Rinoa had not thought she looked too much like the young woman from the short glimpse she had of the black and white photograph. Looking at Kane, she saw he was spellbound, mesmerized in his own little world of contemplation.

In the near distance Rinoa glimpsed upon a large shack a quarter mile to the east of the road. "Do you know what that's used for?" she asked, pointing out the Shack.

"That's a pub" he answered "It's a bit dodgy though, I'd advise against going in there, although that's where I went last night. There are a lot of roughnecks who drink there."

"Oh, so that's it. Why don't you use the one in Timber?"

"In that pub there" he said mentioning the Shack "are cheats, liars, rouges, gamblers... hypocrites. They deserve no better than my company and I deserve no better than them."

"Kane... that can't be true. Where do you get this...?"

"Low opinion of myself?" he finished her sentence "yeah, Zone asked me that same question one time. I don't know, I guess it just appeared out of nowhere. I just kept preaching it to myself until I began to believe it. Now, it is law."

"That's sad... your mind, it seems so uninhabitable."

"I must still have some talent. I've even managed to depress you of all people. You who were once so lively and free spirited now seem trapped in a cage of despair."

"So, you never really retired then" she asked, mentioning Kane's long-dead career.

Eventually they walked past the pub and left it alone behind them. The unhappy drunkards inside would drown out their sorrows all day and all night as the bar gathered dust, the building aged through dry rot. The rotting decay of dead rats polluted the insides of the pub as the third rate drinks did the same to the ill-fated customers. Noticing nothing to be at fault, they would waste away their pitiful lives in this dreary place and await their impending inevitable end.

As Kane led Rinoa through the tedious countryside, they passed a tree or small building every so often on the flat landscape sporting distinguishable landscapes few and far between.

After a while, Kane began to continue their conversation from before. "After all this time" he said "I still don't understand it. I still don't know why she had to die. Why she had to be torn from my arms by the riptide of destiny, fates' cruel game with our lives... sometimes I get so sick of it."

Rinoa looked up at Kane with a look of sorrow.

"When she died, I fell into an endless rut of depression. I never thought I'd get out of it, it was so... so..." he trailed off in mid sentence, apparently not having any way to finish up the speech. "But she was so pure... like a guardian angel. She deserved so much better than what she got. She was a seraph brought up in this dark dying place, trapped on this earth. She was never meant for us but still graced us with her presence."

They walked in silence, separated from the rest of the world. There were no mobs of people rushing by. This quiet place contrasted the big city in so many ways. Since Deling was labeled 'the city that never sleeps' it was quite different from the uneventful surroundings of Timber and Rinoa was beginning to see why people enjoyed this kind of lifestyle. Even Angelo seemed to be enjoying the long walk in silence.

Rinoa looked at the colours on the horizon. The lush green was changing to a shabby brown.

"We're getting close" said Kane "the town is just up ahead, look."

Rinoa nodded "I see it."

As they approached the town, Rinoa began to notice the dust clouds clogging the air, it thickened as they walked ever closer. Of course these dust clouds were nothing compared to the layers of industrial smog shrouding Deling city in filthy darkness.

They approached the large stone gate, the entrance to the town. When the two guards saw them, they began to panic. They were the same two guards as before.

Kane came to a halt before Rinoa realized. "Aw no" he remarked.

They walked forward, dreading the awaiting confrontation.

"Ah, It's you." One of the guards said. "Suspect #33257, Kane."

"What?" Kane asked in response to the unusual greeting from the complete stranger.

"That is your name, isn't it? Isn't that the name held by those at the top of the Galbadian government?"

"Why does Galbadia care so much about me?"

"They've been searching for you."

"Spare me the small talk. Let me guess your point, maybe then we can get back on track. Let me guess; you're not going to let me in through here, are you?"

The guard smirked. "That's the least of your worries."

"What do you mean?"

A third guard appeared out from his hiding place. "Hello Kane, It's been a while" he said. Under his helmet we wore an eye patch.

"And just who are you supposed to be" Kane asked with tones full of contempt.

"Don't tell me you don't remember" the third guard asked. He removed his helmet and eye patch. His fair hair was shaved almost to the scalp. Behind the eye patch was no concealed eye. Discoloured skin had grown over the socket. Above and below the eye socket was the trace of an old battle scar.

"I have no idea who you are and to tell the truth, I couldn't really care less. I think less of you than I did of my old man."

"But it's been such a long time. I've missed you. These twelve years have been hard on me, but now... I thank Hyne that I was the one to find you first."

"Who are you?" Rinoa asked.

"Me, I'll reveal to you my codename then, shall I? I am Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Thompson, Galbadian Marine #3351, proud member of the Galbadian Marines, Blood Red squadron."

Time seemed to slow down for Kane as his mind went racing back to his meeting with the Marines.

"My Codename: Red Team Leader."

Kane's expression had turned sour at the recollection of his prior meeting with the man.

"So who's this then?" the Marine asked. He walked closer to Rinoa.

"Don't come any closer! Stay where you are!" Kane demanded in a demonic growl Rinoa had never heard before.

"Well Kane, She looks exactly like the other one. You've cheapened her memory with this doppelganger... that's what you've done." He began to laugh. "...And you once said I have no respect for the dead."

Before Rinoa knew what was happening, Kane's tightly clenched fist had flown speeding past her and strait into the Marine. The jab seemed powerful enough to shatter a cement brick, although the Marine's unarmored hand caught it like a tennis ball.

"Don't you get it? You can't beat me, No one can. A Marine's body has heightened dexterity and constitution. We cannot be killed. We are gods."

"So what, your body's been manipulated, like the fabled Cyborg's of Esthar?" Kane answered back.

"But Galbadia doesn't have that kind of technology" Rinoa argued.

"Oh" the Marine answered contrarily "You'd be surprised." He squeezed Kane's fist, almost crushing it in his hand. Kane tried to pull back his hand. Finally the Marine released his grip and Kane stumbled backward.

"Rinoa, I may need to fight this guy. Please don't get in the way. Just stay back" Kane said.

"You really hate this guy, don't you" Rinoa answered.

"Yes."

"Then... you do what you have to do. I won't interfere."

"Thank you."

"Aw... how sweet. Too bad, after I kill you I'll have to extract the life from her sweet supple cadaver" the Marine taunted.

"You'll have to lay me to rest before you even get near her" Kane said.

"That shouldn't be too hard" the Marine laughed, he took up a defensive fighting stance. "Now, let us end what was begun so long ago."

"We'll turn a blind eye" the two real guards stated.

Kane dashed forward, jumped and flipped in mid-air. He landed in a handstand and pushed against the ground, propelling himself once more into the air. He flipped again, forcing a hard kick in the direction of his opponent.

The Marine simply reverse dived to evade the attack. While gliding backwards through the air, he reached inside his jacket. From within each of his two inside breast pockets, he drew a cut-throat razor. He flicked both razors so that the blades were extended and threw them spinning in the air towards Kane.

One flew strait past Kane. The other, he managed to kick away. Falling in its new direction, it landed on the hard ground barely half an inch away from Rinoa's foot. Picking it up for closer examination, she saw the sharp underside of the blade was full of crude serrations. This blade had clearly been modified for the bias of tearing flesh rather than cutting.

"Take a look Kane" the Marine stated before landing in a backward roll and jumping to his feet. "Those blades can easily tear a new hole in anyone. They're a messy business. No longer can you call yourself the master shredder. You're self proclaimed title has been taken over by a simple weapon!"

"What are you, a soldier or a savage?!" Kane retorted.

"I am a Marine... a Warrior!" the Marine answered.

"Whatever you're calling yourself..." Kane began but instead of finishing his sentence, he rushed the Marine with a quadruple spin kick topped off with a left hook and a roundhouse kick.

All six hits connected and knocked the Marine down. Kane drew his pistol and got in position to perform his signature finisher.

Before he could fire a shot off, he felt a sudden pain near his ankle. He looked down to see an object sticking out from the bottom of his leg

"You didn't really think it'd be that easy, did you?" the marine asked.

Kane felt a painful tension from the injury in his leg. He found it difficult to move, like an alien paralysis was restricting him, tightening every joint in his skeleton like a wrench wielding maniac, a crazed inventor over-tightening the bolts on his latest abomination.

"Are you feeling it yet?" the marine said sneering up at Kane "How do you like it? My foul blade of the Wraith, it is venom tipped. Soon you will be unable to even move." He bellowed out a loud insane laugh as he rose to his feet.

No sooner was the marine standing upright than he was on his back lying flat on the ground with Rinoa atop of him.

"Well Kane" the Marine taunted "It seems your young lady friend has made her preference. Watch as she straddles me so... so willingly."

"Shut up!" Rinoa screamed in disgusted response. With her right hand clenched tightly into a fist, she pounded it violently into the Marine's face. With her face contorted in anger and eyes full of hate, again she hit him, again and again. Repeatedly and with excessive force and prejudice she continued her pulverizing assault on the man's smug face.

"She runs to you not out of affection... but as an emotional response. True feelings, look into her eyes... you see the truth" Kane hid the pain from the agonizing sting of the poison blade from escaping through his speech. He would give no man that satisfaction. No one could know the torture his body was going through.

Rinoa still punched the Marines face. Blood dripped from his broken nose and Rinoa was starting to feel the exhaustion caused by aggressive combat once the adrenaline rush wears off. Despite this, she found she could not stop her emotion fueled rampage on this bastard's bloody face.

Unnoticed by Rinoa, the Marine below her was beginning to stir. She continued to pummel him as he made his move. Quick as a flash of lightning, his arm struck swiftly and silently like a snake snatching its prey.

He caught her fist in the coarse palm of his hand. He quickly tightened his grip on her, squeezing her, crushing her soft hand in his monstrous blood stained claw. His mutilated face grinned in glee as he extracted a pained gasp from his new prey.

Rinoa hesitated for a split second that seemed to stretch on for an unimaginable length of time. She tried to attack him with her free hand but this was caught by the Marine. Now he was in control of both her upper limbs.

"Call me sexist if you must, but I don't believe that a woman should ever be on top of a man... no mater the circumstances" the Marine said. He forcefully rolled over so that he lay on top of Rinoa and she was trapped under his weight, lying there with legs spread open like a pathetic whore.

"Now" the Marine taunted her "Isn't that much better? Even in the world of Canines, it is the female who is labeled the bitch. Why do you think that is?"

"We have only just met" Rinoa answered, struggling to keep the emotion out of her voice. "But I already hate you just as much as Kane does."

"Is that so?" the Marine asked. He spat in her face, his saliva landing in a glob on her tightly closed lips.

He forced all his weight behind him in a backward swing. When on his feet, he turned around to face the struggling Kane. With his left hand, he released Rinoa's right hand and wrapped his arm around her torso. With his right hand he released her left hand and wrapped his arm around her throat tightly in a sleeper hold.

The Saliva began to drip down her chin. She spat on the ground to get the majority of the foreign fluid away from her mouth.

"That's not very ladylike of you" the Marine smirked.

"Given the situation" she replied "I don't really feel much like a lady, damn pig."

"Watch what you say to me" he hissed "Or I could easily..." he paused in mid-sentence.

Rinoa looked to Kane for some kind of explanation for why the Marine just ceased talking in the middle of a threat like that. Kane's eyes were wide. "What're you doing here?" he asked.

"Watts told me this Chocobo turd was asking around town for you so I thought I'd drop by" a voice answered from behind. Rinoa instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Seifer. "Now, be a good little piggy and let her go" he ordered the Marine in a patronizing tone.

"You don't know me at all, do you? Why should I do that?" the Marine asked stubbornly.

"Well, I tried negotiating so don't say I wasn't reasonable."

The Marine briefly cried out in pain. After a brief period, he gave another short cry.

"...And here I was thinking you Marines couldn't feel pain" Seifer taunted. He then appeared in front of Rinoa and tore her from the Marine's grasp. As soon as Rinoa was out of the Marine's hold, his arms fell limply to his sides. She turned to look at him to see he had an open gash below each shoulder.

Seifer had a bloody dagger in his hand; he drove it into the Marine's gut. He reached into the pitiful man's pocket and took out a glass vial. "What's this?" he asked. He threw it to Kane. It hit him and smashed, saturating a small patch of his clothing with its contents. The liquid immediately began to evaporate with fumes so strong they were clearly visible.

"Seifer, he's paralyzed!" Rinoa informed him.

"That's right" the Marine butted in. "He's been infected with a deadly toxin and that vial contained the last dose of the only batch... that was only antidote and now it's gone."

"Oh, shit... sorry about that Kane."

"Don't sweat it" Kane replied, walking towards them stiffly."

"It is fortunate that you did that... because that antidote needn't be administered orally. It works best when inhaled. I did my research. I know all about your poisons and in a couple of minutes... I'll be back to normal."

He took his pistol and harshly began to pistol whip the marine's already battered face in criss-cross patterns. He smashed the gun against the man's jaw so hard that he broke the bone. The man's jaw fell limply open and he shoved the barrel of his gun in through his mouth.

"What did you say your name was again?" he asked. The Marine's reply was muffled and incomprehensible. "Oh well. I wonder Mister Red team Leader, are you a god fearing man?" he leered down at his victim inspiring a look of fear. "Because thou art officially fucked." Without any faltering, he mercilessly squeezed the trigger and put an end to the tough bastard's life.

The close-impact shot from the Colt45 pistol had left a gaping hole in the back of the Marine's head. It wasn't necessarily a large hole, but it is not the size of a wound that tells its lethality.

The serene corpse fell to the ground. The Marine: Red team Leader, leader of the Blood Red squadron; was finally dead. Quite often the dying must suffer for some period before their passing. In this case, the dying spirit passed strait on through without feeling the pain of death. He had been fortunate in his demise.

"Damn it, you lucky bastard, even in death you have beaten me" Kane whispered to himself. He holstered his gun.

Rinoa looked at Seifer.

"Geez, never a dull moment for you, is there" he joked. "It's like 'The Wild One' all over again.

Looking away from Seifer, she approached Kane. "Kane, what happens now?" she asked.

"I... I need a drink" he replied. He approached the two Timber guards.

"I have only one thing to say" the guard told him. "That man... he was driving me mad. You took it a little too far I think, but thank you for dealing with him. This one time only, you may pass through."

"Hey, but that's..." the second guard protested, only to be silenced by the first.

"Come on, we're clocking off early today. As of right now, we are off duty until tomorrow morning." He walked away and the second guard followed him.

Kane, Rinoa, Seifer and Angelo all walked strait into the town of Timber with no frustrating guards to harass them.

It had been a quiet ten minute walk to the pub located at the end of the commercial side of Timber, the end of the commercial district's eastern road. Inside the building, Rinoa and Seifer sat at a table while Kane was up at the bar. Angelo had been tied up outside in accordance the pub's rule number one: no animals allowed.

Rinoa looked to the wall behind Seifer. "How long is this going to take?" she asked. Although this seemed like a perfectly fine place to stop for a while, she just couldn't trust people she met in pubs and night clubs. More often than not, they all ended up being real creeps. Sitting sober in a bar like a gaggle of middle-aged women sitting and talking in a café just wasn't her idea of a good time.

"What's wrong, don't you like my company? " Seifer asked.

"No... It wouldn't be so bad if we could actually order something."

"Maybe you can't, but don't worry. I'm sure Kane can cover the cost of your drinks." He saw the puzzled look on Rinoa's face and laughed. "That's tight, you're from Galbadia."

"So?" she answered back somewhat harshly.

"In Galbadia, the drinking age is higher."

"Twenty one" she answered.

"Yeah, well... in Timber, the legal drinking age is eighteen."

"Really?" she asked with obvious excitement which soon died down. "...but even so, I'm only sixteen. I'm still too young." In Galbadia she used a fake ID but she no longer had that particular item on her person.

"So what, I'm only Seventeen and no one is stopping me."

"Why not?" she asked obviously interested in his explanation.

"This is Timber, not Galbadia. Try to remember that. The drinking age only applies to whoever buys the drinks. As long as we're here with Kane, we can legally drink whatever he buys us."

"Speaking of which" he added, standing up. "Wait here" he said.

He walked over to the bar, probably to talk to Kane. Rinoa turned and watched him as he left. He wore a dark blue vest with dark blue pants, over which he wore a grey open trench coat.

Seifer stood beside Kane for some time. After a while, the two of them looked over at Rinoa. She was about to join them until they turned back. She suddenly felt left out by those whom she assumed to be her friends and felt unsure of what to do next. Should she approach them? Should she stay or should she leave, where could she go?

She looked back and saw Seifer walking towards her. She stood up and began walking towards him. When she got close to him, he simply said "Stay here, don't follow me."

"What?"

"I got some shit to take care of" he replied.

"What about me?"

"I don't know, figure something out" he said rolling his eyes. "Don't be so damn clingy."

After he left, she wondered to herself where that attitude came from.

Rinoa realized she had been standing in the middle of the room for a little too long and people were starting to stare. What was their problem, hadn't they ever seen a girl before?

She was about to leave but then she saw someone looking strait at her. It was Kane. She took a few steps toward him but then stopped unsure whether to go up to him. She thought she saw him smile, his upper lip curling upwards in a cruel smirk. Was he laughing at her?

She went up and stood before him. "What was all that about?" she asked, demanding an answer.

"What are you talking about? He asked innocently.

"Why did Seifer leave, what did you say to him?"

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it."

"Did you tell him to stay away from me or something?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that."

"Tell me" she demanded "What, don't you want anyone getting close to me because I remind you so much of the woman you couldn't control?"

Rinoa knew she had angered him, wounded him deeply. His face contorted into a scowl and his fists clenched.

"What now, are you going to hit an innocent teenage girl in broad daylight? Please, you'd never get away with it."

"Don't you give me that" he growled at her through clenched teeth "you aint so damn innocent. Now stop being such a Hyne damned bitch and sit the fuck down and join me or else you can piss off and try to make your own way in this world for once, instead of relying on handouts. You're on the road to becoming a filthy fucking whore."

Taken aback slightly and more than a little insulted by the aggressive response she received from Kane, she sat down on the closest barstool. Looking at Kane, she saw his fists had opened and his face had relaxed to a more serene neutral expression.

She looked ahead and into the face of the barman. He was an average height with short thinning brown hair. He rubbed his right eye with the middle finger of his right hand. "Excuse me young lady" Rinoa heard Kane snicker at the last word "how old are you?"

She looked to Kane and saw a smirk on his face before he hastily turned away. She'd receive no help from him here; the bastard picked the worst possible time to grow a sick sense of humor.

"I'm uh... sixteen."

"Look, we're pretty slack around here, but you just come here underage and expect service. Come back in a couple of years, fine but not now. Sixteen's too young. The Drinking age is eighteen."

"But I..."

"I don't care what excuse you have. The law is the law, out, now."

"But if you..."

"Look here little missy, you don't make the rules so you can't break them, neither can I. Please leave with dignity before I throw you out. Now out, out!"

"Relax, she's with me" Kane interjected.

"Oh... I see."

"I bet you feel like a real ass now, right?"

"I... I think I'm needed in the back" the barman said, hurrying off.

"Sure you are" Kane said doubtfully.

"Why'd you wait so long?" Rinoa whined.

"I wanted to see how you'd handle under pressure. I'm not entirely impressed with the results, yet I never expected you to succeed."

"What would you have done?"

"Next time... give whoever it is a bribe, or try flattering them. A little admiration goes a long way with the vain weak minded fools of this world."

"Bribe... with what, I don't have any money right now, remember?"

"When dealing with security guards and such, the feminine body can quite often be of more use than anything of material value. You should flirt with him a little more."

"What, you want me to... but I thought you didn't want me to be a... well, you know."

"No, there's no need to take it that far. Should you flirt: yes, should you degrade and humiliate yourself publically for them: possibly, but offer yourself unto their lustful fantasies: there is no need. Show off your body, flatter yourself before you flatter your target. I can't believe I'm saying this, but to be a successful female resistance fighter you are going to have to learn how to flirt with those whom you despise the most."

Rinoa, who had remained quiet while Kane talked, found her mouth was dry. She tried to swallow but found it difficult.

"If you'd like a place in the Forest Owls, you've got it. Do you want it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, have a think about it. Would you rather live in a mobile base, always on the move with people your own age in Timber; or would you rather live with Caraway in his mansion in the big city?"

"Both of those have drawbacks, but I don't know if I can go back. Could I stay with you for a while?"

"...with me?"

"Yeah, for now at least, until things die down with Caraway... maybe a little longer, I'm not sure."

"You can join the Forrest Owls and live in their base." He looked away "is that what you want?" he asked.

"...yeah" she replied detecting nothing peculiar about the way Kane had phrased his response.

"Then so be it, that train is now your home."

"Thanks."

"Yeah... don't worry about it..." Kane mumbled in response.

After the conversation had dried up, the barman returned and stood before the young group. "Oh, I see you're still here" he said, stating the obvious.

"Yes, that's very observant of you" Kane said coldly, his bitter attitude seemingly appearing from nowhere. Rinoa suppressed a laugh at Kane's bitterly sarcastic comment.

"So, can I get you anything?" the barman asked.

"Yeah, you can get us a couple of pints" Kane answered.

"Two?" the Barman asked.

"Yes, that's right" Kane said, still talking in tones of bitter sarcasm. "One for me and one for her, one and one make two." He lifted his hand to show the barman two fingers.

"Right" the barman replied. "Anything in particular, what's your preference?"

Kane looked at Rinoa. "I don't know I'm not much of a beer drinker so I don't really mind" she said.

"Whatever you recommend then" Kane said to the barman "and try to make it quick. I haven't really got all day you know."

"Bitter or sweet then?" the barman asked.

Kane looked at Rinoa once more, who shrugged her shoulders at the decision. "Better make it bitter" Kane said.

"Right" the barman said before disappearing under the bar. He soon reappeared with two beer mugs which he then filled from one of the many taps protruding from the top of the bar. He then presented the two drinks to his customers and quickly retreated to the back of the bar through a 'Staff Only' door, lest he suffer more verbal abuse.

Rinoa picked up the mug before her and raised it to her lips. She took a mouthful of the brown liquor into her mouth then put the mug back down. From the moment the drink touched her tongue she struggled to keep a strait face.

"Do you like it?" Kane asked her. She nodded, still fighting against her facial features. She thought she was doing a pretty good job, at least until she heard Kane say "come on, it can't possibly be that bad."

She turned to face him and saw he was silently laughing at her. He drank a large mouthful from his own mug and swallowed it easily. "Yeah, that is bitter" he said "Although it's nothing compared to what I usually drink at the other pub."

Kane quickly consumed his drink and waited for Rinoa to finish hers. By the time the last drop had hit her tongue, Rinoa had acquired a liking for the taste.

"Finished?" Kane asked.

"Yeah" she nodded.

"Let's go then." Kane had already risen to his feet and was ready to leave. Rinoa did the same. They turned to leave and began to walk away from the bar until they were stopped by a voice from behind them.

"Hey, wait a minute you two!"

They turned around. The barman was staring at them, or more accurately; he was staring at Rinoa, the weaker of the two. He knew he'd be able to dominate her a lot easier.

"What about the drinks you ordered, who's gonna pay for those?"

"Oh well, about that..." Kane said.

"Kane, you don't have any money?" Rinoa asked him in disbelief.

"Seifer was gonna pay" he answered.

"Let me guess, Seifer's not here. How convenient" the barman said.

"But Seifer said you'd spot me" Rinoa objected.

"Sly bastard" Kane cursed to himself "he had no intention of paying."

"What about my money?" the barman moaned like a spoiled brat.

"Hold on" Kane said "I've got an idea." He put his arm down to his side and his fingers curled around the grip of his pistol. He drew it and pointed it strait at the barman.

Rinoa couldn't believe this. "Kane!" she whined.

"Relax" he said with a smile.

"You... you robbing me?" the barman accused "you'll never get away with it." He ducked down behind the bar and began rummaging with unseen bottles. Rinoa distinctly heard him mumble "damn, where is that thing?"

He returned into plain sight empty handed.

"Don't worry, I'm not robbing you. He placed the gun gently down on the bar. "Take it, in exchange for what I owe you. Trust me; it more than covers the cost of those two drinks."

"But Kane, you can't pawn your gun for a couple of drinks."

"Why not, it's not like it was a gift or anything. It was only my father's so it bears no sentimental value whatsoever... besides, I don't need a gun. I can kill a man with my bare hands."

"Very well, you are free to leave" the barman said.

"Thank you" Kane said as he turned and took a few steps toward the exit. He stopped when he noticed Rinoa wasn't following. "What is it?" he asked.

"I can't believe you just did that."

"Don't give it a second thought, I wont." He continued walking; Rinoa eventually followed him out, not wanting to get lost.

Outside, Rinoa noticed that Angelo was gone. She asked Kane about it.

"Seifer must've taken her. He wouldn't leave her tied up if he was going back to the base. Also, he would've told us if she had escaped."

"Are you sure?"

"You can trust Seifer. He can be a real dick sometimes, but overall he's a good guy."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, now come on."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"The train station" Kane explained.

"Which one?" Rinoa asked.

"One of the local stations, near the bridge, it's close to the transcontinental railway line that passes through this town up in the residential district."

Alone once more, together they walked to the northern residential district. The thick dust clogging the air gave it a dirty brown hue. The sun was up at its highest point in the sky. It seemed Rinoa was in for yet another pleasant walk with Kane but she was about to learn an important lesson; luck flows around in a cycle.

Fortune may smile upon you today, but soon the cycle of luck will change positions, leaving you fending off fiends alone in the dark to contend with disaster and catastrophe, misery and calamity. The blessing of luck can so easily become pain of ruin.

Ignorant to this truth, Rinoa was surprised when Kane suddenly stopped walking.

"What is it?" she asked.

She received only a hushing sound from Kane, instructing her to silence.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"G-soldiers" he replied in a hushed tone.

"G-Soldier?" she asked.

"Galbadian soldier, from the Galbadian army" he explained.

"What are they doing here?"

"This is an occupation, what do you think?"

The soldier was getting closer. His uniform was blue with black body armor overtop. He had the Galbadian insignia in white on his left shoulder. Rinoa had always detested that insignia ever since the first time she laid eyes upon it.

Call her unpatriotic but Rinoa hated the Galbadian flag. She hated Galbadia's national anthem and she hated Galbadia's fascist government. She hated the flag most of all. The flag was a simple design, a crimson background featuring the Galbadian insignia.

She had first seen that forsaken insignia as a little girl and had instantly been terrified of it. Although it may have consisted of only three shapes, it forced itself into her mind and caused her to imagine a face. Loathsome and anguished it was.

The first time she saw it, she had cried. She knew she was an embarrassment to her mother and father, but she didn't care. Now she understood. The flag of her nation inspired not fear in her heart, but anger. Now she knew what it meant.

The country's insignia stood for the pain and misery the president had caused to the people of the world on his way to the top in his conquest of power. He had lied, cheated and even imprisoned innocents for doing no more than exercising their freedom of speech.

The president of Galbadia did not need the love and respect of the citizens, he ruled them through fear. He was detested by the entire world but had still managed to rule the nation since the revolution.

Because of the prison established in Galbadia's barren desert wasteland, no one dared run against him in an election, no one dared criticize him publically. The face Rinoa had envisioned when looking at Galbadia's flag had been the one shared by many, the poor souls rotting in the Desert District Prison; the sespit of brutality that stood for Vinzor Deling's fascist regime, his malicious mockery of a republic.

The Soldier crept ever closer to them. Rinoa closed her eyes as every muscle in her body seemed to tense up until it was painful. After some time had passed, Rinoa assumed that the soldier and the danger he posed had passed. She breathed easy.

"Oh Shit!"

Rinoa's eyes instantly snapped open wide and her chest contracted, painfully trapping the air in her lungs. She found herself unable to breath in or out. Time stood still for the longest instant.

"It's the resistance!"

Rinoa was frozen to the spot, frozen in fear. She couldn't budge even if she wanted to. She couldn't fight a real battle. Sure, she could talk tough but when it came to violence…

The scene seemed to unfurl around her, ignoring her. She was nothing more than an intruder, a spectator. In her slowed down bullet-time view of the scene she saw before her, she saw for the second time that day Kane running in front of her to combat his foe. He took the role of aggressive attacker and of protector.

Kane rushed him with an offensive barrage of punches and knee jolts before the soldier had even drawn a weapon. A well placed kick sent the soldier up into the air, only to land a few seconds later.

It seemed like the end of the fight, but this battle was far from over. The soldier stood up, cursing Kane's name under his breath. He drew his sword; the three foot long steel blade glistened in the sun. The top of the blade was rounded and blackened. The polished hilt was wrapped in leather.

"Longswords of that length are reserved for the most skilled of all warriors. What's a dog of Galbadia doing wielding one? That's a fucking insult!" Kane bellowed.

"When are you extremists gonna learn?" the soldier asked arrogantly, completely ignoring Kane's remark.

The soldier swung his sword at Kane, who ducked and dodged it with ease. "Should've taken an easier weapon, junior" he taunted. He dodged several more attacks from the soldier's longsword.

Kane began spinning around, ducking lower and lower to avoid the soldier's crazed attacks. When he was close enough, he put out his left arm behind him and with his right hand; he savagely thrust a fist into the soldiers gut.

Kane cringed from the pain his own blow had caused him but felt a rush of pride in knowing he had broken through the soldiers armor. He surely would've heard the crack of his knuckles on the armor, had he not been deafened by adrenaline.

He swiftly spun one hundred and eighty degrees and using his left hand, he knocked off the soldier's helmet.

Kane thrust his left arm forward, his hand flat, his fingers strait out. He retracted his two middle fingers and placed his thumb over them. A sly grin crept itself onto his face.

He crossed his right arm over his left, by the elbow. From elbow to fingertips, he bent his left arm up towards him. He bent his wrist forward so his fingers faced his foe; he then rotated his hand by the wrist so his fingers faced himself. He then bent his wrist back so his closed palm faced upward and his fingers faced the soldier, his thumb still covered his middle and ring finger.

"Allow me to show you" he growled "A fighting style of my own development."

What Rinoa then witnessed went by in a blur. Kane's body twisted to and fro and his limbs thrashed about as if he were possessed by a demon. He moved so fast that Rinoa's eyes had trouble tracking him.

Kane battered the soldier with every impromptu weapon his unarmed body possessed. It was just like he had always said, he had no need for guns or swords; he could cause enough damage with his bare hands, elbows, knees and feet. Even his head, when properly applied could be used as a dangerous weapon.

His arms and legs seemed to be flying all over the place, but he somehow managed to stay in control of them and almost every hit landed hard on the soldier who was simply patrolling in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A hard kick caused the soldier to drop his sword. He was stunned, to say the least. Kane jumped and preformed a perfect back flip. While still in the air, he held his arms out in front of him with his open palms facing the soldier.

Red orbs appeared in Kane's hands, one in each. The Red energy began moving, rotating, flaring up. This was class two fire magic, the spell: Para-fira. For its class, its power was only measured as a level one on the Odine scale but even so, the Galbadian military hadn't even utilized this spell. Kane had just now conjured up two of said spell.

He launched the first spell from his left hand, then the second spell from his right. The two blazing balls of magical power expanded in the air, the oxygen in the atmosphere feeding the fire, causing them to grow in size and potency. As they flew towards their intended target, they left behind them a trail of heat and light, similar to a comet's tail.

The two Firas sped toward the soldier like air-to-ground misiles. They both hit at the same time, engulfing the soldier in a massive explosion. The sound from the blast was exceeded only by the soldier's screams of agony as the intense flames licked his charred body like so many tongues in a house of incest.

When the flames died down, the sight of the soldiers blistered and scorched remains forced Rinoa to place a hand over her mouth to suppress a scream.

"Sorry you had to see that" Kane told her. He picked up the three foot longsword. "G-soldiers never work alone. There's another one around here somewhere, I'm sure of it."

There was a noise behind them that sounded similar to a stone hitting a hard dirt floor.

"And that would be him" Kane said. He turned around and charged in the direction of the noise. He confronted the soldier in hiding and violently swung the sword in a downward motion. The long blade bit into the soldiers flesh, instantly dismembering him from the shoulder.

The soldier cried out in pain as crimson blood pumped from his severed artery. Kane swung at the soldier again using an uppercut slash to knock his bleeding casualty into the air. The body rose six feet into the air before falling back down. Kane held the sword so the blade's point stood up in the air at the highest point.

Inevitable as it was, Rinoa could not prepare herself for the soldiers impending grotesque demise. In fact, she was dreading this more than the soldier himself. She had seen violence before in movies, but this was the first time she had ever witnessed first hand this level of brutality.

The body of the dying soldier fell unto the blade, savagely impaled by three feet of steel. He let out yet another excruciating cry of pain which eventually died down as his blood drenched body finally began to slip into tranquility and his three remaining limbs relaxed as gravity forced them downward.

Kane threw the sword down onto the soiled earth. He walked towards Rinoa and she met him with a look of terror. "Don't look at me like that" he whispered. "I'm not proud of that… but it had to be done."

Rinoa stood speechless, traumatized by the sight of Kane committing these ruthless acts of malice.

"Those were soldiers, the enemy. They're paid to serve, their purpose is to die."

"Is that supposed to… justify your actions?" Rinoa asked, pausing to find the right word. "Who are you trying to convince… me, or yourself?"

"We… we have to go" Kane said, changing the subject, his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I'm sorry" Rinoa apologized. "I shouldn't have said that. You've taken care of me all this time but… it was the shock of seeing you…"

"I know" Kane interrupted before she said anything that made either of them uncomfortable.

"Let's go" Kane said hoarsely.

Kane walked in front, followed by Rinoa. They walked northwestward, towards the sun in its current position. This unfortunately resulted in a bright glare, almost blinding. Fortunately for Rinoa, she was walking in just the right place so that Kane's body blocked most of the glare from hitting her face.

"Tell me about your old band" Rinoa said, trying to restart a pleasant conversation before they reached their destination.

"What don't you already know? You were listening to us last night."

"That was you?"

"Yeah, that was our last album. The Sheik was my backing vocalist on that one."

"I think I liked her voice, it almost reminded me of my mother."

Kane looked at her with narrow eyes. "I'll try not to feel insulted" he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said in mock offence.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I hate pop music, so I must also hate your mother."

This time, Rinoa really did look insulted.

"I told you not to get upset" Kane said in response to Rinoa's expression. "It's nothing personal, I don't hate your mother as a human being, and I don't hate her voice… it's just the business she got into. It's too damn commercial."

"How can you say that? You never even met her!"

"That's just my opinion, my generalization."

"I see… What about your music though, is that any different?"

"We never sold out. We had so many opportunities to enter the music mainstream, but every time the mainstream slackened, we got more extreme, simply for the reason of staying infamous in our underground obscurity."

Rinoa took this in for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "Does it hurt when you scream?" she said, asking the questioned that had been puzzling her for quite some time.

"That's not really a 'yes or no' question" Kane answered. "It really depends on the type of scream. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it actually feels good. There's more to my vocal technique than just screaming."

Rinoa nodded.

"Sometimes I screamed, sometimes I shrieked, sometimes I grunted and growled like a grizzly bear. Sometimes I gurgled and sometimes I simply used clean singing, you know what I mean?"

Rinoa's face was screwed up in confusion. "Not really, but I think I might have an idea of what you mean."

Kane laughed at this.

Before Rinoa had time to retort to Kane's laugh, she noticed the train station looming ever closer. Kane found a clean area of concrete in the shade that was in plain view of any incoming trains and sat down. Rinoa sat next to him.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked.

"The train" Kane answered, giving her absolutely no valuable information.

"I know that!" she said with a smile.

"Then why'd you ask?"

Rinoa looked at Kane and saw he was troubled. His face bore no grin, no sign of amusement. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing" answered Kane. "Well actually, there's something I really should tell you."

"What is it?"

"It's a little hard."

"Just tell me. I won't get mad or anything."

"…okay, here we go."

The screeching of airbrakes being slammed on revealed the conclusion that a train had arrived.

"The train's here" Kane said, stating the obvious. He stood up and began to walk towards the long metallic transit vehicle but stopped at Rinoa's protest.

He looked at her confused face. "Right, we don't have much time" he said. "Rinoa… I'm leaving."

"What about me?"

"You'll stay here."

"When will I see you again, you are coming back, aren't you?"

Kane didn't answer.

"But you said I could stay with you!"

"I asked if you wanted to join the Forest Owls and you said 'yes.'"

"But I want to go with you."

"I was hoping you'd say that" Kane said "but for your own safety, I can't let you do that. Stay with the Owls, stay with Seifer."

"Kane!" she whined.

"Don't make a scene" Kane informed her. "I'm not doing this because I want to. Don't you think I'd like you to come along with me? That'd be great to say the least but… I don't want to hurt you. I can't trust myself."

"I don't care, what's important is that I trust you. In the short time I've been with you, I've seen you kill so many people and yet I still trust you with my life, with my body. That's gotta mean something."

"Forget it; you're better off with someone closer your own age anyway. I'm sorry about all this, but do me a favor, okay?"

Rinoa nodded.

"Take care of Angelo. I trust her in your hands."

"All right" she agreed.

Kane took a few steps forward but then stopped. "There was something else I was going to do" he said. "But I don't know if I should."

"What is it, what are you going to do?"

"I know I shouldn't, but something inside is telling me to go for it, egging me on but something else is disgusted, repulsed, I don't know what to do."

"Kane..."

He shook his head. "Forgive me" he said.

Rinoa's eyes narrowed.

Kane stepped forward and placed his hand on Rinoa's shoulder, sending ice cold shivers down her spine. His face drew ever closer to hers. Rinoa began to feel anxious, she felt cold inside.

Kane's lips came into contact with Rinoa's and Kane's tongue, liberated from his control began to invade the young moist inside of her open mouth.

Kane was on a large stage. He could hear the roaring of the crowd before him, but he could not see them. The bright lights blinded him; they kept the mob below out of sight. All he could see was a dark room.

The deafening cries of the riotous moshing fans below were heightened by the rapid pounding of a drummer's blast beat. The drum solo was coming to a close. He needed something to finish off the show, some grand climax. His mind was blank.

He looked beside him, into the eyes of the Sheik.

"What?" she asked him. Her voice, directed away from the microphone in her hand was lost in the racket of the night.

Kane smiled. "I got it" he said. His voice, just like hers; was much too quiet to be heard. He put his arms around the Sheik and held her close to him. He stole a kiss from her heavenly lips.

Her entire body tensed up in futile resistance. She was probably loosing all respect for him right now. She'd most likely not ever speak to him again and he knew he shouldn't, but hey; he was enjoying it and so were the fans. Judging by the screaming emitted from what must've been every single person there. They were putting on a great show.

Kane took a step back. The Sheik had an expression on her face as if to say she was unsure of what was happening and of what to do next.

Kane put his arms around her again and picked her up, one arm supporting her back and one arm supporting her legs. "Hold up the mic" he said. His voice was unheard but the Sheik read his lips and knew what he meant.

She held her microphone up so Kane could talk into it. "So, Did you all like that!?" he growled into the microphone, talking to the countless fans before him. "You wanna surf?" he asked the Sheik, talking into her ear.

"What?" she asked.

"You are the will of the Gods!" he growled into the microphone "I sacrifice unto thee... the body of the Sheik!" he said, shrieking the last part.

He instructed the Sheik to drop the microphone and she did so. He threw her into the crowd; their waiting hands were raised into the air, ready to catch her falling body.

The rhythmic drumming was beginning to slow and as soon as the Sheik's body touched the fingertips of the waiting hands, someone else on the stage began to play an earsplitting guitar riff.

Kane took his own guitar and threw it into the crowd. He let them fight over it.

He turned around to face the rest of his band. "Hey, keep this up! Increase the fucking tempo!" he said. They did so. "Yeah, that's it" he said. He let out a deafening roar before diving off the stage into the crowd.

Kane took a few steps backward. Rinoa stared at him, her eyes were unfocused. "What... what was..." she began to say.

"I'm sorry" Kane apologized, he closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have done that. The two of you are so similar, just like I suspected. I'm sorry" he apologized again. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I had to see, to give it a chance. After all, I'm probably never going to see you again, so long... princess."

Having said this, he slowly walked toward the train. Just as he boarded, the door closed behind him.

Rinoa heard the train's breaks release. The driver was awaiting the 'all clear' signal. Rinoa looked down in thought. She had so much to think about but all these... ideas were buzzing around inside her head leaving her unable to say anything inside her head, she just had thoughts, as soon as she began to think about one idea, another consumed her interest.

The train was still there. Rinoa felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Seifer. "I thought you'd be here" he said. "So that's the train Kane got on?"

Rinoa nodded in response.

"Looks like I'm in time then."

"For what?" asked Rinoa.

"To pick you up, we didn't want to make our princess wait did we?" Seifer said with a smirk, using Kane's nickname for her.

"So where have you been all this time?" Rinoa asked ignoring the remark Seifer had made.

"Nowhere special" Seifer answered mysteriously "I was with the Owls. We were just making preparations. We've made room for you and Angelo so you'd better stay and like it because we've been working hard."

Rinoa looked away in thought.

"Hey, lighten up. I was just joking. What's wrong, you been hanging out with Kane too much or something?"

"Maybe I have" Rinoa answered.

"Well, don't worry about it. With my help, soon you would've forgotten all about that has-been head banger." He stopped talking, thinking back to the conversation he had with Kane.

Back in the bar with Kane, their conversation had come to rest upon the fate of Rinoa. "So, what do you think of her?" Kane had asked him.

"I don't know, I guess she's alright" he answered.

"Does she live up to your standards?"

"Yeah, what about you?" he asked.

"You already know the answer to that, Seifer."

"What's with the questionnaire? Are you setting up a dating service?" Seifer asked with some humorous scorn.

"I'm gonna leave. I have to get back to the Forest Chocobos."

"Oh, I get it. Don't you like me Kane, what're you gonna go supervise 'Mister Serious' for?"

"Leave the guy alone Seifer. You two might even get along if you give 'im a break."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen" Seifer laughed.

"I'm serious" Kane said sternly. "But I can see what you mean. He's quite stressed. I'd worry about him if I didn't already have enough to deal with. I just know someone's going to push him too far one day and you'd better just hope you're not nearby when that happens."

"Yeah right, I'm not afraid. I'd fight him anywhere. He doesn't scare anyone."

"Always be careful around guys like that, Seifer. You never know, he might just surprise you."

"Yeah yeah, I know. You have to watch the quiet ones."

"He's not just quiet. I took the time to get to know him. He's really not so bad and besides, if you're really serious about that dream of yours, you're gonna need some close allies you can trust."

"But I don't need someone like that tagging along."

"Seifer, I've seen him fight. He's pretty impressive. Anyway, I want you to look after Rinoa until she finds her place.

"So she's staying in Timber then?"

"I'm not sure; I haven't actually asked her yet."

"Why don't you take her with you?" asked Seifer, he turned to look at Rinoa.

Kane saw this and also looked over at Rinoa. After a short period of time, they both looked back. "I don't know... I've been thinking of doing that but..."

"But what, you like her; she's getting to like you, what's the problem?"

"Her age, for one" said Kane "If seen as a couple, even twelve years ago when I was in my young party-hard 'who gives a fuck' state of mind we would be frowned upon."

"Twelve years ago you wouldn't have cared. Why should you now? It's not like you to give a shit about what everyone else thinks."

"And it's not like you to pass someone like Rinoa onto me. What's the deal Seifer, isn't she good enough for you?"

"It's not that... alright then; you had your chance, now it's mine. Sure, I'll take care of her for you."

"Great, thanks... now get out of here and tell the Owls. I'll worry about Rinoa. Meet us at the station later."

"Where are you going, up near the hills?"

Kane nodded.

After a pause, Seifer stood up. "I'll leave you alone then." He turned around and left.

"Come on then" Seifer said. "Come and see the room we set up for you and the dog. I think you'll like it. One of the Forest owls designed it. I don't know if you know him but Zone decorated it all... so I hope you like pink."

"Pink? You're kidding right?" Rinoa asked.

"Don't tell me you hate it already. You haven't even seen it yet. I'll have to tell Zone" Seifer said, smirking all the while. "He was going on saying all girls love pink... not that he would know of course."

Rinoa looked strait forward just in time to see the train departing. It began pulling away from the platform, accelerating faster every second. She imagined herself running after the train like a young soldier's wife in an old war movie.

Seifer made a few smart comments and Rinoa tried to smile at these but in authenticity, she wasn't really listening. She was too busy watching the train leaving the station. The engine was pulling its carriages away from her, out of her reach and with them; it was taking Kane out of her life forever.

Author's notes: So there you have it. Kane is gone. Any of you people out there who didn't like him because you hate Heavy Metal, you must be so happy. All of you who liked him, I'm sorry.

All of you who like high school based fics are gonna be pleased with what I have coming up next. The next few chapters are going to follow Squall's story as he attempts the SeeD exam. I have no idea when the next chapter is going to be up so it could be a while.

Thanks,

Morbid 333