Thoughts and Memories.
By Arian
This story occurs more or less after the events of FFVIII. It does contain spoilers.
There are a couple of flaws in this (and now you're all going to look for them, aren't you?)
but they are there for the benefit of the story. Go easy on me, it's my first fic!
Laguna Loire walked slowly up the hill, unusually subdued. It had been many years since he had last ventured up here and everything was exactly as he remembered.
The high hill in the town of Winhill was as serene as ever. The wind blew gently through the short grass and the flowers growing in clumps.
Raising his eyes, he saw the marble plinth that marked the end of this journey. This was the sole reason for his return to the tiny village. Raine had been dead for 17 years but after the lasting impression she had left on him, it was hard to stop thinking about her.
Her gravestone on top the hill was simply marked with her name, Raine Loire. Laguna cursed himself silently. It should say so much more! She had been so much and all the stone could tell anyone was her name, but he had not been here when she was buried, nor did he have the heart to disturb her sleep to add words that could offer no comfort.
He let his mind drift back through the years. It was a few days after Kiros had found him here, tucked away in a village far from anywhere. Kiros had left to find Ward and Laguna had much to think about. Kiros had questioned his ambition to be a journalist and now he found himself questioning not just his ambition but his whole life.
In the evening, Laguna had climbed this same hill to look at the stars and contemplate the future. Earlier, he had made a decision and had visited a silversmith he knew.
Hearing soft footsteps behind him, he spun round, nervously. Raine had followed him up here.
"What's the matter?" she had asked, seeing the worried look on his face.
"I'm OK," he reassured her "It's nothing."
He remembered her frown then, not believing a word he had said. His courage had faltered and he had turned and started to walk away.
Hearing her steps behind as she made to follow him, he summoned the last of his courage and turned quickly to take Raines hand.
"Marry me, Raine?" he pleaded quietly, sliding the silver ring onto her finger.
Not answering, she stared at the ring with a look of complete incredulity on her face. Then, smiling, she held up her hand, as if to show him. Smiling with relief, Laguna mirrored her gesture to show her the matching ring.
Raine had flung her arms round him then and as he remembered the light in her blue eyes and the smell of her hair, he heard a voice call his name.
Pushing back the memories, Laguna turned to see Ellone waving to him. Managing a half-hearted smile, he waved back. Seeing Ward and Kiros further behind Ellone he walked back to them. Time to go now, he thought to himself. It still hurt too much to be here for any length of time.
Two days later in Esthar, Laguna sat in the Presidential Palace, lost in thought. Kiros walked in, followed closely by Ward.
"Alright Laguna, what the hell's the matter with you at the moment?"
"Me? What's with you guys, you mean! I haven't had a minute to myself! If it's not Odine rambling on about some new project, it's you two bothering me."
"No, it is you Laguna, and I'm speaking for both of us when I say you've changed."
Ward nodded.
"You sit here, always thinking or daydreaming. You do have a country to run, you know." Kiros continued. "For years, you've managed to get on with your life after what happened, so why now?"
"The country can run itself. It managed fine when I was at Lunar Base."
Kiros ignored him. "Why Raine? Why now?"
Laguna gave up. "It's Squall. He..."
"He looks like her, so he reminds you of her, right?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry, but he's just stirring up old thoughts, you know?"
Ward looked at Kiros for a moment and something passed between them.
"We understand. We really do. Ward thinks you should go talk to Squall about it. And Ellone too. The three of you have a lot to talk about. I know both of you are uneasy about the father-son thing but you should talk out your memories with them." Kiros chuckled at the memory of Squall's face when Laguna had told him.
"Rinoa will help you. She has Squall wrapped round her little finger. She seems really good at that, like her mother was." Kiros commented.
"You knew her mother?"
"Not as well as you did, my friend. We never did meet up with Julia again."
Laguna stared at Kiros, his green eyes wide with amazement.
"So Squall and Rinoa… My son and Julia's daughter?"
Kiros nodded, smiling. "You know there's almost a kind of poetic justice to that. Oh, Ward says Squall is Raine's son as well, remember?"
"Remember? Like I could forget!"
"So you're gonna go see them?"
"Definitely!"
The door opened and Ellone stepped in.
"Uncle Laguna?" she asked.
"It's OK, Ellone. He's agreed to see sense for a while." Kiros told her.
"C'mon Elle! We're gonna pay Squall a visit."
*************************
The Garden hovered near Balamb. They were on their way up to the mountains, to Trabia Garden. Selphie was adamant about helping fix it and Squall supposed she was right. It had been their fault Trabia was blown up so the least they could do was help repair it.
They had stopped at Balamb partly at Zell's insistence he wanted to see his mum again and partly because Squall had heard Seifer was here. After a long talk, without gunblades, they had managed to make some sense of all that had happened. They would never really be friends but there would be an end to the fighting. There had to be. Squall was the leader in Garden and had decided Seifer should be able to take the SeeD exam again, if he wanted to. He was good, Squall had to admit and Squall was never one to let personal feelings get in the way of professional judgement. Seifer was to retake the exam tomorrow, with Fujin and Raijin.
Squall heard the door open. He knew who it was before he turned around.
"Rinoa, I really do have stuff to think about."
"Can't you relax, just for a minute?" Rinoa asked, wrapping her arms round his waist.
"They do expect me to do a little work."
"Just tell them you're my knight and I need you with me always. Just in case I decide to take over the world or something." She laughed.
"Don't even joke about it." The time when Rinoa was possessed was still painful to him.
"Then relax, take a few minutes off. If you don't I might have to do some sorcery."
"You wouldn't." Squall laughed.
Rinoa's eyes rested on a pile of papers on the desk. Screwing her face up in concentration, she pointed a finger and the papers went up in flames.
"Rinoa!" Squall cried in consternation.
Laughing, she waved a hand and the fire vanished, leaving the paper undamaged.
"C'mon Squall. Take a break. Besides, Laguna and Ellone are here to see you."
Squall groaned quietly and let her drag him from the room.