Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. Duh. So please don't sue me.
" General Leonhart, report to the bridge immediately," a voice echoed through the hall that early rainy morning.
I stood up from the bed. My eyes wandered to the enormous window that overlooked Esthar city. Esthar was the new home of the Garden. Partly because Esthar had become the most populated area in the world. Their xenophobia had melted away and there were always tourists sightseeing. People abruptly had ambitions to become heros and wanted their chance. I guess it only meant good news. More interest in this Garden meant more funding. The donation the Garden has been receiving in the past seven years has made it possible to build it bigger. Hence my sixth floor quarters. Still it was irritating to see people, basically children, bragging how they'd be champions. Never knowing that the challenge would come when they least were prepared.
Still, change wasn't bad. It seemed everyone had more serious lives now. Irvine had left the Garden to pursue some dream in Deling City. As a male escort. After Selphie kicked him out of their apartment because she had found him with another girl. Selphie said it was one of the cafeteria ladies.
Irvine's weak defense was that Selphie was too busy to give him the attention she owed him. It was evitable that their relationship wouldn't last. And it only took some time to prove it. I'm sure Irvine has moved on. Again and again. To being a exotic dancer.
The mere thought gave me the heebee jeebees.
Selphie recently started dating Nida, the Garden's old pilot. Nida had become vice headmaster of the Garden. Selphie had become a captain. Why either are qualified for the job? I'm not sure. Xu hasn't been promoted at all.
Zell had moved back to Balamb. Mrs. Dincht was having serious health problems that left her vulnerable to heart attack. His girlfriend what's-her-name was a nurse and went with him.
Rajun had moved to Balamb too, but then to FH. He opened a bar there and spent his days fishing to have seafood cooked for his customers. Ellone had went there, and well, she's still there.
Fujin still lived in the Garden, but was often traveling for her boss, Laguna Loire. Laguna had created The Esthar Post, a global newspaper and hired Fujin to be a photographer. It turned out to be a talent of hers. Laguna said she was the type of person that valued pictures over mere words. I wasn't sure if she was still hurt over Seifer disappearance. The last words she had given me were the ones from years ago.
Seifer had disappeared from the world. The only thing I've heard about him was that someone had seen him crusading in Centra, and partying with some White SeeDs on their ship. But it was only a rumor.
Rinoa had disappeared too. I don't know where she went. She never tried contacting me. I don't she wanted to. I spent a lot of effort into finding information, only to find nothing at all.
" Darling, weren't you called?" a silky voice said from the bed. A woman sat up, her long blonde hair falling past her shoulders.
" I suppose I should be going then," I wavered from my thoughts.
" I hope they won't need you too long. You just returned from completing a mission two days ago. We were planning to take time off for vacation," she said, reminding me with her piercing blue eyes.
" I hope they won't. I barely gotten to see you in weeks," I replied.
" Then you better go see what they want," she smiled. I kissed her forehead and went out the door. I took the elevator to the bridge.
Waiting rather impatiently, Nida, Captain Selphie Tilmitt, and Xu. Well, Nida and Selphie was more flirtier with each other than impatient. Xu just rolled her eyes.
" I was called?" I asked.
" Yes General Leonhart. There is a matter we must discuss with me immediately," Xu explained. Behind Xu, a small boy hid. His hair was short and blonde. His face accompanied two small brown eyes above a tiny pointy nose. He looked no more than six years old. He wore a rugged gray shirt and red shorts under a somewhat large army coat. The sleeves rolled past his fingertips. He carried a stuffed bag over his shoulder. Xu picked up a paper from her desk.
" Does he look familiar to you?" she said, scanning the paper.
" I don't believe we've met," I replied. In Nida's arms, Selphie looked at the boy fondly.
" He's came a long way to get here. With Edea's White SeeD ship all the from the Shumi village. That's where he's been living for the last five years. I received this letter from the Shumi leader. It's asking for you," Xu said.
" Why are they seeking me?" I asked.
" His mother died a few weeks ago. The cause of death uncertain. She was ill and they didn't know why. For that reason, the Shumi people think it'd would be in the child's best interest not to live there. So they contacted Edea for relocation. She suggested Squall Leonhart."
" He's... Rinoa's?" I stuttered.
" Yes, Ms. Heartilly's son. In her will, she wanted you to meet the boy. It's unclear if she wanted to give you rights to him since she never finished the will. She didn't have enough strength. So his fate is inconclusive. Headmaster Cid is currently in Dollet for business. The boy is going to stay in the Garden until Cid comes back. Would you be able to take temporary care of this child until then? Since your name was in the will, you have that legal choice." Xu explained.
" What's his name?" I wondered.
" Matthew," the boy answered softly. He had slowly crept closer to me from Xu.
" Well, Matthew, did you know that you're at a Garden? And not just any Garden," Selphie said, bending down to talk to him face to face.
" Mommy said SeeDs come from the Garden," the boy frowned.
" Right. The Garden is really a beautiful place. There's a cafeteria. They sell hotdogs. Do you like hotdogs, Matthew?" Selphie asked.
The boy's face turned bright red.
" Selphie, I think the Shumi people are vegetarians. They never ate hotdogs," said Nida.
" Oh, well, you can try them if you want to. Zell might be coming back. He'll save you one since they're like so hard to get because they're so good," Selphie told Matthew.
" Who's Zell?" Matthew questioned.
" He's a friend of Squall and mine. Sure, he's kinda weird. Hyper in a way. He's a good guy. And he sure can kiss!" Selphie exclaimed. Nida shot Selphie a dirty look.
" But Nida's so much better!" she corrected herself. Selphie figured it was time to shut up.
" So, Squall, are you going to take care of him?" Nida asked. Xu snapped out of daydream and glanced at me. Matthew looked up at me innocently. It was strange to see the subtle mixture of Rinoa and Seifer. He reminded me of both. But besides appearance, where he looked more like Seifer, what he had demonstrated that he was more like his mother. Maybe it was because the Shumi village was peaceful and made him timid.
" Come on Matthew. I'll show you around," I finally said.
" General Leonhart, report to the bridge immediately," a voice echoed through the hall that early rainy morning.
I stood up from the bed. My eyes wandered to the enormous window that overlooked Esthar city. Esthar was the new home of the Garden. Partly because Esthar had become the most populated area in the world. Their xenophobia had melted away and there were always tourists sightseeing. People abruptly had ambitions to become heros and wanted their chance. I guess it only meant good news. More interest in this Garden meant more funding. The donation the Garden has been receiving in the past seven years has made it possible to build it bigger. Hence my sixth floor quarters. Still it was irritating to see people, basically children, bragging how they'd be champions. Never knowing that the challenge would come when they least were prepared.
Still, change wasn't bad. It seemed everyone had more serious lives now. Irvine had left the Garden to pursue some dream in Deling City. As a male escort. After Selphie kicked him out of their apartment because she had found him with another girl. Selphie said it was one of the cafeteria ladies.
Irvine's weak defense was that Selphie was too busy to give him the attention she owed him. It was evitable that their relationship wouldn't last. And it only took some time to prove it. I'm sure Irvine has moved on. Again and again. To being a exotic dancer.
The mere thought gave me the heebee jeebees.
Selphie recently started dating Nida, the Garden's old pilot. Nida had become vice headmaster of the Garden. Selphie had become a captain. Why either are qualified for the job? I'm not sure. Xu hasn't been promoted at all.
Zell had moved back to Balamb. Mrs. Dincht was having serious health problems that left her vulnerable to heart attack. His girlfriend what's-her-name was a nurse and went with him.
Rajun had moved to Balamb too, but then to FH. He opened a bar there and spent his days fishing to have seafood cooked for his customers. Ellone had went there, and well, she's still there.
Fujin still lived in the Garden, but was often traveling for her boss, Laguna Loire. Laguna had created The Esthar Post, a global newspaper and hired Fujin to be a photographer. It turned out to be a talent of hers. Laguna said she was the type of person that valued pictures over mere words. I wasn't sure if she was still hurt over Seifer disappearance. The last words she had given me were the ones from years ago.
Seifer had disappeared from the world. The only thing I've heard about him was that someone had seen him crusading in Centra, and partying with some White SeeDs on their ship. But it was only a rumor.
Rinoa had disappeared too. I don't know where she went. She never tried contacting me. I don't she wanted to. I spent a lot of effort into finding information, only to find nothing at all.
" Darling, weren't you called?" a silky voice said from the bed. A woman sat up, her long blonde hair falling past her shoulders.
" I suppose I should be going then," I wavered from my thoughts.
" I hope they won't need you too long. You just returned from completing a mission two days ago. We were planning to take time off for vacation," she said, reminding me with her piercing blue eyes.
" I hope they won't. I barely gotten to see you in weeks," I replied.
" Then you better go see what they want," she smiled. I kissed her forehead and went out the door. I took the elevator to the bridge.
Waiting rather impatiently, Nida, Captain Selphie Tilmitt, and Xu. Well, Nida and Selphie was more flirtier with each other than impatient. Xu just rolled her eyes.
" I was called?" I asked.
" Yes General Leonhart. There is a matter we must discuss with me immediately," Xu explained. Behind Xu, a small boy hid. His hair was short and blonde. His face accompanied two small brown eyes above a tiny pointy nose. He looked no more than six years old. He wore a rugged gray shirt and red shorts under a somewhat large army coat. The sleeves rolled past his fingertips. He carried a stuffed bag over his shoulder. Xu picked up a paper from her desk.
" Does he look familiar to you?" she said, scanning the paper.
" I don't believe we've met," I replied. In Nida's arms, Selphie looked at the boy fondly.
" He's came a long way to get here. With Edea's White SeeD ship all the from the Shumi village. That's where he's been living for the last five years. I received this letter from the Shumi leader. It's asking for you," Xu said.
" Why are they seeking me?" I asked.
" His mother died a few weeks ago. The cause of death uncertain. She was ill and they didn't know why. For that reason, the Shumi people think it'd would be in the child's best interest not to live there. So they contacted Edea for relocation. She suggested Squall Leonhart."
" He's... Rinoa's?" I stuttered.
" Yes, Ms. Heartilly's son. In her will, she wanted you to meet the boy. It's unclear if she wanted to give you rights to him since she never finished the will. She didn't have enough strength. So his fate is inconclusive. Headmaster Cid is currently in Dollet for business. The boy is going to stay in the Garden until Cid comes back. Would you be able to take temporary care of this child until then? Since your name was in the will, you have that legal choice." Xu explained.
" What's his name?" I wondered.
" Matthew," the boy answered softly. He had slowly crept closer to me from Xu.
" Well, Matthew, did you know that you're at a Garden? And not just any Garden," Selphie said, bending down to talk to him face to face.
" Mommy said SeeDs come from the Garden," the boy frowned.
" Right. The Garden is really a beautiful place. There's a cafeteria. They sell hotdogs. Do you like hotdogs, Matthew?" Selphie asked.
The boy's face turned bright red.
" Selphie, I think the Shumi people are vegetarians. They never ate hotdogs," said Nida.
" Oh, well, you can try them if you want to. Zell might be coming back. He'll save you one since they're like so hard to get because they're so good," Selphie told Matthew.
" Who's Zell?" Matthew questioned.
" He's a friend of Squall and mine. Sure, he's kinda weird. Hyper in a way. He's a good guy. And he sure can kiss!" Selphie exclaimed. Nida shot Selphie a dirty look.
" But Nida's so much better!" she corrected herself. Selphie figured it was time to shut up.
" So, Squall, are you going to take care of him?" Nida asked. Xu snapped out of daydream and glanced at me. Matthew looked up at me innocently. It was strange to see the subtle mixture of Rinoa and Seifer. He reminded me of both. But besides appearance, where he looked more like Seifer, what he had demonstrated that he was more like his mother. Maybe it was because the Shumi village was peaceful and made him timid.
" Come on Matthew. I'll show you around," I finally said.