A Lion's Heart

• Mog: I can feel it. There's a warrior nearby, kupo.
• ???: (A moogle?)
• Hope: Is that him?
• ???: (A kid...and a girl with cat ears?)
• Y'shtola: Do not be alarmed. We are not your foe.
• ???: So you're the ones I keep hearing about.
• Vivi: You've heard about us, Mister?
• ???: ("Mister"? Give me a break.)
• Squall: I'm Squall. My client told me about you.
• Squall: Mentioned you're on a journey to seal the Torsions.
• Warrior of Light: What is your purpose here?
• Squall: I'm a mercenary.
• Squall: I've been tasked to investigate this cavern and eliminate any threat.
• Hope: All by yourself? I get that you're a soldier, but...
• Squall: I can take care of myself.
  

(Squall leaves)

• Vivi: I guess he's not interested in joining us.
• Y'shtola: He is merely choosing not to get close to others.
• Y'shtola: In any event, he bears the light, does he not?
• Warrior of Light: More importantly, who is this client he spoke of?
• Mog: We'll just have to ask him ourselves, kupo!

• Mog: Found you, kupo!
• Squall: (They're still here?)
• Vivi: Squall, are you fighting all by yourself? Isn't that a little dangerous?
• Squall: You're the ones who need to be careful.
• Squall: This isn't a place for amateurs.
• Squall: You should get out of here before you get hurt.
• Sazh: Would it kill you to lighten up a bit?
• Rem: Squall, I'm a soldier just like you.
• Rem: Everyone here has their own reason for fighting. We know what we're doing.
• Squall: ...Whatever.
• Cloud: Show off as much as you want, but we have some questions that need answers first.
• Squall: (Who's showing off?)
• Cloud: Who's your client? And how do they know about us?
• Squall: That's confidential.
• Sazh: I don't get you at all. What's with the attitude?
• Squall: You're the ones not making any sense.
• Squall: You're risking your lives solely based on what that moogle told you.
• Squall: While in reality, you have no idea what's actually happening in this world right now.
• Mog: I'm a messenger of the goddess Materia. It's my duty to protect the planet, kupo!
• Cloud: We all have something we want to protect. Isn't that reason enough?
• Squall: Something you want to protect...
• Cloud: Anyway, sorry for stopping you. Later.
• Squall: Stop. You're no match for what's lurking around here.
• Vivi: But it's way too dangerous for you to go alone too.
• Squall: If you're scared, you can stay close to me. Just don't get in my way.
• Rem: So you'll join us then?
• Squall: I didn't say that. But I'll help you out while you're here.
• Squall: Come on, let's go. Things should be easier now that I'm with you.

• Tifa: Looks like we made it.
• Vivi: It feels good to be outside again.
• Squall: Don't relax just yet. We still have to make it through the forest before we reach our destination.
• Hope: You really know your way around here, don't you?
• Squall: I'm just going by the information I received from my client. Anyway, be careful. There are monsters up ahead.
• Rem: Sounds like he's really familiar with the area. It's nice having someone you can count on.
• Squall: I never said I trusted him. I'm simply relaying what I was told.
• Rem: You're risking your life for a client you don't even trust?
• Squall: ...I needed a purpose. I was lost.
• Squall: That's when he came along. Told me he needed my help.
• Squall: Didn't even ask who I was or where I came from.
• Hope: So you only trust him because you're contractually obligated...
• Squall: But I don't think my client would lie since he's counting on my success.
• Squall: In that sense, I trust him. That's all.
• Vivi: Squall...
• Tifa: Sounds like you've got a lot on your mind. Reminds me of someone else I know.
• Squall: (Hmph... You don't know me.)
• Tifa: He can also be a bit awkward.
• Hope: Is that being awkward?
• Rem: Everyone has a different way of looking at things. That's what makes us unique.
• Vivi: Yeah, exactly.
• Squall: ...Come on.
• Squall: Let's get out of here before any more monsters show up.
  

(Squall leaves)

• Tifa: Yeah, good idea.

• Cloud: He's going to get himself killed if he keeps this up.
• Y'shtola: You refer to Squall.
  

(The rest of the party arrives)

• Rem: You're really worried about him, aren't you?
• Cloud: No, I'm worried about us.
• Cloud: Who knows where this so-called client is taking us.
• Cloud: And the farther we go, the more monsters there are.
• Hope: What do you think we should do then? I mean, he seems to be avoiding talking to us.
• Tifa: Yeah, but it's not like we can pretend everything's okay.
• Rem: Do you think we can get him to change his mind?
• Y'shtola: That may prove to be difficult. To him, the mission is everything.
• Y'shtola: He is not going to turn back until the investigation is complete.
• Rem: Squall is one of us. We can't just abandon him.
• Tifa: Then I guess we need to see this through until the end, huh?
• Hope: I was about to say the same thing. ...But what about you, Cloud?
• Cloud: I never said we should turn back. I was just saying we need to be more cautious.
• Tifa: ...He said cautiously.
• Cloud: What's that supposed to mean?
• Tifa: Nothing. Cautious is good.
• Rem: I'm sure there's a reason Squall's in such a hurry.
• Y'shtola: Any clue why?
• Rem: He said he needed a purpose.
• Rem: So maybe he's trying to make something of himself—trying to find his identity.
• Y'shtola: So even Squall has worries.
• Hope: I hope there's something we can do to help.
• Tifa: Yeah, come on, we have to be there for him.
• Cloud: ...Not interested.
• Tifa: Yeah, yeah. You keep telling yourself that.

• Rem: Hey, Squall? You're here on a mission, right?
• Rem: You don't need to report back to your client or anything?
• Squall: My client is only interested in the Torsions.
• Squall: How I handle the mission is up to me. That's why I chose to accompany you.
  

(Y'shtola joins them)

• Y'shtola: And yet you continue to conceal your client's identity.
• Squall: Like I said—
• Y'shtola: "That's confidential."
• Squall: (Don't finish my sentences. You'll remind me of her.)
• Y'shtola: You fear growing close to others.
• Y'shtola: But I sense the good in you—a desire to protect and a great inner zeal.
  

(Hope runs in)

• Hope: Is everything okay? Everyone's already heading to the next area.
• Rem: Sorry, we'll be right there.
• Y'shtola: I expect great things from you, Squall.
• Squall: Yeah.
  

(Rem and Y'shtola leave)

• Hope: Um, do you have a second?
• Hope: I was thinking about what you said earlier.
• Hope: Mog told us that sealing the Torsions would protect this world.
• Hope: And as a result, save our worlds as well.
• Squall: That's the idea.
• Squall: But there's no way to find out for sure until we return home.
• Hope: I want to know the truth. I want to know what's really happening.
• Squall: Sorry, but I don't have all the answers either.
• Hope: Then why are you fighting? I'm sure you're not just following orders.
• Squall: I don't fight for some great cause like saving the world or anything.
• Squall: I'm just trying to survive to see my friends again. That's all.
• Hope: They must mean a lot to you.
• Squall: Yeah. Now come on, let's go. You need my help, right?
  

(Squall leaves)

• Hope: To be reunited with your friends, huh?
• Hope: Maybe I just need to keep my eyes front. There's no going back after all.