Well I made it to book two of this little saga. It was getting a bit
cluttered in one story, so I decided two separate books (possibly three,
though I doubt it) would be a nice way to do this. So here's chapter one.
I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I've enjoyed putting it together. I
know treesh does ^_~ hehe
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or anything related to it.
Chapter 1: Raine in Winhill
I've only been to Balamb twice. They say something in the sea air there makes the people romantics. The town only has one hotel and one gas station, sort of like a tourist attraction that never really made the big time. It's the kind of town where the local kids climb balconies in the moonlight to give their crushes Galbadian roses. The skies of Balamb are always cool and clear, dotted with puffy white clouds that move quickly in from the waterfront. It's a happy town.
The skies of Winhill, however, are bright and dark all at once, seemingly reflecting the emotions of the people in this tiny town. Don't get me wrong, we have some really strange storms in Galbadia. But I'll never understand the weather in this part of the country. It's sunny and warm at one minute, then rainy and dreary the next. The storms that hit this little town are enough to scare the hell out of any grown adult. Kind of like the woman I'm staying with. God I hope she never reads this.
...
Pausing in his writing efforts, Laguna took a moment to gaze out over the orange and yellow speckled hills around him. Setting the journal down with a happy sigh, he took a deep breath. Funny, he mused to himself with a grin, how the middle of nowhere could be so frustrating and relaxing all at once. His wounds had nearly healed, though his left leg was quite stiff still. Granted, he wasn't up and about as much as he wanted. That's why he spent so much time on the porch. But at least it gave him an excuse to write.
A particularly strong breeze gusted along, tossing his hair and catching him off guard. He tilted his head to one side curiously and stared out over the hills distractedly. Ellone drifted from the house quietly to stand next to him and stare out in the same direction, her small hands clutching a rather ratty looking stuffed bunny by the ears. She chewed thoughtfully on the tip of one ear before speaking up.
"Whas the matter, Uncle Laguna?"
Laguna blinked down at the small thing that was now looking up at him, the bunny still being hung by the ears. He couldn't help but smile. Every time he looked at Ellone he couldn't help but think of her as his own. Though, if Raine knew that, she'd kill him. He reached out absently and messed her hair a little with an affectionate chuckle. "Nothing's the matter Elle. Don't worry about it."
The little girl scrunched her nose at him, trying to smooth out her hair and hold back a giggle all at once. "Nuh uh," she said matter of factly. "I know bettew."
Laguna grinned, rolling his eyes. The kid was smart, he had to give her that. Standing and stretching a little, he groaned as the stiffness worked out of his limbs. "I'm goin for a walk. Okay sweetie?"
Ellone pouted. "Iiiiiiiii wanna goooooooo!" Laguna knelt down, ignoring his knee popping as much as possible, giving her bunny a little scratch behind the ears.
"Nope. Mister Floppy's allergic to the flowers, remember?" He smiled at her, poking her in the nose. "He'll start sneezing, and then you'll have to play doctor TWO shifts a day." She still pouted but resigned, turning and trotting into the house with a distracted call of "Mr. Floppy you ruin EVERYTHING!"
Standing, he shook his head with a chuckle. Ellone was too cute to be real sometimes, even when she was having a hissy fit. She reminded him of Raine in a way. Though her fits usually involved the throwing of some object toward whatever part of his body was closest. Which was usually a bad thing. Scratch that.it was always a bad thing.
He looked back at that same hill and, following the breeze, began walking slowly up through the patches of flowers. It still took a bit of effort to walk uphill, and his legs were definitely protesting. He would have used the walking cane to get this far but the last thing he needed was a snide comment from anyone nearby. He cleared the first hill and another gust of wind took him, nearly knocking him over with its force. He furrowed his brow in confusion. What was pushing him so hard?
Was it her, he wondered? Was it finally time?
Squinting against the bright afternoon sunlight, he picked up the pace and headed up the next hill. When he broke the view, he then understood. Two forms were there on that hill, one just a child and the other a man. The larger of the two lay faces down in a large grouping of flowers, while the younger sat there patiently watching the first. A couple of butterflies fluttered around the boy as he stared calmly at his father, one daring to land on his shoulder, it's bright blue wings fluttering hurriedly as Laguna approached. The boy looked up at him as he paused near the unconscious man's feet. Laguna looked the fallen form over with a scrutinizing eye. Leather jacket, dark pants, and chestnut hair.
".Grandpa?" The question was barely audible, but Laguna moved next to the child and squatted down to his eye level with a grin.
"Yup," he answered, affectionately rustling the boy's head with a comforting smile. The butterfly took off and headed for the injured man's body as the child smiled widely, apparently relieved.
".How come you look like daddy?" Junior seemed confused, but Laguna grinned.
"Dunno," he said standing and looking the second form over. "But I'm here and you're here, and I think." He moved one foot and kicked the black boot of the fallen man with a grin. A small moan was heard from somewhere in the patch of flowers as the stranger rolled over, opening his blue-gray eyes slightly. It took a minute for his vision to clear, but when it did, Squall was looking up at a very young Laguna, who appeared to be.smirking at him?!?
"God, you look like shit," said Laguna with an amused grin. Squall glared at his father, pushing up on his elbows a bit to get a look around. Junior laughed, covering his mouth in the hopes of not being reprimanded for laughing at such language. Laguna grinned at his grandson as another breeze caught the air, the butterfly taking off and flapping away with the current.
"Junior!" Squall was instantly awake and sitting up as his son jumped into his arms, and for a few minutes all he cared about was holding on to that child. He could feel tears threatening his eyes again and slammed them shut. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice tight with emotion. Junior smiled happily as he hugged his father.
Laguna smiled. "I'm glad the two of you made it here okay. I was a little worried." He pointedly looked at Squall as his son dislodged Junior and looked at him, all seriousness now.
"You.look younger," said Squall uncertainly.
Laguna nodded. "Gee, you noticed. I'm flattered."
Squall gave him a dull glare. "Oh god. You're back to being a moron." Junior giggled again, and Laguna gave the two of them a comically serious look.
"You know," he said with a hint of sarcasm, "you really should rethink the way you talk to your elders." He held out a hand to help Squall up.
"You're hardly my elder," said Squall with a frown. "So that was-"
"Time compression," he nodded as Squall begrudgingly took Laguna's hand and the older man helped him up. "I was a little worried."
Squall immediately moved toward his son and raked a hand through his hair, grateful to feel the child under his fingers as if he would disappear at any moment. Junior leaned into his father's leg slightly, hugging it tightly and clinging to him desperately. Squinting his eyes against the sunlight, Squall looked around him. He could feel his breath catch.
".This.this is-"
"Winhill," said Laguna, finishing the statement. "Yeah. Pretty little town, isn't it? I mean, not that you can see much of it from here. But believe me, it's nice. Just as long as you don't look anyone in the." His voice trailed off as he moved to stand next to Squall, who seemed to be in a state of shock. He swallowed nervously.
"Laguna," he said shakily, "If you're.young again.and this is Winhill."
"LAAAAGUNAAAAAA! DINNER!" The sharp female voice rang out over the hills and echoed slightly around them, and Laguna winced.
"Ugh! You 'd think she'd just send Ellone or something." He shook his head, cupping one hand near his mouth. "YEAH, YEAH! IM COMIN ALREADY! Jeez." He frowned. "Probably heard her half way to Timber."
"I HEARD THAT!" came the sharp reply.
He frowned, making a somewhat mocking face, then turned to Junior, who was still holding onto his father's pant leg. "So kiddo," he said with a friendly, comforting smile. "You hungry?" Junior nodded, a messy lock of hair in his green eyes.
"Grandpa," he said, letting go of his dad, "Where's mom?"
Squall looked at Laguna, sincerely wanting an answer to that question. Laguna knelt down to look the child in the eyes, brushing the hair from his forehead. "Your mommy had to go away for a little while, kiddo." He reached out his hand and gently cupped the boys face comfortingly, his smile somewhat sad. "She'll be back, but she asked me to make sure you stay safe." The boy's eyes teared slightly as he looked at his grandfather, but he held back, forcing a smile.
".I'll be good. Do I get to stay with you?"
Laguna nodded with a thankful, relieved expression. "Yeah, you do. And with a friend of mine, named Raine."
Junior blinked. "Wasn't that grandma's name?"
Laguna nodded. "Yeah.but don't call her grandma, okay?" He poked the boy in the side with a chuckle, making him giggle. "She gets really grumpy when you say she's old. You have to be good and keep it a secret.like always, okay?" Laguna held out a pinky and Junior did the same, the two sharing some deep secret as their fingers locked. Laguna stood, turning to his son with a tired sigh.
"Raine." Squall mouthed the name.
Laguna nodded. "She's here, Squall. But she can't know who you are. Not her, or Ellone." He frowned, looking down the hill toward the small building on the edge of town with longing in his eyes. "I'm not sure how Selphie did it, but she sent us all back. I have to assume it was to keep us safe." He paused, a seriousness about him that didn't suit his personality. "But this means no one can know who you are. And I mean ~no one~." He shot Squall a serious gaze, one that was a little too reminiscent of his son. "You can't use your real name, and you can NOT interfere with anything that's supposed to happen." Sighing, he averted his eyes. "I.know that hurts, Squall, but we can't interfere with anything. If we do, there's no chance of getting back." His face said that there was more to this story, but with Junior there it was impossible to deal with at that moment. Squall nodded, looking off down the hill as Raine's call was heard again.
"This is so strange." He stared off in the direction of the building as Laguna picked Junior up and hoisted him on his shoulders.
"Tell me about it," said Laguna with a grin. "I'm just glad we're all safe." Squall nodded as the three started quietly down the hill toward home, and toward the mother he'd never known.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or anything related to it.
Chapter 1: Raine in Winhill
I've only been to Balamb twice. They say something in the sea air there makes the people romantics. The town only has one hotel and one gas station, sort of like a tourist attraction that never really made the big time. It's the kind of town where the local kids climb balconies in the moonlight to give their crushes Galbadian roses. The skies of Balamb are always cool and clear, dotted with puffy white clouds that move quickly in from the waterfront. It's a happy town.
The skies of Winhill, however, are bright and dark all at once, seemingly reflecting the emotions of the people in this tiny town. Don't get me wrong, we have some really strange storms in Galbadia. But I'll never understand the weather in this part of the country. It's sunny and warm at one minute, then rainy and dreary the next. The storms that hit this little town are enough to scare the hell out of any grown adult. Kind of like the woman I'm staying with. God I hope she never reads this.
...
Pausing in his writing efforts, Laguna took a moment to gaze out over the orange and yellow speckled hills around him. Setting the journal down with a happy sigh, he took a deep breath. Funny, he mused to himself with a grin, how the middle of nowhere could be so frustrating and relaxing all at once. His wounds had nearly healed, though his left leg was quite stiff still. Granted, he wasn't up and about as much as he wanted. That's why he spent so much time on the porch. But at least it gave him an excuse to write.
A particularly strong breeze gusted along, tossing his hair and catching him off guard. He tilted his head to one side curiously and stared out over the hills distractedly. Ellone drifted from the house quietly to stand next to him and stare out in the same direction, her small hands clutching a rather ratty looking stuffed bunny by the ears. She chewed thoughtfully on the tip of one ear before speaking up.
"Whas the matter, Uncle Laguna?"
Laguna blinked down at the small thing that was now looking up at him, the bunny still being hung by the ears. He couldn't help but smile. Every time he looked at Ellone he couldn't help but think of her as his own. Though, if Raine knew that, she'd kill him. He reached out absently and messed her hair a little with an affectionate chuckle. "Nothing's the matter Elle. Don't worry about it."
The little girl scrunched her nose at him, trying to smooth out her hair and hold back a giggle all at once. "Nuh uh," she said matter of factly. "I know bettew."
Laguna grinned, rolling his eyes. The kid was smart, he had to give her that. Standing and stretching a little, he groaned as the stiffness worked out of his limbs. "I'm goin for a walk. Okay sweetie?"
Ellone pouted. "Iiiiiiiii wanna goooooooo!" Laguna knelt down, ignoring his knee popping as much as possible, giving her bunny a little scratch behind the ears.
"Nope. Mister Floppy's allergic to the flowers, remember?" He smiled at her, poking her in the nose. "He'll start sneezing, and then you'll have to play doctor TWO shifts a day." She still pouted but resigned, turning and trotting into the house with a distracted call of "Mr. Floppy you ruin EVERYTHING!"
Standing, he shook his head with a chuckle. Ellone was too cute to be real sometimes, even when she was having a hissy fit. She reminded him of Raine in a way. Though her fits usually involved the throwing of some object toward whatever part of his body was closest. Which was usually a bad thing. Scratch that.it was always a bad thing.
He looked back at that same hill and, following the breeze, began walking slowly up through the patches of flowers. It still took a bit of effort to walk uphill, and his legs were definitely protesting. He would have used the walking cane to get this far but the last thing he needed was a snide comment from anyone nearby. He cleared the first hill and another gust of wind took him, nearly knocking him over with its force. He furrowed his brow in confusion. What was pushing him so hard?
Was it her, he wondered? Was it finally time?
Squinting against the bright afternoon sunlight, he picked up the pace and headed up the next hill. When he broke the view, he then understood. Two forms were there on that hill, one just a child and the other a man. The larger of the two lay faces down in a large grouping of flowers, while the younger sat there patiently watching the first. A couple of butterflies fluttered around the boy as he stared calmly at his father, one daring to land on his shoulder, it's bright blue wings fluttering hurriedly as Laguna approached. The boy looked up at him as he paused near the unconscious man's feet. Laguna looked the fallen form over with a scrutinizing eye. Leather jacket, dark pants, and chestnut hair.
".Grandpa?" The question was barely audible, but Laguna moved next to the child and squatted down to his eye level with a grin.
"Yup," he answered, affectionately rustling the boy's head with a comforting smile. The butterfly took off and headed for the injured man's body as the child smiled widely, apparently relieved.
".How come you look like daddy?" Junior seemed confused, but Laguna grinned.
"Dunno," he said standing and looking the second form over. "But I'm here and you're here, and I think." He moved one foot and kicked the black boot of the fallen man with a grin. A small moan was heard from somewhere in the patch of flowers as the stranger rolled over, opening his blue-gray eyes slightly. It took a minute for his vision to clear, but when it did, Squall was looking up at a very young Laguna, who appeared to be.smirking at him?!?
"God, you look like shit," said Laguna with an amused grin. Squall glared at his father, pushing up on his elbows a bit to get a look around. Junior laughed, covering his mouth in the hopes of not being reprimanded for laughing at such language. Laguna grinned at his grandson as another breeze caught the air, the butterfly taking off and flapping away with the current.
"Junior!" Squall was instantly awake and sitting up as his son jumped into his arms, and for a few minutes all he cared about was holding on to that child. He could feel tears threatening his eyes again and slammed them shut. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice tight with emotion. Junior smiled happily as he hugged his father.
Laguna smiled. "I'm glad the two of you made it here okay. I was a little worried." He pointedly looked at Squall as his son dislodged Junior and looked at him, all seriousness now.
"You.look younger," said Squall uncertainly.
Laguna nodded. "Gee, you noticed. I'm flattered."
Squall gave him a dull glare. "Oh god. You're back to being a moron." Junior giggled again, and Laguna gave the two of them a comically serious look.
"You know," he said with a hint of sarcasm, "you really should rethink the way you talk to your elders." He held out a hand to help Squall up.
"You're hardly my elder," said Squall with a frown. "So that was-"
"Time compression," he nodded as Squall begrudgingly took Laguna's hand and the older man helped him up. "I was a little worried."
Squall immediately moved toward his son and raked a hand through his hair, grateful to feel the child under his fingers as if he would disappear at any moment. Junior leaned into his father's leg slightly, hugging it tightly and clinging to him desperately. Squinting his eyes against the sunlight, Squall looked around him. He could feel his breath catch.
".This.this is-"
"Winhill," said Laguna, finishing the statement. "Yeah. Pretty little town, isn't it? I mean, not that you can see much of it from here. But believe me, it's nice. Just as long as you don't look anyone in the." His voice trailed off as he moved to stand next to Squall, who seemed to be in a state of shock. He swallowed nervously.
"Laguna," he said shakily, "If you're.young again.and this is Winhill."
"LAAAAGUNAAAAAA! DINNER!" The sharp female voice rang out over the hills and echoed slightly around them, and Laguna winced.
"Ugh! You 'd think she'd just send Ellone or something." He shook his head, cupping one hand near his mouth. "YEAH, YEAH! IM COMIN ALREADY! Jeez." He frowned. "Probably heard her half way to Timber."
"I HEARD THAT!" came the sharp reply.
He frowned, making a somewhat mocking face, then turned to Junior, who was still holding onto his father's pant leg. "So kiddo," he said with a friendly, comforting smile. "You hungry?" Junior nodded, a messy lock of hair in his green eyes.
"Grandpa," he said, letting go of his dad, "Where's mom?"
Squall looked at Laguna, sincerely wanting an answer to that question. Laguna knelt down to look the child in the eyes, brushing the hair from his forehead. "Your mommy had to go away for a little while, kiddo." He reached out his hand and gently cupped the boys face comfortingly, his smile somewhat sad. "She'll be back, but she asked me to make sure you stay safe." The boy's eyes teared slightly as he looked at his grandfather, but he held back, forcing a smile.
".I'll be good. Do I get to stay with you?"
Laguna nodded with a thankful, relieved expression. "Yeah, you do. And with a friend of mine, named Raine."
Junior blinked. "Wasn't that grandma's name?"
Laguna nodded. "Yeah.but don't call her grandma, okay?" He poked the boy in the side with a chuckle, making him giggle. "She gets really grumpy when you say she's old. You have to be good and keep it a secret.like always, okay?" Laguna held out a pinky and Junior did the same, the two sharing some deep secret as their fingers locked. Laguna stood, turning to his son with a tired sigh.
"Raine." Squall mouthed the name.
Laguna nodded. "She's here, Squall. But she can't know who you are. Not her, or Ellone." He frowned, looking down the hill toward the small building on the edge of town with longing in his eyes. "I'm not sure how Selphie did it, but she sent us all back. I have to assume it was to keep us safe." He paused, a seriousness about him that didn't suit his personality. "But this means no one can know who you are. And I mean ~no one~." He shot Squall a serious gaze, one that was a little too reminiscent of his son. "You can't use your real name, and you can NOT interfere with anything that's supposed to happen." Sighing, he averted his eyes. "I.know that hurts, Squall, but we can't interfere with anything. If we do, there's no chance of getting back." His face said that there was more to this story, but with Junior there it was impossible to deal with at that moment. Squall nodded, looking off down the hill as Raine's call was heard again.
"This is so strange." He stared off in the direction of the building as Laguna picked Junior up and hoisted him on his shoulders.
"Tell me about it," said Laguna with a grin. "I'm just glad we're all safe." Squall nodded as the three started quietly down the hill toward home, and toward the mother he'd never known.