If we could sit together a moment

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall Leonhart and Firion
Where: The Dark Cave
When: Wednesday
Summary: Firion finally finds Squall in the Dark Cave and they have a chat.
Rating: PG to be safe?
Log:
After talking to Zidane, Firion approached the Dark Cave and, true its name, it was very dark inside. He reached into his pack and pulled out a flashlight, turning it on and going inside. This world's technology still made him gawk sometimes. It had taken him awhile to figure out how a flashlight even works. A torch without a flame? He didn't get it and in the end, never did. He just new he needed those battery things whenever the light wouldn't turn back on.

He was lucky to have Wild Rose with him as she was the most effective against all these rock Pokemon, but still, he didn't find Squall. Worse still, he got lost. It had been a long time since he had been in this cave and the last time he had another companion. Firion sighed dejectedly, where could Squall have gone? And why did he leave his Pokemon?! It was almost suicidal! No, it was suicidal. He knew Squall liked to be alone but they had all been effected by those nightmares and they all knew Squall had gotten the worst of it all.

"Damn it, Squall," He murmured, crossing his arms, flashlight still in hand. He didn't pay attention during that split second of no light and luck was not on his side. The ground abruptly dropped off. With a startled yelp, Firion felt down the ledge. He was lucky it was hardly more than a five feet, but the staggered way he had fallen meant he found himself sprawled on the ground, knees skinned and scraps on his hand from trying to catch himself. But, it could have been worse and that was the good. "Ow..."

Well, his flashlight had survived, at least. Firion stood up and went to grab it.

Comments

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, "If I knew what they were planning... I probably would have tried to take care of them myself, rather than ally myself with you and the others. But that's speculation, what happened, happened. Predestined? Who knows. As much as I hate to admit it... Time is sometimes linear in some cases."

In a weird way, his entire life was a huge time paradox due to Ultimecia's interference. If he didn't fight her, she would have won but because he did, he was sent back. Sent back to Edea's orphanage when he was still a child who lost his sister and inspired Edea to create SeeD, to know that it was that little kid who went looking for his Sis that saved the world.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"Everything is mere speculation at this point," Firion said. "All we can do now if move forward with what we have. We are all in yet a new world, rather than our own, and so far, you and I need to get home but are unable to do so just yet. In the mean time..."

He sighed. In the mean time, do what?

"Let us just focus on the here and now. We are in no way going to break our promises or forget our dreams, this will simply be another journey to fulfill them. Bruises, cuts, scrapes, and all," He turned to Squall and held out a pinky finger, smirking lightly. Maria used to make him do this all the time. "Promise?"

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

He stared blankly at Firion's hand and the extended finger. "A journey designed by some kid's imagination with creatures we have to tame. Right."

Squall rolled his eyes before sighing softly. "I am not doing a pinky swear with you."

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

That made him laugh and finally switched it to a normal offering of a handshake. "Then we will shake on it. A child's imagination or not, we are here for better or worse."

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

It was tentative but Squall did shake Firion's hand once with a nod before letting go. Leaning back against the wall, he watched his pokemon chase each other through the cave before asking "Why do you need to go back to your world?"

For Squall's case it was more to find out what part of his world still needed to be rebuilt, what he needed to do as a Commander of SeeD to help his world heal after everything Ultimecia had done. Assuming that even if he was brought back to that moment, to that island, that he could go back to his own time.

Cosmos only said the crystals were supposed to give them hope. They all assumed the crystals would take them home but what if that wasn't the case? He ended up here, didn't he? Squall groaned, bumping his head against the wall in frustration.

All this thinking was starting to give him a headache, another reason why he was constantly trying. It kept him from thinking too much.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"The war has yet to be won," Firion said. "Before I sent to fight in the Conflict, we had just received news that the Dark Knight was proclaiming himself Emperor. We were to be sent on that mission but I have yet to complete it. The Dark Knight, however, is Leon."

It was a matter-of-fact for him and that was how he stated it. But he knew when he returned, they would go to Leon and get him back home.

He blinked when Squall groaned and bumped his head. He put his hand in the way to prevent Squall from doing it again. "Giving yourself an headache will not help. Why don't we leave this cave and get back to Cherrygrove. We can talk about why we are here with the others." He looked thoughtful for the moment. "Light, you, and I all arrived her as soon as we left with out Crystals. Tidus and Cloud did not remember us and Cecil aged seventeen years. I wonder why that is..."

He shook his head. "Nevermind, let's simply go back."

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

Squall nodded, grunting softly. The feel of Firion's hand on the back of his head was felt awkward, as awkward as the hug earlier but he didn't make a mention of what he felt from it.

"If I do this long enough, it'll cause a concussion, not a headache." Headaches and migraines were always caused by things others done or said, caused by paradoxes and the like. Never from slamming his head against walls. Or desks during the few times his roommate did something stupid in front of him.

"How long have I been gone anyway?" The idea of leaving the cave wasn't really appealing but somehow he doubted Firion would just leave without him. "Can't tell what time it is in all this darkness.

"Tidus. Tidus is here?" Squall blinked, the first time he heard the blitzball player's name since he first arrived in this world. "Or is it Tidus was here?"

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"Then don't give yourself a concussion," Firion remarked, removing his hand.

He sighed softly. "A week. You've been gone a week. And Tidus was here, but he didn't remember me or Light."

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

Squall scoffed, chuckling very softly, "I have a hard head. Or at least that's what Doctor Kadowaki always claimed.

"That long? Thought it was only a few days since I left..." The SeeD shrugged before adjusting his position on the floor, tucking a leg underneath him. "Must have hurt--him not remembering you. You and Tidus... You two were close, weren't you? During the Conflict. I remember him saying that he stuck out with you the longest when we were still looking for our crystals."

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

Firion nodded, swallowing thickly. Tidus had been the one to stick with Firion the longest. "Yeah, he was. But it didn't really matter in the end, he wanted to be my friend anyway. Memories or no."

It touched him. But then he disappeared.

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"Of course he did. It's just who he was," Squall commented with a shrug, noting the sudden tensed tone in Firion's voice. "Sometimes the memories don't mean much but the person's intent. Though is it the memories that shape someone's personality or something more innate?"

Squall smiled slightly with a hint of wry, "I'll probably never know because memories are currency of a sort in my world."

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"We'll never know with that kid," Firion murmured with a small smile. Before turning to Squall. "So why do you just... not use whatever it is that costs you your memories?"

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"We can't. The benefits outweigh the cost." It was a standpoint that will never change for him. "Losing our memories... is justified payment for the GFs."

The power they gave them was what they needed to face the dangers of Ultimecia's time. The GFs helped them defeat Ultimecia, allowed them to use and draw magic from others. They even helped them become stronger and more resilient to attacks.

"We didn't know the risks for a while but even after we learned what the GFs wanted for payment, we all decided that we would always need them and it was a sacrifice we would have to make."

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"And when the war is over?" Firion asked softly. "Will you still use the GFs even knowing that they will take your memories?"

Sacrifices were always being made during war and battles, Firion knew that better than anyone.

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Squall nodded once, "It's part of my job description. I'm a SeeD. A mercenary. Protection and infiltration. Stealth and espionage are what I've been trained to do." Among other things. He shrugged lightly, watching his pokemon dart in and out of sight before them.

The true purpose of SeeD might have been to destroy the Sorceress but the decisions NORG made about utilizing SeeD as a mercenary force remained. It was what Squall had been brought up to do, what he had been trained to become from the very beginning, ever since he was enrolled into Garden.

"For all I know... The War might not be over in my world." All he remembered was the island, walking from one end to the other. He was lost in Time Compression and while he was wandering the Time Stream, Ultimecia's propaganda in his time might have still been in effect. Galbadia might have still be trying to eliminate Esthar, might still be trying to take over Balamb.

Balamb Garden was still recovering and being rebuilt after the Battle of Gardens. He never once asked Cid what the status of Garden was. Squall was more concerned about Rinoa than anything else before traveling to Esthar to find Odine.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"You don't need them," Firion said, he looked to the Pokemon as he said this. "My world does not contain espers or GFs or summons of any kind. Just demons from hell and monsters roaming the lands. And yet there was still espionage, there was still a need for protection, to infiltrate, everything."

He sighed softly and looked to Squall. "I was never trained for it. Maria, Guy, and I... we simply wanted to avenge our parents and help stop this war. And we did. But we had to learn along the way. If there was no more war on your world, why still be a mercenary? Why not live peacefully with the people you care about? Only take up the blade should you need to protect and I know you are a great fighter, Squall. You don't need the powers of the GFs.

"At least... I don't think so," Firion finished, looking ahead as he leaned back against the rocky wall.

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"You sound so sure." Shifting, Squall brought a knee up, leaning forward until he could rest his arm on his knee. "There will always be a need for GFs, as long as Sorceresses exist--there will always be a need for them." He shrugged lightly, "It's the only way to gain a level playing field with a Sorceress.

"The World I left.. still needs to be rebuilt, even if the War's not over." Esthar's Capital was most likely completely gone. Trabia needed to be rebuilt. Students and faculty members from Trabia needed aid. "There's still much to do.

"Even if our skills aren't used for war, they can still be used for something else." Protecting others would probably be in high demand. Everything else was still up in the air. "As long as someone's willing to pay some price. Money, resources. Doesn't matter.

"I am a SeeD and I always will be until I die. I can't see myself doing anything else." Except being Rinoa's Knight because she needs me to be her Knight and I promised that I would be.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"That is because I am sure," Firion responded immediately but shrugging. "Well, are there still Sorceresses that need to be dealt with? If not, then I still see no need for a power higher than your own. Rebuilding a world is left for the people to do, not for GFs."

He sighed softly. "Are you sure that is the life you want though? I won't... tell you to try and live your life in some other way, however, you always have that option. You may have grown up one way, but that does not mean you can't change by choice. Besides... why not have fighters who fight for their country or world because they want to, rather than paying them to do so?

"In the end, of course, it is still your choice," Firion finished. Then, he pushed himself up with a soft grunt. He stretched his legs, wincing softly before turning to Squall and offering a hand. "Everything is always your choice. All you need to do is make it."

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

Squall laughed, almost a bit darkly. "When have I ever had a choice in anything?" He lifted an eyebrow at Firion, scoffing. "The only thing I chose to do was to become stronger. And to accept whatever the universe threw at me. I've never had a choice."

Not when it seemed like my entire life up to this point had been planned out for me since my Sister left me.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

Firion gestured to his hand. "You have a choice now. And from here on in, you will always have a choice. If you want to become stronger still, that's fine. But please do so in a manner that doesn't leave you in a dark lonely cave and makes your friends worry, that's all I ask."

And that is probably all Firion would ever ask of Squall, the Cosmos Warrior he barely knew but still considered a friend.

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"Habits die hard." The brunet's lips twitched just slightly. "You're asking a lot from me, Firion." He glanced over at his companion. "You know that. Right?"

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

"And you're making my hand tired from holding it out like this, waiting for you to take it," Firion laughed softly, but he nodded as well. He knew he was asking for a lot, but like he said, it was all he would ever ask since it was a a lot.

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"Are you always like this?" He stared at the offered hand before slowly, deliberately reaching out to grab it. Holding Firion's hand for a heart beat, Squall sighed, then pushed himself off the cave floor.

[thisdesertrose.livejournal.com]

Even if he didn't really need to, he still pulled Squall up (barely) and smiled sheepishly. "So I have been told."

It came from always wanting to help everyone and give the best for everyone, usually at his own expense. But he wasn't going to say that out loud. Just as long as everyone else was happy (or on that path).

[solidbarrels.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't surprise me." Squall glanced over at his ghosts, not yet letting go of Firion's hand. It felt comfortable to have another person's hand in his. It was like another reminder that this was real and actually happening. Not some weird delusion conjured up by magic, Time manipulation or Pokemon.

"We probably should... Head back." Letting go of Firion, Squall walked over to his bag before absently removing the wrapped scarves on his shoulders, intent on putting on his jacket without too much hindrance. "They're probably getting more worried by the minute.

"Aren't they?" He muttered that last sentence under his breath.