IF THINGS WERE DIFFERENT

A/N: Well, after the success of Children of Destiny, and the repetitive failure of A Normal Day, I've decided to try again. After all, I've been told "The only way to get it right is to get it wrong." So anyway, I'm steering away from the normal six (Squall and the others) and taking another look at Laguna. Let's just see what it would be like if things were different.

D/C: Deny ownership, don't own, can't sue, yadda yadda yadda.

CHAPTER 1: SENDING HER HOME

It'd been eight months since she was snatched from her home in Winhill, though she remembered the day as if it were yesterday. Hiding in the closet with Raine while her Uncle Laguna and his friends Mr. Kiros and Mr. Ward tried to keep the Esthar Soldiers from getting in. However, Laguna was unsuccessful and an Esthar Soldier pulled her right out of Raine's hands. Since then, Ellone had been at this horrible place; Esthar. The city was very pretty, she had to admit; it was just the people. Nobody ever played with her the way her Uncle Laguna had, That weird doctor who talked funny only wanted to do research on her, and that lady Adel was just plain mean! She hated all of them! All she could do was curl up on the floor with her favorite teddy bear and cry. She could her someone pounding on the glass in the room above her, but she didn't bother to look up. She refused to give them the satisfaction. Soon, she heard the door unlatch, uh-oh, they were coming to get her! She started to get scared and clutched her bear as if her life depended on it. Soon, the door opened, but still, she didn't look.

"Ellone!" Someone said. However, the voice was familiar! She resisted but couldn't help but look at the person. When she saw him, she stood up happy for the first time in months; as if she was never crying a few seconds ago!

"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone piped up! He came for her! Ellone ran over and gave him a great big hug. She then felt herself being lifted off the ground as Laguna scooped her up.

I told you I'd come save you!" Laguna said to her. "Sorry I'm a little late, but I ran into trouble. Maybe I'll tell you about it later." Ellone looked around over her Uncle's shoulder and also saw Mr. Kiros and Mr. Ward with him, as well as some people whom she'd never seen before. One of those guys ran up to Laguna.

"So, have you thought about it?" The man asked.

"Thought about what?" Laguna retorted.

"Helping us!" The man said.

"You have to forgive Laguna." Kiros said. "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed."

"Ok, that's enough Laguna jokes for one day!" Laguna said. Apparently, Kiros had been ripping on him all day. "Well, let me go talk to Odine." Laguna headed outside of Ellone's 'room' and up the stairs to Odine's office. Odine looked distraught about something.

"Adel vill be angry!" Odine cried, "My research vill be kaput!"

"Uncle Laguna, I don't wanna stay here!" Ellone told him. "I wanna go home!"

"Then you will." Laguna said as Ellone hugged him again.

"Zis can't be happening!" Odine said, "You can't let her go, Adel vill kill me!" As Odine approached, Ward cut him off. Odine started to shake, Ward easily had two feet and about one hundred pounds on the smaller doctor. Odine started to run circles in his office, and Ward gave chase. Ellone let out a few giggles at this sight. Soon, Laguna had put her back on the ground.

"Get 'em Elle." Laguna whispered to her. He then noticed Davis in the room with him.

"If she wants to go home without bringing harm to Dr. Odine, then there's only one logical thing to do." Davis said.

"She must be overthrown." Laguna said.

"Exactly." Davis said. "Also, as long as she has the Crystal Pillar inside Lunatic Pandora, she can create an artificial Lunar Cry whenever she wants. So we'll have to take care of that as well."

"Give me some time to think." Laguna said as he placed his index finger and thumb on his chin. After a few minutes, Laguna spoke up. "Can the Crystal Pillar be moved?"

"Yes, but the repairs on Lunatic Pandora must be completed to do so." Zeke said.

"Leave that to us." Laguna said. "I need someone who's good at electronics."

"I'm your man." Zeke said.

"I'd imagine that they've keep a close eye on Ellone." Laguna said. "Dr. Odine, is there any surveillance tapes?"

"Yes." Odine said quickly, having been stuck in the corner by Ward careful not to make any sudden movements.

"Get them." Laguna said. Odine grabbed a surveillance disc and popped it into a machine so Laguna could see it. On it was Ellone crying in that small space where he had found her.

"Zeke, can you turn those pictures of Ellone into a hologram?" Laguna asked.

"No Problem." Zeke said.

"All we need now is something that can not only confine Adel, but nullify her sorcery." Laguna said.

"That will be difficult." Zeke said. "But it can be done with Dr. Odine's help." At the sound of this, Laguna walked over to said Doctor.

"You're gonna help them build that machine or my friend here is going to throw you around like a baseball." Laguna said. "Got it?"

"OK, OK, I vill help!" Odine said.

"Good." Laguna said. "Now there's something I'm really going to need help on. Sending Ellone home."

"Sending?" Ellone said. "Uncle Laguna, you're not coming with me?"

"I can't right now." Laguna said crouching to her level. "I have to do something about the bad lady, Adel."

"But I want you to come home." Ellone said, her voice quivering.

"And I will." Laguna said. "I just have to get you out of here first and back to Raine. I'll come home really soon!" Laguna then hugged Ellone again. He hated to send her home by herself, but there was nothing else he could do.

"We can catch a ferry to go east across the International Date Line and have her home before nightfall in Winhill." Davis said.

"Someone has to go with her," Laguna said, "Even though the monsters in the city itself are gone, there are plenty of Blood Soul nests nearby."

"I'm a former Soldier." Zeke said, "I can go with her and be back in Esthar by morning."

"Then that's what we'll do." Laguna said. After you get back, I want that machine being constructed while the rest of us get to work on Lunatic Pandora.


"Come home soon, Uncle Laguna." Ellone said standing before the ship that was going to take her back to Winhill.

"You got it, cutie." Laguna said as he hugged Ellone for the hundredth time that day. "Tell Raine I'll be home soon."

"ALL ABOARD!" Someone said.

"You better get going." Laguna said. With that, it was a tearful goodbye as the ship was headed to take Ellone home.

"C'mon." Kiros said to Laguna. "We better get some sleep. The sooner we send this plan into action, the sooner you can go home too."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Laguna said, "We better find a hotel. But we're kicking this off at sunrise, so no sleeping in! The second that confinement machine is built, Adel's going down!"

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Kiros said.

"Serious as a heart attack." Laguna said. "She ruined my life when she took Ellone, now I'm going to ruin hers! This war is coming to an end, and Adel's gonna lose whether she likes it or not!

"Great, but in the meantime, LET'S GET SOME SLEEP!" Kiros shouted.

"OH, sorry." Laguna said. "I didn't realize I was going on and on again like I always-"

"You're doing it right now!" Kiros shouted. "Ward says Enough Already!"

"Sorry again." Laguna said. "I'm gonna shut up right now, I promise!"

"Davis, where is the closest hotel?" Kiros said.

"That would be on the edge of the city." Davis said.

"What about Adel?" Laguna asked.

"I've checked with Dr. Odine." Davis said. "Adel doesn't suspect a thing. She has no Idea that Ellone is on her way home or that we're planning to overthrow her."

"But it's only a matter of time before she finds out." Laguna said. "If it comes up, tell her Ellone was kidnapped. We have to keep her in the dark about our true intentions."

"It could prove difficult, but we shall try our best." Davis said.

"Thats all I need to know." Laguna said. "If this plan works, Adel will be thrown out of power within three days. C'mon, show us to that hotel."