A/N: Okay people, I was crying when I wrote this. I've actually had and idea like this for the ending of Titanic, but I just couldn't think of how to get there. After playing Final Fantasy VIII, I remembered the idea and I thought I could make it work for Squall and Rinoa. So, enjoy, and don't forget to review.

Love Transcends Death

Rinoa waited eagerly for Ragnarok's arrival at Edea's orphanage. She had been constantly worrying, ever since Squall, Zell, Selphie, and Quistis all went off on a special SeeD mission. The details of this mission were highly classified, even Headmaster Cid couldn't tell her. Two months since Squall had left her arms, oh, how she had waited for this day when he returned!

When the stairs were extended from the belly of the beast-like airship, Rinoa fully expected Squall to be the first one to come out, running to where she would greet him with open arms. Instead, the first person to disembark was Zell. He walked slowly, as if getting off Ragnarok was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He met Rinoa's eyes, but he looked away instantly, but not before she caught sight of the look of sorrow in his eyes. A feeling of absolute dread began to grow in Rinoa's heart, permeating her body so that she became immobile. Irvine, waiting next to her, couldn't wait any more and rushed aboard the ship to greet Selphie, but a cry of sorrow soon came from the ship. Moments later, Irvine trudged out, carrying Selphie's dead body. A sob escaped from Rinoa, Selphie had been such a wonderful friend, always energetic, and to see her dead was horrible. But the worst was yet to come.

Quistis was the last to disembark, and Rinoa's heart completely shattered when she saw the former SeeD instructor, not because of how beaten she looked, but because of who she carried. Squall lay in Quistis's arms, completely unmoving. He was in even worse condition than Selphie. The girl had been killed by magic, but whatever enemy the group had left to fight had struck him down with a physical weapon. He was covered in blood and scars, and something about his condition told Rinoa that she could do nothing, even with her sorceress powers.

"NO!" Rinoa exclaimed, and her cry pierced every heart that heard her. She rushed forward and took Squall from Quistis, begging him to wake up, but to no avail. She sobbed and buried her head in his chest, remembering how that had saved him when he had nearly died in the Void after the victory against Ultimecia. But now, Squall remained cold and unmoving. Rinoa froze as she realized that the rise and fall of his chest, which would indicate his breathing, was nearly imperceptible, and when she felt his heart, her world collapsed, for his heart was steadily slowing as death took hold of him. Rinoa now understood exactly why Zell had appeared to be so reluctant to leave Ragnarok; he knew she had been anticipating seeing Squall again, but she had wanted to see him alive and well, not on the verge of death.

A muffled moan came from Squall and she gasped. "Squall! You're going to be okay, don't worry."

Squall attempted to laugh, but it came out as a very weak cough. A trickle of blood came out of his mouth. "Rinoa." He breathed. His voice was barely more than a whisper, and she had to strain to hear him. "It's too late for me. The only reason I held on this long was because I had something I needed to tell you before I died."

Rinoa couldn't believe her ears. "That's not the Squall that I love." She scolded. "The Squall I love would not give up so easily. Now fight to live! For me."

He smiled weakly. "Being a SeeD…" he gasped in pain, and Rinoa cringed. "I know a mortal wound… when one's dealt. It's not going to… matter what's done to… prevent death… it'll come sooner or later. But I won't let it come until… I say what must be said." He looked into her eyes; into her very soul. "Rinoa Heartilly… I love you."

Those were the last words he ever spoke. As he declared his love for her, the last breath left his body and his heart completely stilled.

Rinoa was devastated by her lover's death. She went around, did her daily activities, but it was as though she was a zombie. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of some memory of Squall. Zell tried to take Selphie's place and cheer her up, but nothing worked, even when he, Irvine, and Quistis triple-teamed against her to bring her out of her mourning. The only small comfort she got was her daily visits to Squall's grave. When they had lowered his coffin into the ground, she had wanted to return his ring to him, but a supernatural presence told her to keep it.

As Rinoa wept in her room, she looked at his ring. "If only you were here right now." She thought, wishing, yet again, that she could have done something.

Look in your heart. A spectral voice whispered to her.

Rinoa gasped and stood up. "Squall?" she asked. "Is that you?"

A ghostly figure of Squall appeared in front of her. He looked as though the fatal battle never happened, and the only scar that he bore was the one across his face. Even though I'm not here physically, he told her, I'll never leave your heart. His lips did not move; it was as though she heard his voice in her mind. Rinoa, you need to live your life. I'll always love you, even beyond the grave.

Rinoa began to cry. "Squall, I can't." She sobbed. "I need you with me!"

I didn't want to die in the battle, Rinoa. My every thought was to survive so that I could be with you. But some things are beyond our control, and I couldn't control if I was going to live or die.

A thought struck Rinoa. "Ellone!" She exclaimed, but Squall's ghost was already shaking his head.

That won't work, Rinoa. You can't change the past. Ellone made that very clear to me before I rescued you in space. Rinoa, you need to live your life, even though I'm not here with you physically.

"But how can I live without you?" Rinoa asked through her tears.

I told you before: I'm not here physically, but I'm always going to be in your heart. And with that, Squall's ghost was gone, and that was the last she saw of him.

From then on, Rinoa was a bit livelier, even though her friends could see the cloud of grief still hanging over her at the loss of both Selphie and Squall. Nevertheless, they were all very relieved to see that the zombie imitation was over. Quistis seemed very determined to help Rinoa get back to her usual self. Finally, Rinoa asked Quistis a very serious question.

"Quistis, you know that, since I'm a sorceress, I cannot die until I pass my powers on, right?"

"Of course I know that, Rinoa!" Quistis exclaimed. "After all, that was how Matron got her powers."

"Then, would you be willing to accept mine?"

"Why?" Quistis asked, but immediately regretted asking the question. Of course she knew why Rinoa would want to pass on her powers so that she could die in peace: she wanted to see Squall again without having to worry about finding someone to take on her powers. Quistis took a deep breath. "I will accept, but under one condition."

"Name it."

"That you will not commit suicide or do anything that will speed along your death."

Rinoa smiled dryly. "I give my word as a sorceress to her heir."

"Then I will accept your powers."

Rinoa smiled as she felt her magic draining out of her and entering Quistis. "Squall, I'm mortal again. Now I don't have to worry about wandering until the world ends before I can see you again." She wasn't sure, but she thought she could feel his satisfaction.

Years passed, and Rinoa barely managed to put the past behind her. She refused to love ever again, for she had completely given her heart to Squall, and when a heart is given to someone, and the person accepts it, the heart can never be returned, not even by death. And Rinoa had given hers to Squall as he had given his to her. Oh yes, many men asked to date her (even Zell worked up the courage once!), but she always turned them down. None of them could ever replace her Squall, her lion…

Her Knight.

Even though she was no longer a sorceress, she didn't think he would have cared. He still would have fought as valiantly for her as he had when she was a sorceress, maybe even more valiantly. She would never know.

Twenty years after Squall's death, she still went to sleep with him on her mind. There was never a night when his face wasn't the last thing she saw before drifting into unconsciousness, and never a day when he wasn't the only thing on her mind. But this one night was different. She didn't know how, but she could feel something in the atmosphere of the room that had never been there before. She dismissed the thought and went to sleep, again dreading the thought of waking and living another day without Squall by her side.

As the clock struck midnight, Squall appeared in her room. But this time, he seemed solid and transparent at the same time. He crossed the room over to Rinoa's bed and smiled at her sleeping form. Suddenly, Rinoa began to look solid and transparent at the same time as well. Squall bent down and picked her up… but only her spirit, which was as young as she had been when they had first fallen in love. He knew that it was her time, and gently carried her off with him.

Rinoa didn't wake until they were on the plains of the spirit world. She wondered at first where she was, but when she raised her head, she gasped in ecstasy. "Squall! But- but how are you here?"

Squall laughed and gently set her on her feet before gathering her in his arms. His gaze never left hers. "It was your time, Rinoa." He whispered to her. "Since you passed your sorceress powers on to Quistis, you had nothing more to hinder you and keep you there."

"So that means -" A smile spread across Rinoa's face when she realized exactly what Squall was saying.

"I'm not there with you in the mortal realm, Rinoa. You're here with me in the spirit world." To prove to her that it really wasn't a dream that she was having, Squall leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, a kiss that he had been forced to wait twenty years to give to her, and that she had been forced to wait twenty years to receive. At first, Rinoa could not believe that this was actually happening, but when Squall didn't fade away, she returned the kiss with full passion, happy to be reunited with him at last.

A/N: I'm noticing that the majority of my stories end this way. Don't worry, my Kingdom Hearts fanfic will not end this way.