(Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and all its characters and places are owned by Square. No copyright infringement is intended.)
Edea's ThanksgivingA Final Fantasy VIII Fan Fiction by Selfappointed Stabmeisters
Edea sat at the head table beside her much criticized and misunderstood husband, Cid, the Headmaster of what was formerly known as Balamb Garden. This of course was before the Garden had taken to the air in flight to avoid missiles unfortunately sent by her, she remembered with a twinge of embarrassment. Today, Thanksgiving Day, the Garden rested outside of Timber, where two young people had been sent on a special mission known only to her.
All the young people of Garden were quickly filling the Grand Ballroom, used as a banquet hall on special occasions. Even though Edea knew few of them by name she still considered them her children. As she sat and watched this joyful and noisy throng fill the vast chamber, Edea couldn't help but think of years gone by.
People are always maligning Cid for running a cutthroat ' kill or be killed' mercenary organization, but did anybody hear anything about it actually making money? Do they actually know of someone being terminated or suspended from here? Did they ever stop to ask what percentage of students ever became SeeDs? Would they be surprised to discover it hovered around five percent? What is Garden then they might finally ask. And I would be given the opportunity to answer, it's a school, a home, a place where orphans who no one else ever wanted or cared about could acquire knowledge, learn a code of living that stressed love and loyalty, and attain physical and fighting skills to be able to protect themselves, because it can be a cold, dangerous world outside of these walls.
.......................
The air was crisp and clear. Wind was blowing in from the water toward the seashore by the lighthouse. A beautiful woman suddenly appeared at the top of the stone stairway that led down to the beach. Her long black hair tossed by the wind, she held up the skirt of her black dress and made her way slowly down the steps, taking care not to fall in her platform shoes.
Edea smiled to herself as she looked upon her children whiling away their time as they all waited for her husband to return with the Thanksgiving dinner. She called them her children, but they were really a collection of young orphans caused by the horrendous results of what was being referred to as 'The Sorceress War.' There were currently four boys and three girls, their ages ranging from three years old to seven.
One of them, an extremely small blond boy wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, called out, "Matwon! Seifer's picking on me again!"
"You're just a crybaby!" accused Seifer. He also had blond hair but, even though he was only a year older, was much larger and already appeared to have a very strong body.
"Nobody likes a tattletale, Zell," said Selphie, looking up from the game she played with her best friend and chewing on the end of a brown pigtail.
"You mind your own bizzness, Selphie!" Zell retorted.
"Children," Edea entreated in a low sensual voice, "please play nicely. Today is a special day, it's a day to give thanks for what we have."
"What do we have, Matron?" challenged Seifer, crossing his arms stubbornly. "My mom and dad are gone, so is my home. I don't wanna thank anyone for that!" For a moment it appeared that Seifer might cry but the sorrowful expression was quickly replaced by one of anger.
The woman shook her head sadly, tousling Seifer's hair. "No, of course not. We're thankful that we're alive, that we have food to eat, that we have a place to sleep, and that we have each other."
The answer actually seemed to shame the brash little boy for a moment as he fell silent. After a moment Seifer stomped through the sand to where he planted himself on a rock and stared out at the sea. Matron looked beyond him to where Selphie and a brown-haired boy were playing together as it seemed they always were. I certainly hope they never get separated. They appear so perfect for each other, she thought.
The closest in age to Seifer, a girl named Quistis, approached the sulking boy and began speaking to him in a solemn voice. Quistis was a sweet girl with long strawberry blonde hair and an attitude far too serious for her age. Edea was sure the little girl would be a beauty when she grew up.
Edea's gaze then fell upon one of the smallest children, a quiet boy with eternally tangled sable hair and sad steel blue eyes. This child, Squall, was the one she worried most about. He'd arrived at the orphanage with his 'Sis', a gentle girl named Ellone. Squall doted upon Ellone, and Edea feared the little boy would fall apart emotionally if anything were to ever change in his relationship with the young girl.
"Hey! Where is everybody?" She heard her husband call out from above, holding several large paper bags.
"Come on, children," she said, "Uncle Cid is back with dinner."
"Oh boy!" cried Zell. "I hope he brought hot dogs!" He raced up the stairs followed closely by Seifer.
"Don't be stupid! People don't eat hot dogs for Thanksgiving."
"Seifer, be nice, just for today," Matron pleaded.
Next, Selphie and Irvine ran up the stairs followed by Quistis, who walked at a sensible pace. Squall and Ellone were still standing on the beach. Ellone appeared to be trying to encourage Squall to catch up with the others, but the little boy was apparently disinterested.
He always seems to lag back, Edea thought. He's just never part of the group. She stood and watched as Ellone very sweetly took the young child by the hand and led him up behind the others. Edea sighed and then followed, hoping that Cid had been able to attain a real Thanksgiving dinner.
Edea entered the dining area, which really was just a small room with a table where the food would lay. Her next priority was to obtain a real dining room table with chairs. "Okay," Edea called out. "Who wants to help with the plates and utensils?"
"I will, I will!" volunteered Selphie, Quistis, and Zell. As they ran to the next room on their task, Irvine and Seifer stood on the sidelines and made fun of Zell for doing girl's work.
Edea sighed again and entered the small kitchen. Cid turned and said, "Edea, before you ask – no, I couldn't get any turkey. Most of the stores have been bombed out and there wasn't much food left anywhere."
Edea sighed once again, this time louder. Cid glanced away, he hated to hear it. He had done the best he could. "So what did you get, Cid?" Edea asked. "Not Chocobo, I hope." She shuddered as she remembered the year Cid had brought that for dinner. She had been unable to eat it.
"No, Edea, not Chocobo. I think I've learned better than that, but they didn't have any anyway."
"Oh no!" Edea accused, pulling a box from one of the grocery sacks. "You bought soy turkey."
"Edea," Cid almost pleaded. "I didn't have any choice. They didn't even have any chicken."
Regretting her display of disappointment, Edea stepped forward and embraced Cid. "It's okay. I know you did the best you could and I appreciate it; just don't take it out to the table like this. Cut it into slices."
.....................
The little boy known as Squall, now a year older, ran down between the buildings and toward the steps that led to the beach. Sis! Where are you? he cried out in his mind as he ran along. When he reached the sandy beach, Squall attempted to look in all directions simultaneously. She was just here yesterday. Where could she be?
Above the beach in the exact spot that Squall had been standing just a moment before, Edea now stood. "Squall, where are you?" she called out. I knew this would happen when we had to send Ellone away. Maybe I should have told him before she left, but I thought it would be easier for him this way. "Squall!" Edea shouted again.
Squall ran over to Edea. "Matwon, where's Sis? Doesn't she luv me anymore?"
Edea knelt and hugged the little boy to her. "Squall, of course she loves you. But there are very bad people looking for Ellone and we had to hide her someplace to keep her safe. You understand, don't you?"
"But why couldn't I go wid her?" Squall inquired, a pathetic tone in his young voice.
How do you explain the intricacies and subtleties of real life to a little boy? Edea wondered. You can't, she decided. "Squall," she spoke, "Everyone is waiting for you so they can eat dinner. Today is Thanksgiving."
The woman stood up and, taking the small child by the hand, she led him into the building. "What's Tanks-giv-in?" he asked.
....................
Cid paced back and forth in his office, which because it held many strange and esoteric items didn't resemble a traditional office of a Headmaster in any manner. The man no longer looked young and his added weight had helped add years to his appearance. His thinning brown hair and old-fashioned spectacles didn't help to hide his age, either.
Where could Edea have gone? he thought morosely. And why wouldn't she have told me before she left? He realized he felt hopelessly lost and wasn't sure if he could go on without her.
A timid knock came upon his office door. Cid chose to ignore it, but that did not discourage the person from trying again. "Come," the man spoke harshly. He didn't mean to be discourteous, but he wanted to be left alone.
The door opened and a tall young girl entered. "Headmaster Cid?"
When he saw who it was, he responded, "Yes, what is it Quistis?" It was unusual for Cid to remember the names of recent additions to the Garden but, not only had he known her when she was much younger, she had left a good impression on him with her intelligence and mature behavior since entering.
"Everyone is waiting for you," Quistis said.
"Oh, I don't know, I -."
"Headmaster," the child interrupted. "The children are waiting for you to come bless the dinner and lead the Thanksgiving prayer." She spoke in a mature manner far beyond her eleven years.
Cid smiled at Quistis' assertiveness. This girl will be a fine SeeD someday, he thought.
"Okay," he replied while beginning to step by her to the door.
"We'll go together," Quistis declared while slipping her little hand into his.
......................
The wind was blowing off the ocean whipping Edea's long black hair around her face and ruffling her black dress. Although she was now in her late thirties, she was more beautiful than ever. This was her first Thanksgiving since she was five years old that she was completely freed of any unearthly power. She felt at peace, although very lonely.
The woman realized it was by her own decision, but it still didn't make it any easier. Cid had pleaded with her to remain, but she could not. Even tears openly running down the cheeks of some of her children as she left the Garden had not been enough to hold her back. Edea could not find the words to explain why she had to return to the almost totally ruined buildings of the old orphanage.
They just didn't understand. Her actions had led to so much death and destruction; it just shouldn't be forgiven as easily as other people seemed to think. The woman felt as though she would be haunted by the guilt until the day she died. There was absolutely nothing that anyone could do or say to change it.
"Yo, Matron!" a voice cried out from the ground above her. Glancing up, she smiled when she saw Zell and then the rest of her children came into sight. She knew they wouldn't forget her on this day. There stood Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Squall, and Rinoa smiling and waving at her. Even Squall wore a slight smile, but that wasn't the most astonishing sight. Behind the main group stood Seifer, still dressed in his long military coat and a slight smirk.
Edea quickly walked up the steps to them. Suddenly they were clustered around, greeting her, laughing, touching her, offering a kiss on her cheek. Even Seifer had finally stepped closer to greet her. When the initial excitement finally died down, Edea looked around and joked, "Well, where's my dinner? I don't see any food in your hands."
"We didn't bring any food, Matron," Selphie explained, "because you're coming with us."
"Oh no," Edea protested. "I'm sorry, but we've been all through this and you know how I feel."
"Matron," a rather rough sounding masculine voice simply said. The group parted as Squall stepped closer to her. "You, who have done so much for us throughout our lives, will now be gracious enough to allow us to do one thing for you," he said quietly.
Edea was never prouder of Squall than in that moment. It was so obvious that he had grown into his true role as leader as it had seemed he was destined to so many years before.
"Alright," she smiled back at him.
.....................
Edea dabbed at the tears that had gathered at the corner of her eyes. Cid turned slightly to her and murmured, "Something wrong, dear?"
"No, everything is perfect."
Glancing at his watch, the Headmaster stood to give the Thanksgiving invocation. The doors opened and a young man and woman entered the room followed by two older men.
"Wait, Cid," Edea directed.
"Hey everybody!" the young woman called out.
As everyone in the room turned to look at her, Rinoa held up the back of her right hand. "We're married!" she exclaimed.
The room exploded into a cacophony of noise. Their close friends and associates quickly surrounded the couple. Quistis spoke quietly, "Congratulations, Squall. I know you two will be very happy."
"As you too," Squall responded, while glancing first at Seifer who stood behind Quistis and then at her. Quistis blushed and ducked her head, glancing at the engagement ring Seifer had given her only a few nights before.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Selphie exclaimed while she was laughing with tears running down her cheeks. "You cheated me out of helping plan your wedding."
Rinoa hugged her good friend and said, "You can give us a reception."
"Booyaka!" Selphie cried out.
Cid offered congratulations while shaking the hands of first, General Caraway, and then Laguna. Both fathers beamed with pride. Edea stood patiently at the head table. There would be time for talk later.
She bowed her head and silently prayed. Great Hyne, many thanks for all you have provided me and mine and please keep these young people safe for many Thanksgivings to come.
The End