Squall ran his hand along the smooth surface of the door, and pushed it open. This was where he grew up. Yes, this was the place. The room he shared with the others when they were all so young. This was the place he had called home since childhood, the place where he even first heard about a thing called Garden. He remembered the day Matron was telling her husband about the Man From the Future. He remembered how she whispered to him, and how he vowed to make this Garden business a reality for the sake of saving the world. From that day, Squall promised himself to become a Seed. From Garden. Trained to protect the world and kill the Sorceress. That was all he wanted to do wit his life after Ellone left. He abandoned everything, youth, love, all for the sake of becoming a SeeD. But if Laguna wasn't at war, if Raine hadn't died, or if the people of Winhill welcomed him as their own child...would things be any different? Would he have defeated the Sorceress somehow and save the world...or would someone else have taken his place. Would Seifer have been the victor? Or Quistis? Or would they all have lost without him? If that had happened, then the world, their world, would no longer exist. This place would simply be a space for Ultimecia, where others are non-existent.

Squall placed the only possession he brought along, his gunblade inside its case, on the bed set before him. His hand fell to the silver image of Griever set into the case, and brushed it slightly. Griever. The thing had basically been his symbol over the years. Ellone gave him the ring engraved with its image before she was taken away from him. He had the case, necklace, and pendant custom-made soon after he bought the Gunblade he favored as his weapon. He fell in love with that Gunblade when he first saw it; it's winged-lion engraving near the hilt reminded him of his ring. He then bought the Gunblade and entered the Garden that Cid and Edea made a reality...He worked on the side part-time, and bought the Gunblade case with his first paycheck. Then came the necklace and pentant, both borne from the same mold.

One thing began bothering him at that moment. He forgot about all that Laguna business as a singular thought filled his mind:

Why did Ultimecia summon a creature named "Griever" ?

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"I...couldn't bear being alone. I just couldn't let the war take another of my love ones away from me!!"

Laguna just stared at the woman. This could *NOT* be his Raine!

"They came to take Ellone...to test the machine they made. I was still weak from childbirth so I couldn't exactly fight off the men, but I was willing to try if it meant I could save Ellone. Then they mentioned that they were from a lab in Esthar...and I remembered your last letter saying you were stationed in Esthar....Laguna, you hadn't written me for months!! I thought you were dead!!!!"

Laguna turned from her.

Raine noticed she struck a sour chord with him, so she changed her path and continued her story. "But I didn't care...all I know is that I would have a little chance to see you again...so I told them they could take Ellone as long as I went with them. They said it would be a good idea for me to go anyways, since it would relax Ellone to see a familiar face if they had to do further experimenting. I left Squall in the care of neighbors, and left with the men and Ellone. Little did I know how much I was getting myself into..."

Ellone had been busy looking at the ground, away from the two. She felt especially horrible about having to keep this secret from Laguna for so long. But, in fact, she had believed this lie...

"At the lab in Esthar, they took us to the room with their machine. They explained how they were going to use Ellone to send someone back in time, then send them back in time with their machine and ask the person if they experienced the same feeling during both journeys. Ellone proceeded to do as they instructed...but something happened. She couldn't send the person back in time. She said that it was too hard...she didn't want a stranger to see personal memories since the only people she knew were all in Winhill...I talked to her about it, and asked the scientists if I could go back instead. They said it was fine, and warned me of the dangers with the experimental machine...Ellone cried and refused to do it because she didn't want to hurt me. I told her it was okay, and the sooner we got it over with, the sooner we could go home...remember, Ellone?"

Ellone nodded, and continued to look at the floor.

"She finally agreed, and said she would send me to the near past, to your past, Laguna, so we could know if you were still alive..." Raine's facial expressions softened, but her tears still fell down her cheeks. "I...I saw you alive, breathing. I was relieved you were all right...and to see you one more time...it was the best feeling in the world! But...the feeling was torn from me when Ellone brought me back. The scientists asked me a series of questions and took their notes...then began to hook me up to their machine. Ellone asked me about you, and I told her you were alive. I barely had time to tell her that if I didn't come back...if the machine faultered...to tell everyone I died. I figured it would be better that way...so you didn't wait for my return, and could start a new life...They turned on the machine, and sent me into the past...to Adel's past. I saw her become a sorceress...and then was brought back. The scientists eagerly asked me what I saw, so I told them. They asked me more questions....and I answered them the best I could. I couldn't, however, tell them the location of Adel or if she was, indeed, the successor to the last sorceress...They said I did well and congratulated themselves on a successful new invention that would change the course of the world...But before they could disconnect me from the machine, I blacked out. I only woke up recently...last night, in fact...and was told that they couldn't disconnect the machine because my brain waves were being fed through it. It sent me somewhere on its own. I don't remember what happened...it seems like yesterday that I saw you thanks to Ellone..." Raine realized that Laguna was still looking away from her. "You...you believe me...don't you?"

Laguna finally looked at her again. "I....I don't know...." His hands were trembling as he reached forward to grab her hand. He studied it, and turned the ring around her finger. "I just don't know....."

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A chill enveloped Squall's body, sending it into a series of subtle tremors. He wanted to know...he *had* to know why Ultimecia summoned a creature named after Ellone's ring!! He gathered his things, and took off toward Esthar in Ragnarok.

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AuthorNotes:

The plot thickens....Kyahahahaha...So, how does everyone like the return of Raine? Please R+R if you have the time. I love to hear comments/suggestions!!