Epilogue: A New Life
A few weeks later…
"Seifer Almasy and Coran Leonhart, you past the Field Exam," the Garden Faculty read on his list.
"Yeah!!" they exclaimed walking to Cid's office.
They stood straight when he was handing them their results.
"Glad you finally made it," Cid whispered to Seifer's ears.
Seifer stood straight receiving his result. He had hard time stay calm.
"A Sorceress in SeeD…you'd never guess," he said to Coran with a smile.
She made the SeeD's salute taking her results. Then Cid stood in front of them both, his hands behind his back.
"You are very good elements for SeeD, you two. And as I know Coran needs her Knight, I'll make sure you are attending missions together."
They smiled to each other before doing the salute again.
"Thank you, sir!" they said in the same time.
"Dismissed, now."
They left the office hand in hand and took the elevator to the second floor. Once they left the bridge, they saw the whole gang waiting for them plus somebody Coran never saw but once she saw him, she knew who it was.
"Father!" she exclaimed running to him.
Laguna stared at her in amazement as he looked for confirmation towards his son. Squall standing by his side nodded with a smile. Laguna warmly opened his arms to the new SeeD, astonished by such affection from a girl he never saw and who never saw him. He pushed her away from him a while and looked carefully at her face. He couldn't believe it. It was like if it was Raine in his arms except Raine was a little shorter. Tears filled up in the President's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Coran asked with concern.
Squall put a comforting hand on his father's shoulder.
"She looks a lot like mother, huh?"
Laguna quickly wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and nodded.
"For a moment, I thought it was her."
He smiled at her daughter, then turned to Squall.
"Do you think it's too late for me to take my responsibilities as a father?"
The twins shook their head with a smile. How they were similar but somehow different was amazing. Laguna hesitated a second before opening his arms. Coran through herself in, but Squall, reluctant as usual, stood there, wondering what to do. Laguna just lifted his free arm and this time, Squall went under it. An arm wrapped around Coran and the other just placed around Squall's shoulders, they looked like a happy little family. The others were smiling at them.
"We can call ourselves a family, now," Laguna said looking at his son and daughter with some pride.
"We always were," Squall said. "We just didn't know it."
Everyone laughed then the Loire family broke apart. Seifer wrapped an arm around Coran's waist and Squall did the same to Rinoa. Laguna looked at the two couples.
"Well, what a family! I'm president of the biggest city of the world, my son is leader of SeeD and a Sorceress's Knight and my daughter is a SeeD and a Sorceress!"
"And she has a wonderful Knight," she said looking at Seifer.
He smiled back and gently kissed her on her mouth. Then Rinoa looked at her.
"Hey, Coran! Ready for your first good Sorceress's lesson?"
"You bet!"
'Attention, SeeDs,' the intercom called.
Everyone froze, waiting.
'As more SeeDs graduated today, there will be a party tonight. I hope I can count on the Garden' Festival Committee to make it very great!'
Selphie raised a fist.
"Whoo-Hoo! You bet, this is gonna be great! Coran, you give me a hand, huh?"
"Of course!"
Then she looked back at Laguna who was starting to feel out of place.
"You're staying with us, father?"
"I don't know…"
"Come on, Laguna," Squall asked along.
When Laguna gave him a tempted look, Squall knew what could make him change his mind.
"Come on, father."
Laguna smiled and quickly nodded, raising his arms in a shrug.
"If you insist that much, guess I don't have the choice!"
Everyone cheered, and then the group headed for the elevator to go down.
'Attention again, SeeDs! I was just informed that SeeDs are needed for an important mission at Dolet. Squall, you come to my office and we'll discuss what should be done.'
Squall sighed and apologized to the others before getting back in the elevator.
"Do you think it could be our first mission?" Coran asked Seifer with shining eyes.
He shrugged.
"I hope not! We just made it and we got the party to attend! We can't already have work!"
'Hum…I hate to us this thing…' Squall's voice came out of the intercom.
The gang looked at each other and all laughed from their leader's awkwardness. They heard him clear his throat.
'It's settle: Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Coran and Seifer, come to the Headmaster's office. We have a mission to attend.'
The voice faded and the intercom remained silent.
"We just come from there," Seifer whispered.
Coran turned to Laguna and Rinoa.
"Guess we'll have to see ya later!"
"I have to go back to Esthar and get changed," Laguna said. "I'll be back for the party."
"Me too!" Rinoa said.
"That is if the mission is not too long!" Coran said.
"How can I make it something great if I'm not there to do it?" Selphie asked sulking.
"Let's go before our leader wonders what we are doing," Seifer interrupted.
The gang splits and went different ways. The SeeDs were to split in two teams and secured Dolet from remaining monsters from the Lunar Cry.
"Sounds like that field exam we had ago," Zell commented.
"Yeah, it was damn boring!" Seifer added.
Squall frowned at them to make them silent.
"I'll lead the first team on the way to the Communication tower with Seifer and Coran while Quistis leads the other team to secure the town with Selphie, Irvine and Zell."
"Hey! We're four and you're just three!" Zell objected.
"That's because we're stronger than you, Chicken-Wuss!"
Zell clenched his fists a moment before Seifer granted him a joking smile, almost friendly. Then Zell shrugged.
"It shouldn't be long, huh?" Selphie inquired.
"That depends how powerful the monsters are," Squall answered.
"We'll take care of them, no problem…BANG!" Irvine aimed at an invisible opponent.
"You're all ready? Got GFs, magic and potions?"
The SeeDs performed the salute as an answer.
"Then let's go!"
Squall took his gunblade on his belt and Seifer put his on his shoulder. Quistis cracked her whip, Irvine loaded his gun, Selphie swung her nunchaku and Zell and Coran punched and kicked the air. Then they were out for a couple of hours.
They managed to take care of their duty much faster than expected. They came back three hours before the party. On the boat taking them back to Balamb town, they talked about the mission.
"So, Seifer! How is it to be under Squall's orders?" Zell inquired with a mocking face.
Seifer winked at Squall.
"It stinks! But I wouldn't like to have any other leader!"
"How did you go, guys?" Selphie asked the other team.
Everyone was covered with dust and their hair was a mess.
"Thanks to Coran's powers or else I wouldn't be here," Squall informed.
Then the others noticed he didn't have his jacket anymore and his grey T-shirt was slashed and red from blood.
"Yo, Squall! Your jacket!"
Squall turned to Coran who gave him a sorry look.
"I'm sorry, Squall but I didn't have the choice!"
Squall decided to explain.
"We were back attacked by a Ruby Dragon and it appeared I was the one in the back. I heard a noise and when I turned around, it deadly slashed me."
"I thought you were dead when I saw the blood jerking out from you," Seifer said.
"While Seifer was fighting the Dragon, I managed to cure Squall but I had to totally destroy his jacket to take it off."
"Don't worry, I'll get myself another."
"No. It's time I use my powers for something else than battles."
Blue rings of energy appeared around her and moved to the top of her hands stretched out to Squall. He looked at himself when his chest and arms started glowing and something was appearing on him. When the light faded away, he had a new jacket, identical to his original one. Plus he had a clean T-shirt on. He looked at Coran in amazement as he clenched the leather jacket.
"Wow, thanks!"
She smiled, lifting a hand.
"No problem. I'm a good Sorceress after all! It's a relief your necklace wasn't slashed along because I'm not sure I would have been able to repair it."
"Why not?" Irvine asked, curious.
"Leather, it's a thing, platinum, it's another story. I'm just a Sorceress, not a goddess for Heaven's sake!"
They all laughed and kept talking until they arrived in Balamb. Then they hurried to the Garden. They split to get washed and change for the party, saying they would see each other there. Then Selphie and Coran went to see if they could add something to make the party even greater.
"I think it will be even greater than when I became a SeeD! But I think the lights could look cooler…"
"Oh! Like this maybe?"
Coran spread her arms up and sparkles went in the air and floated around. With the lights playing with the sparkles, it was making all kinds of colour.
"Wow!" Selphie exclaimed in admiration as she reached out to catch some sparkles. "Won't it be annoying?"
"Nope! See for yourself! You can't touch it."
After a quick observation, Selphie nodded.
"How can this be?"
"Illusions! And it will remain for the whole party!"
Selphie threw her arms around Coran's neck in excitement.
"Would you be my best friend? You're so cool!!"
Coran laughed along then the girls gasped as they looked at the time. They weren't dressed with their uniform because they were afraid they would messed it with the work they still had to do. They looked at each other and hurried for the dorms to get changed.
The party. The tiny sparkles were still floating around like a light mist. Everyone was amazed from it and some a bit reluctant of walking in it but they soon noticed it wasn't doing anything bad so they all enjoyed the party.
Rinoa arrived just a few minutes after Laguna who was there from the beginning, refusing to miss a second of this party. Rinoa was wearing a black sleeveless dress going down the floor and baring one of her leg from the top of the thigh to her feet. She was wearing black an inch heels shoes. She had her hair combed so that strands were hiding half of her face in the most seducing way ever seen by her friends. No makeup for her perfect beautiful face. Squall was amazed when he saw her. He blushed a little when he looked at himself. The same old SeeD uniform… Reading his mind once again, she told him that he was very handsome and sexy in that uniform. He smiled to her from the compliment before another voice talked in his mind, approving Rinoa all along. Squall and Rinoa quickly glanced around and saw Coran smiling their way with a wink.
The SeeD uniform was really suiting her as she was dancing with a SeeD… After a second look, Squall recognized Seifer. He couldn't believe his own eyes. He had his hair loose on his face, not brushed backward as usual and Squall noticed they were almost as long as his. He was a great dancer, he had to admit it. And he was looking very great in the SeeD uniform.
"Wow, that's Seifer??" Selphie exclaimed standing beside them. "He's dreamy!! And he looks soooo sexy in this uniform, don't you agree, Rinoa?" she turned to her friend.
"You bet!" she answered.
"Hey!" Squall protested feeling jealous.
Rinoa wrapped her arms around his neck and tiptoed to be only an inch from his face.
"But you're the one I want…" she whispered.
They kissed gently. Selphie sighed from boredom and walked away to find Irvine only to see him dancing with Quistis. The blond girl looked like she was very enjoying. With another sigh, Selphie walked to a black shoulder length haired guy with white strands.
'Laguna sure looks cool tonight,' she thought. 'He even looks younger.'
Laguna had his hair loose like in the old time. He was dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt with a blue jacket. It wasn't like his clothes Selphie could remember from the Dream World but it was still cool. He was wearing black boots along.
With a smile, Selphie walked to him.
"Mister President, would you care to dance?"
Laguna scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Sorry, dear. I'm already engaged."
Coran came.
"You promised me the next dance father!"
She grabbed his hand and took him to dance room. He apologized to Selphie once again before following his daughter.
"Go easy! I'm not as young as you are. Plus I don't dance really well."
Selphie sighed one more time, not even willing to look around for Zell, as she knew he was eating or already with the ponytail girl. Selphie decided to wait until someone asks her for a dance and leant against a pillar, crossing her arms.
"Hum…dance with me?"
She turned her head in surprise when she saw Zell standing there. He held her a hand.
"Well? I thought it wasn't fair for you so, well here I am. Unless you don't want to…"
She quickly took his hand before he decides to leave and they went to dance together.
When the song changed once again, Coran went to Squall, Laguna close behind.
"You're not as bad as you said, Laguna," Squall said.
"At least he did better than you the first time, Squall," Rinoa giggled.
Coran giggled too when she remembered what was told to her about the graduation night. Squall blushed.
"Hey! What's so funny? You both know I did that on purpose!!"
Rinoa put her hand on Squall while Coran leant on his back.
"We're just teasing you!" they said in the same time.
Squall rolled his eyes up with a groan.
"Just great! Two Sorceresses around me communicating telepathically to drive me totally crazy!"
The four laughed before the song changed again. Laguna offered a hand to Rinoa.
"Do you mind dancing with your boyfriend's father?"
She took his hand with a smile. Coran took a cup of wine from a plate offered to her and Squall did the same. They both looked at the dancers.
"Hey! Not fair! He dances much better with her than with me!"
Squall giggled and put his cup on the table. Then he looked at his sister who was still staring at the dance floor. She spotted Seifer dancing with Quistis and felt jealous. The two blond were making a nice couple.
Squall couldn't believe how his sister was beautiful. Even if she was his relative, he could still tell she was a beautiful girl through the fact that she was looking just like him except for the scar. He was always thinking his face was pretty ordinary but seeing the similarities on a girl way was making it totally different. He went closer to her.
"Do you think it would look weird if we dance together?"
She looked at him and shrugged.
"I so don't care how it would look like!"
Excited, they both went on the floor and danced following the beat. It ended a bit too soon for Coran's taste and changed for a slow. Squall smiled to her and was about to leave but she retained him.
"Let's dance on that one…" she pleaded.
A bit uncomfortable, Squall looked around to see Rinoa dancing with Seifer, a bit too close for him. Selphie finally managed to get a dance from Irvine; Zell was dancing with his ponytail girl and Laguna with Quistis. Then he turned back to Coran and she just put her hands on his shoulders while he put his on the back of her waist. They stared at each other a second, feeling weird dancing with somebody looking the same than them. It was like dancing alone in front of a mirror.
"This is not good at all!" They said in the same time before giggling.
Not caring what people could say anymore, Coran wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and Squall held her tight in her back. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling well. He had his head against hers. She could feel that embrace was nothing more than brotherly but it still made her secure and comfortable. When he tightened his embrace, she knew he was feeling the same. It was brotherly love making him hold her like that, attempting to protect her from any harm.
"You dance well, Squall," she whispered.
"You too."
The song ended and was changed for another one with more rhythm. Brother and sister smiled to each other and went to sit down again. The others soon joined them. Rinoa smiled to them as she took a cup of wine.
"Wasn't it weird for you to dance together?"
"You were dancing with Seifer!" Squall answered for an excuse.
"Hey, you had my girlfriend," the blond defended himself. "I thought it was just fair to take yours!"
The tension between the guys became thick. Coran stood between them.
"My, are you both jealous for nothing!! Come on, you're friends!"
Squall and Seifer laughed together.
"Don't worry, Coran. It's our usual way to say we have fun," Seifer explained.
Coran raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, it must be dangerous to have fun with you!"
Another slow started and this time Squall hurried for Rinoa. Coran went directly to Seifer.
"Are you coming?"
Seifer smiled.
"Order, I'll obey."
"Come, my Knight."
They walked to the dance floor. Coran wrapped her arms around Seifer's neck and he held her by the hips. They were staying an inch from each other.
"I was thinking of something more romantic," she said before snapping her fingers.
The lights faded so the whole room was almost in total darkness. Only few lights were still making the sparkles shine around the dancing couples.
"Much better," Seifer whispered before pulling her closer.
She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as he rested his cheek on her head.
"I love your hair," she whispered.
"I love you…"
She looked up to him with shining eyes. He bent over to kiss her but she lifted a finger and fireworks cracked above their head. Seifer looked up a while before looking back on Coran.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
She nodded with a guilty smile.
"It doesn't work," he said bending over once again.
This time, nothing stopped him and their lips locked in a passionate kiss.
"No, no!" Edea shook her head. "You must do it step by step or you will lose yourself once again!!"
Coran moaned. She had a headache from all those teachings she had since 8:00 am this morning. Rinoa had insisted that Edea wanted to see her that day. She could barely concentrate she was still thinking of the past night, the party, Seifer…Seifer. He wanted so much to please her. That was scaring her though he wanted to please the Sorceress when he was manipulated but deep in her soul, she knew it wasn't for the same reasons. That's why he was sitting nearby on the beach at the orphanage. He had his hair loose like the past night and wasn't wearing his trenchcoat. Coran couldn't help staring at how the wind was playing with the strands of hair on his face. Here comes Squall sitting besides his friend and waving at her. She waved back as she was staring at his muscled chest under his white T-shirt. His steps were making the necklace jump to follow.
Rinoa buried a giggle in her mouth with her hands when she saw Edea shake her head with a discouraged frown.
"Coran!" she called.
The Sorceress quickly turned around and faced her mentor.
"You may be stronger than me, but I'm still wiser! If you can't use your powers properly, you'll end up in a possessed like state just like before!"
Coran looked at her feet, sorry. Edea sighed and slowly shook her head.
"I know you're still young, maybe too young for such power…"
"She's no younger than me, Edea," Rinoa reminded.
"But she received her powers at a pretty younder age than you, my child."
Even if Rinoa wasn't raised in the orphanage with the others, Edea was still calling her her child. Just like Coran.
Edea looked at the guys who were still catching Coran's attention.
'Would you go away?' their Matron's voice spoke in their mind. 'You're disturbing Coran!'
Squall shrugged.
"Not our fault if she can't concentrate around us!"
Edea turned to Coran.
"He's right. You will probably attend most of your missions together so you must behave yourself in their presence."
"I know. I'm sorry Matron."
"I know those exercises I'm giving you are nothing for your power but you must do it for your own sake, for your friends'…for Seifer's…"
Coran looked at her beloved a moment and the moment when she deadly attacked him came back in her mind. She shook her head, promising herself that would never happen again. Then she turned to Edea and gave the elder Sorceress all her attention.
She ended up controlling her powers almost perfectly by the end of the day. Edea was very proud of her progress.
"Well done, child. We'll have more in a few days but I want you to practice every day."
"I'll do it in the Training Center with Seifer."
Seifer! She completely has forgotten about him. She looked where him and Squall were sitting at the beginning of the day, wondering if they would still be there but they weren't. Looking twice, she saw that there was something in the sand so she went to see what it was and saw Squall's clothes with Seifer's scattered there. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what would their clothes do on the shore when she heard laughs coming from the sea. She looked at the horizon and saw Squall, Seifer and Rinoa splashing each other. She wondered where they found their swimsuits then she thought the guys were probably wearing theirs under their clothes as Rinoa probably did the same too. It was incredibly hot outside and she cursed herself for not have thought about it too. The others noticed her at last.
"Hey, Coran!" Rinoa called. "Come along, the water is great!"
Coran made a move with her hand as a no with a smile. Squall said something to their friends and swam her way. She sat on the sand with bare feet when he came out of the sea. He shook his head purposely her way to soak her up with his hair.
"Hey! Cut it out!" she giggled.
He bent down her, his hands on his knees. She could clearly see how muscled his chest was and how bronze his skin was from the sun. She wondered if she would ever look like that as a SeeD.
Droplets kept falling from his body on her face.
"Why don't you come along?"
"I didn't bring my swimsuit."
"So what? You're a Sorceress, make one like you made me a jacket."
Her eyes widened and shone as she realized he was right. She slapped her forehead.
"How come I didn't think about it before?!"
"Just do it!"
She got up and was engulfed in a blue fire. Her clothes slipped on the sand and when the fire disappeared, she was wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit. She looked at herself.
"Does it suits me?"
Squall looked at her from top to bottom and nodded.
"Just perfect, now let's go!"
He grabbed her hand and ran in the water, laughing with her. When they had their feet in the water, he turned to her in a defying way.
"Shall we race?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing!"
"On your mark…get set…go!"
They swam as fast as they could to their cheering beloved.
"Even!" Seifer and Rinoa said when Coran and Squall arrived.
Seifer took Coran in his arms and Squall joined Rinoa.
"Are you happy with your new life?" Seifer asked Coran.
She nodded quickly before Seifer put a wet kiss on her lips.
Yes, she was happy. To have a home she wasn't afraid to stay in, a family who cares for her and friends she wasn't afraid would left her for being adopted was all she ever wanted. The four teens splashed each other again and again before the sunsets and they reluctantly came out of the water. They dried up before heading back to Balamb Garden. Her boyfriend with his arm around her shoulders on a side, her brother on the other with his girlfriend who was her friend too, she knew nothing could make her more happy than she already was. With them and all the others by her side, she knew she would never feel hatred or anger and lose herself to evil anymore…
The End
Carole Marceau
May 11 2000, 7:10 p.m.
Author's note: it didn't take me long to write this story. It's the first story I do right on computer because usually, I write it on paper first. I was getting pretty confused around the last chapters. I wasn't sure if they were right but I think I came out with something good. It's the first time I'm happy with the epilogue; it's just what I wanted! I just didn't think it would be that long…
Dedicate: I would like to dedicate it to my best friend Adam. Why? Because the part Squall and Coran dance together reminded me of the first and only dance we had together. Even as brother and sister, they would still dance a slow together so why as best friends wouldn't we dance again?
If you liked this story, I'm glad and if you didn't, well forgive me! I still ask you to look forward my next already under construction FF8 fics! It would be 'A SeeD's Memories' or 'Haunted'. I started both but none of them is finished. To give you a taste of what it will be, look for the resumes following. I guess Haunted will be the next one because it shouldn't be very long…I think.
Here it goes!
Haunted
This story occurs…let's see…two years after the events from FF8. Squall and Rinoa are married for a little more than a year and Rinoa is eight months pregnant since the day just before Squall left for an important mission with the others. He doesn't know about Rinoa's state. An event is gonna turn her life upside down and no matter how hard it is, she'll have to deal with it.
A SeeD's Memories
Squall's writing his own story about his childhood with the help of his friends, Edea and Ellone for the parts he was too young or that he forgot because of the GFs. It's like an ordinary story except he adds some commentaries through. That writing is to help him understand better his own life…even if he doesn't really wants to…
So? How does it sound? Send me your comments if you have any! See ya!