A Heart Split in Two (part 3)
By: Domino

    “Rinoa...? Are you up yet?,” a voice says as the dog wakes up. Angelo yawns and begins to bark. She runs up to the hotel door and begins to paw at it incessantly. Her master wakes up groggily and reprimands the canine. “Angelo, be quiet! Who is it?”
“It’s Zell! Open up!” Rinoa gets up and hastily throws on a bathrobe. She opens the door only to find Zell standing there with a bouquet of flowers. Angelo rushes past Rinoa and jumps Zell. The flowers are scattered everywhere.
“ANGELO!!!! Bad dog!”
Rinoa dives and catches the dog in her arms. “I guess she was happy to see you.....”
“Oh, man!! The flowers! Everybody pitched in for these!,” Zell shouted. “It’s all right,” Rinoa responds. “It’s the thought that counts. They’re lovely. Thank you.”
“Oh, you’re welcome. So, how was the journal?”
“Graphic.”
“You and Squall or Squall and Irvine?” Rinoa gives Zell a dirty look after his little quip. “I’m sorry Rinoa.....” Zell responds. “I was trying to get a laugh out of you....” “It’s okay man...... It’s just that I’m so confused about this. I thought he loved me only...”
“Hey, I’ll come back later. Let me know if you want to join us later for a game of cards. Selphie hustled a bunch out of the CC club last night!”
“I’ll think about it. Talk to you later Zell!”

    Rinoa closes the door after Zell and goes off for a shower. Afterward she gets dressed and lays down on the bed. She opens the journal once again.

June 28th,

    That prison incident had to have been one of the worst experiences of my life. First I went into a dream sequence starring Laguna, Kiros, and Ellone. Then I woke up in a tiny cell without a huge gash in my chest. How that healed I had no idea! As I looked at my surroundings the door opened. A man came towards me. The light blinded me, but soon I recognized the person staring at me. Seifer........
“Squall, you’re pitiful. Take him away!” He threw me up against the cell walls, knocking me around. He ordered a weird tiger-like creature to escort me out of my cell. I must’ve passed out because I woke up chained to a wall with several electrical wires hooked up to me. He looked at me with an evil grin on his face.

    “What do you want?!,” I shouted. “Tell me what SeeD is,” he responded.
“Shouldn’t you know....? You did attend the garden.”
“I’m not a SeeD.” He kept asking me what a SeeD was. Why? The Sorceress wanted to know. When I wouldn’t speak he had his prison guard electrocute me. He said my friends wouldn’t last. They were there too!! But he wanted me to die first. He bragged about becoming the Sorceress’ knight. That was his romantic dream?! I doubted it to this day. When he said that I had to respond. “You’re not a knight. You’re a...... torturer!”
“Wh... what did you say?!?!”
I passed out after I said that. I felt a slight tingle from the electrical pulses in my body. The next thing I knew I was naked on the torture room floor, and Seifer was hovering over me....

Rinoa gasps in disgust. “Seifer! How could you....” She keeps reading in order to find out what happened next.

    Seifer pinned my shoulders down and kissed me. I pulled away as fast as I could. I’ve wanted Seifer in the past but, not like this. He grinned at me as he reached down to grab my crotch. “I’ve always wanted a little piece of ass like you.” Those vile lips made their way down my body. I tried to fight back, but I was too weak.
“Seifer..... please..... Stop it...” He stopped kissing me and turned me over on my back. I heard him unzipping his pants...... He kneeled behind me and positioned himself, but before he could thrust inside I nailed him with a backhand punch. He got knocked backward as I reached for my clothes and gunblade. Seifer screamed in anger and slapped me across my face. He ordered his guards to dress me and put me back up on the wall. As he wiped the blood from his mouth he had me electrocuted again. “If I can’t have you then that little hussy from Timber can’t either!!!” He still wanted me to talk, but he got distracted by a message from the Sorceress. Something about the missiles are heading toward the Garden. Seifer left me in the guards’ hands and he left. These guards were such idiots. I just said “let me die.....”

    It seemed hopeless, but Selphie, and Quistis busted on in and rescued me. But where was Rinoa.....? And Irvine?! As the girls stayed with me, Zell fought off some guards. He got trapped and hurt, but then a sudden burst of gunfire freed him. It was Irvine! That sharpshooter reminded me of my cowboy in shining armor, no matter how silly that sounds! After the guards were eliminated, he strutted down the steps, but Rinoa came from behind and pushed him. He fell clumsily down the stairs. I tried so hard not to laugh. “Quit acting all cool!,” she shouted at him. The two people I loved, together?! This I had to hear! Rinoa explained everything, including the fact that she had to claw Irvine to death in order to come back to the prison. I had to ask how they got there.... I’m just glad everyone was okay.......

June 30th,

    Selphie’s new assginment was to blow up the Missile Base, but it was up to me, Zell, and Irvine to inform the Balamb Garden of the incoming missiles. Everybody was in a panic. I could either be with the Master NORG or the Headmaster. I had no idea what was going on, but I sided with that old fart Cid. The Training Center Monsters were loose, SeeDs were fighting each other, and Cid couldn’t be found. This sucked!!! Thanks to Xu, Cid was safe. And as for NORG, we kicked his ass and got Leviathan to boot! But the missiles were still coming, so Cid had us go into the lower levels and activate something in the shelter. This caused the Garden to pick up and move. Amazing, isn’t it? Unfortunately, we have crashed into the ocean. Since we don’t know how to steer, we’ve been drifting. Man, I’m bored.......

July 1st,

    We’re still drifting through the ocean. I’ve been wanting to spend some time with Irvine, but Zell’s here. All we’ve been doing is training on the Training Grounds and playing cards in my dorm. And every time I try to be alone with Irvine, Zell interrupts with his problems of boredom!!!! He’s a nice guy, but I need my privacy. I think I’ll entrust him with our relationship when the time is right. One thing is for sure, I’ve grown closer to Irvine. My feelings for him have gotten so strong since the prison incident. I hope he feels the same way about me. I love Rinoa very much, but I love her as a best friend. I’ve made my choice. I love Irvine.....

“Squall.......,” she whispers to herself. “Then why did you agree to go out with me? Why did you save me from everything?! You loved me as your friend?!?! That can’t be true...!” Rinoa cries as if her heart has been ripped to shreds. However, she still wants to read on. She does not know the reason why, but perhaps she just wants to know the truth about Squall. She closes the journal and pines away on her hotel room, hoping that she is not disturbed for a while.......