Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this game. I don't own anything except this story.

Summary: Squall loseseverything andsuffers a mental breakdown after the death of Ellone. After falling ill, he receives an unexpected visitor.

Diamond

Prologue

Ellone,

It's kind of hard to explain why I'm writing this letter. I guess it's because you're the only one who has the kind of information I need. I need answers. Can we talk sometime?

-Squall

Squall had sent this terse message to his sister-figure, after weeks of thought. I know that there's things that I don't understand about myself…I just don't know if I want to know them.

He didn't know who his parents were. He didn't know where he had been born. He didn't know any of the circumstances of his childhood. He hardly knew anything about himself.

But do I want to know?

He wasn't sure. He had everything now: friends, a girlfriend, peace. He didn't want his world to be turned upside down again. He wanted things to stay the way they were.

"You shouldn't be so afraid of change," Rinoa had told him once, twining her arms around his neck and breathing into his ear. "You'll get hurt even more when it happens." She was always so concerned about Squall getting hurt. She knew he was fragile inside, and needed to be regarded with caution.

"I'm not afraid," he had lied. "I just like the way things are right now." He had smiled at her, trying to make it seem like he wasn't thinking.

She's right, of course. She's always right.

He shoved the letter into the Balamb Garden mailbox. He felt better. I don't have anything to lose.

As the days passed, he imagined his little letter lazily floating along its course until it fell into the hands of his Sis. That letter held such importance. It holds my whole life history, for crying out loud. He thought about it so much that Selphie teased him about zoning out.

His heart was thundering in his ears as a letter was delivered to him a week and a half later.

Squall,

I'd be happy to talk to you about whatever you need to talk about. I'll be coming to Balamb Garden in 3 days. Be ready for me!

Love,

Ellone

Squall scribbled a hasty reply to the letter, sent it immediately afterwards, and rushed off to prevent a potential brawl between two new arrivals at Balamb Garden.

Ellone never received the reply to her letter. Squall didn't learn what happened to her until the day after he sent the letter.

It was a seemingly normal day. Squall was tackling the enormous heap of paperwork that was addressing an upcoming fundraiser. Where the hell are Zell, Selphie, and Irvine when I actually need them?

Quistis had flung open the door to Squall's room, flushed and out of breath from running. "Squall!" she gasped. "I wanted you to hear it from me first…"

"Quistis, what? What's the matter?" he said irritably.

"It's Ellone," she said, the blood draining out of her face. Her eyes were starting to shine from the tears gathering in them. "Squall…"

But from the moment that Quistis had said Ellone's name, Squall already realized what had happened.

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Alright, it's short, but that's the start. You know what to do, people.