Chapter 1: A Lonely Man and a Reunion
20 years after the defeat of Ultimecia

Squall woke up to a gray dawn on his remote island west of
Trabia. He went and lit a fire in his woodstove that sat in the
corner of his small two-room cabin. Just another day in
paradise. He thought grimly to himself.

Squall made himself a meager breakfast of wild oats and
blackberry with dandelion tea. He ate at his rough-hewn table
sitting on a chair he'd fashioned out of a hollow stump.

After his meal, Squall pulled on a coat. He walked out of
his humble abode into the misty woods and started his
descent down a steep mountain path to the beach far below.

At the beach Squall kept another building he halfheartedly
called his boathouse. He kept the boat he'd used to escape to
the island as well as makeshift fishing gear. Squall went
fishing almost everyday but he never touched the boat. It was
not like he ever wanted to leave his little island anyway. He
was much too used to the solitude.

Squall got out his fishing pole, shovel and worm can. As
was his custom he dug for worms in the soft mud at the edge
of the forest. When his can was full, Squall went to his favorite
shoreline boulder to fish and reflect.

Squall never caught much but it was enough for him to live
on along with the animals he hunted and the plants he
gathered. Squall had survived twenty years alone on the
island, he figured he could live another twenty, maybe thirty,
forty or even fifty years. If his self-imposed loneliness didn't kill
him first.

Just another day in paradise. Squall thought again. No one
here but me. He gazed out to sea expecting to see the usual
empty waters. But something along the gray horizon caught
his eye. Something was moving towards him. It was a boat.
Squall was riveted to the sight. He'd cut himself off from
human contact for so long. As the vessel drew closer; Squall
heard someone call his name. His whole body tensed as he
realized who it was. It was his old friend Zell Dincht.

Squall couldn't believe it. After all this time someone had
found him. After all he'd done to disappear without a trace, he
had been discovered! Squall was both angry and afraid but he
raised his arm in greeting anyway. What the hell? He thought,
Zell can't make me leave anyway.

"Squall? Squall Leonhart-Loire?" Zell pulled up closer to
the shore. He reached the shallows, threw down his anchor
and started wading through the water towards Squall.

"Man oh man! Squall! It really is you! I thought it was your
ghost! Wow man! After all these years you're not dead after
all!" Zell reached the shore and walked towards Squall.

"Whatever," mumbled Squall. Zell was older. Not like he
remembered him at all. But Squall supposed he didn't look
like what Zell remembered either.

"Same old Squall!" laughed Zell.

"Hmm same old Zell! You haven't changed a bit! Well you
look older but uh you know..."

"Don't we all?" Zell laughed again but then his face turned
cloudy, "Damn it Squall! I've wasted twenty years of my life
searching for you! Why the hell did you leave!"

"I can explain but it's a long story," Squall avoided looking
Zell in the eye.

"I've got time to hear it. Hell, I've spent twenty years looking
for you, I can spare another twenty listening to you explain
yourself!"

Squall choked out a bitter laugh, "I don't think it'll take quite
that long," he started walking towards his boathouse and
motioned for Zell to follow.

"Did you build this, Squall?" Zell gazed at the crude
structure.

"No it was here when I arrived," Squall opened the door and
placed his fishing gear inside and shut the splintered door
again.

"Zell, it's a long way up! You sure you're up to it?" Squall
pointed at the beaten path he'd traveled that morning.

Zell glanced upwards to the top of the mountain, "Squall, I'll
do anything to hear you speak at this point! Man it is so good to
have finally found you! It's been so long!"

And so up the hill they started. Squall didn't say much on the way to his cabin. His mind was racing too fast. How in the hell did Zell find me? And what am I going to do now? He heard Zell stop behind him and he whirled around.

Zell was gasping for breath "Sorry! I'm not used to this
much exercise!"

Squall nodded curtly, "We're almost there anyway."

Soon enough Squall's cabin appeared in view.

He turned to Zell, "In case you're wondering I didn't build
this cabin either. But some of the furniture I did."

Zell bobbed his head in response, he was too tired to do
much else.

Squall opened the door and strode inside. Zell leaned
cautiously against the doorjamb.

When Zell had caught his breath, he stepped inside," Man,
Squall! I can't believe you've lived here for twenty years! Was
there anyone here when you got here?"

"It was empty...but I found a journal belonging to the former
resident who lived in solitude here too. Sometime you should
read it. For now let's get some lunch," Squall threw some potatoes in
the hot coals of the stove and got out some jerky and dried fruit.

When he was done eating, Zell sat staring at Squall.

Squall was annoyed, "What're you looking at?"

"Sorry man! It's like you came back from the dead!" Zell
seemed flustered.

"Is that what everyone thinks? That I'm dead?"

Zell shrugged, "You tell me why you're here first and then I'll
give you the news from home. C'mon Squall! Why'd you
leave?"

Squall sighed, "Ok you asked for it! Here goes nothing...
After we came home victors and everyone treated us like
heroes. I didn't feel like I deserved it. You know, the love and
attention of you guys and everyone and um then Laguna told
me about ah how sorry he was since he'd never been there for
me when I was a kid and how much Raine my mother had
loved me. He wanted us to get to know each other better and
I'd gone so long hating him and thinking he was a pompous
jerk and well then he wanted a father-son relationship. And
deep inside, I'd always wanted something like that but Zell, I
was so scared. I was scared he'd leave me too and I'd be
alone again. I was scared all of you were going to abandon
me."
Zell clapped a hand on Squall's shoulder, "We were your
friends! We never would have bailed on you but you ditched
us!"

Squall groaned, "I know, Zell! And I'm sorry now! Sorrier
than you'll ever know but t damn everything seemed like it was
on my shoulders at once and I didn't know what else to do!
And then there was Rinoa..."

Zell's face was void of emotion, "And what happened with
Rinoa? She told me her side. Now I'd like to hear yours."

Squall felt betrayed, "She told you? I...ah...well that night
Rinoa and I became lovers. She'd tried to before but that night I
was finally ready. I wanted her so much. She was so
beautiful. I'd pushed her away so many times before but not
that night... And then she told me about Seifer.."

Zell was surprised, "You mean you didn't know?
Remember Galbadia when we met Irvine? She told us about
Seifer. She was sweet sixteen and in love."

"Yeah well I didn't know they were lovers until that night
when Rinoa and I were together and she said 'Squall as much
as I wish you were the first... but you're not... Seifer and I were
lovers but I'm so sorry and I regret it so much!' She started
crying and I told her it didn't matter about Seifer. I thought I
meant it but later in the night I woke up with her in my arms.
And I was angry. Not with Rinoa. With Seifer. With myself for
hating Seifer so much but the image of he and Rinoa together
was too much for me to bear. I panicked. Everything was
crashing all around me. I ran. I stole a boat and I ended up
here..."

"And you've been here for twenty years... Squall I don't know
what to say. You gotta know that none of what happened was
your fault and we were all there to help you."

"I know that now Zell.. So do you think you could tell me
what I've missed?"

Zell laughed shakily, "Hey what are friends for?"