"Listen up! A SeeD can survive without his GF, without his weapon, without even the shirt on his back, but never without his friends." - Instructor Dintch
Squall sat hunched over in a corner, his face in his hands. Around hid fingers was a heart locket, porcelain wings broken off. At least his shoulders had stopped shaking uncontrollable. Though he had said few words to anybody. Cid could only guess what was going on in his mind. He was worried that seeing the Commander like this would dishearten those very few SeeDs that had survived. The tent door lifted up and in came Quistis and Laguna, both looking tired and worn.
"Thank you for coming." Cid greeted the president of Esthar with a hand shake.
"No, no. Thank you for contacting me so quickly. How is he?" Laguna said looking over at his son, but speaking softly enough that Squall wouldn't hear him.
"Rinoa's body was found a while ago. Her father positively identified her. He went into a cold rage with his gun blade for awhile but that seems to have run it's course. He's been like that for an hour or two."
Laguna looked sick with worry. "I'll talk to him." He said clapping the other man on the back then slowly coming over to squall, wincing a bit as his leg started to cramp up. "Squall?…" What did he say to his son? What would lessen his hurt or make him forget. Telling him he had a duty to those left would get him up, but it would only make him cold again. That was the last thing he wanted to see. "Take your time and grieve son." he said reaching out to put his hand on Squall's shoulder.
Squall's head came up and Laguna pulled his hand back at the look in his eyes. The only time he had seen that kind of anger was the one time he had witnesses Squall's Lion Heart attack. "I killed her."
Laguna was shocked. "No Squall, no, you didn't. The Missiles came from Galbadia and were quipped with stealth. There was no way you would have been able to save anyone."
Squalls voice was raw from crying. "For weeks Zone had collected reports of strange activity in that cursed country, but I was to concerned with the new Lunar station to look into it. I should have. All of the trusted me to keep them safe and I fa…" he shook his head. "Failing is unacceptable."
"I thought that the battle with Ultimecia would have taught you that as leader it is not your job to be perfect."
"That was when my friends were alive to make up for my mistakes. I only survived that mission because Rinoa was able to find me and bring me out of the time warp. And now her and the others…I should have been with them."
"I would that have been any better? I certainly don't think so. Would you wish the pain of those losing you on those that believe in you? On me and your sister?"
You could tell by the look on his face that a light had just gone on in Squall's head. "My sister…"
Laguna became a bit hopeful and continued. "Yes your sister would have been heart broken over…"
Squall jumped up and shook Laguna a crazy look in his eye. "That's it. My sister. She can see back in time. Ultimecia was able to go back in time. I'll go back in time and change everything. I'll save them yet."
Laguna sighed. Squall was taking the loss very hard indeed if he could not even accept her death. "Squall it's impossible. Ellone can only look back in time. Remember she wanted to have me there when Raine died. Don't you think a bit of me died when that happened. I miss her everyday, but I excepted it. I learned that it had it's purpose. Because I was not there to take you, you became a SeeD, and saved us all."
Squall wasn't about to listen. "I can't except she's gone. I'll never except it and if it takes everything I have I will set things right again."
Laguna felt his temper rising a bit. "Listen to me Squall, it's impossible to go back in time. It just is."
A smile flashed a crossed Squall's face. That scared Laguna a bit. Squall rarely ever smiled. "It's not impossible dad. I did it when I got lost in the time warp. I went back to the orphanage and I saw myself. I remember seeing myself when I was little, but before I went back I never had that memory. Don't you see? It's possible. I have to find Quistis." Squall turned and rushed out of the tent. His father shouted after him, but it was no good.
Quistis sat at the table as they argued not saying anything. Laguna, Cid and Squall were competing in a shouting match far awhile now. The three against Squall. He was desperately trying to convince him his idea would work. Quistis' heart went out to him, he had lost something he had really loved. She had an idea what that was like.
"I'll help you Squall." She said quietly but she might as well have shouted it because everyone froze and stared at her. She could just see the wheels in their head turning. Yes, she was suppose to be the practical one, the serious one. Well the garden was gone now. She had nothing to lose and maybe she could help someone who was hopefully her friend.
Cid seemed completely taken aback. "What?"
"I said I'll help him. Cid, you and Edea built the Garden once, I'm sure you two can manage to do it again. In the mean time me and Squall can go to Galbadia and look and investigate who did this." She saw Squall start to object. "Squall, we need to know what to change before we change it." He closed his mouth and then after thinking about it nodded.
"Then it's settled." came a new voice. The SeeDs saluted Matron as she came in. "Squall and Quistis the Ragnork is docked at FH. Take the train to there and the fly to Delling City, there is someone there who I think will be of great help to you. He has resources we do not currently have. Zone will meet you at the train station. He has orders from me. Gentleman, Quistis." She nodded her head and left. Edea had taken a very active role in Garden since the whole affair last year.
"We have planning to do." Squall said to the two men the turned and left. Quistis ran after him till she caught up. Stopping a few paces behind him on the grass hill. "Thank you, for back there." Squall said almost tenderly.
Quistis suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "It was nothing."
"To me it was everything."
There was nothing she could say but, "Your welcome."
Squall sat hunched over in a corner, his face in his hands. Around hid fingers was a heart locket, porcelain wings broken off. At least his shoulders had stopped shaking uncontrollable. Though he had said few words to anybody. Cid could only guess what was going on in his mind. He was worried that seeing the Commander like this would dishearten those very few SeeDs that had survived. The tent door lifted up and in came Quistis and Laguna, both looking tired and worn.
"Thank you for coming." Cid greeted the president of Esthar with a hand shake.
"No, no. Thank you for contacting me so quickly. How is he?" Laguna said looking over at his son, but speaking softly enough that Squall wouldn't hear him.
"Rinoa's body was found a while ago. Her father positively identified her. He went into a cold rage with his gun blade for awhile but that seems to have run it's course. He's been like that for an hour or two."
Laguna looked sick with worry. "I'll talk to him." He said clapping the other man on the back then slowly coming over to squall, wincing a bit as his leg started to cramp up. "Squall?…" What did he say to his son? What would lessen his hurt or make him forget. Telling him he had a duty to those left would get him up, but it would only make him cold again. That was the last thing he wanted to see. "Take your time and grieve son." he said reaching out to put his hand on Squall's shoulder.
Squall's head came up and Laguna pulled his hand back at the look in his eyes. The only time he had seen that kind of anger was the one time he had witnesses Squall's Lion Heart attack. "I killed her."
Laguna was shocked. "No Squall, no, you didn't. The Missiles came from Galbadia and were quipped with stealth. There was no way you would have been able to save anyone."
Squalls voice was raw from crying. "For weeks Zone had collected reports of strange activity in that cursed country, but I was to concerned with the new Lunar station to look into it. I should have. All of the trusted me to keep them safe and I fa…" he shook his head. "Failing is unacceptable."
"I thought that the battle with Ultimecia would have taught you that as leader it is not your job to be perfect."
"That was when my friends were alive to make up for my mistakes. I only survived that mission because Rinoa was able to find me and bring me out of the time warp. And now her and the others…I should have been with them."
"I would that have been any better? I certainly don't think so. Would you wish the pain of those losing you on those that believe in you? On me and your sister?"
You could tell by the look on his face that a light had just gone on in Squall's head. "My sister…"
Laguna became a bit hopeful and continued. "Yes your sister would have been heart broken over…"
Squall jumped up and shook Laguna a crazy look in his eye. "That's it. My sister. She can see back in time. Ultimecia was able to go back in time. I'll go back in time and change everything. I'll save them yet."
Laguna sighed. Squall was taking the loss very hard indeed if he could not even accept her death. "Squall it's impossible. Ellone can only look back in time. Remember she wanted to have me there when Raine died. Don't you think a bit of me died when that happened. I miss her everyday, but I excepted it. I learned that it had it's purpose. Because I was not there to take you, you became a SeeD, and saved us all."
Squall wasn't about to listen. "I can't except she's gone. I'll never except it and if it takes everything I have I will set things right again."
Laguna felt his temper rising a bit. "Listen to me Squall, it's impossible to go back in time. It just is."
A smile flashed a crossed Squall's face. That scared Laguna a bit. Squall rarely ever smiled. "It's not impossible dad. I did it when I got lost in the time warp. I went back to the orphanage and I saw myself. I remember seeing myself when I was little, but before I went back I never had that memory. Don't you see? It's possible. I have to find Quistis." Squall turned and rushed out of the tent. His father shouted after him, but it was no good.
Quistis sat at the table as they argued not saying anything. Laguna, Cid and Squall were competing in a shouting match far awhile now. The three against Squall. He was desperately trying to convince him his idea would work. Quistis' heart went out to him, he had lost something he had really loved. She had an idea what that was like.
"I'll help you Squall." She said quietly but she might as well have shouted it because everyone froze and stared at her. She could just see the wheels in their head turning. Yes, she was suppose to be the practical one, the serious one. Well the garden was gone now. She had nothing to lose and maybe she could help someone who was hopefully her friend.
Cid seemed completely taken aback. "What?"
"I said I'll help him. Cid, you and Edea built the Garden once, I'm sure you two can manage to do it again. In the mean time me and Squall can go to Galbadia and look and investigate who did this." She saw Squall start to object. "Squall, we need to know what to change before we change it." He closed his mouth and then after thinking about it nodded.
"Then it's settled." came a new voice. The SeeDs saluted Matron as she came in. "Squall and Quistis the Ragnork is docked at FH. Take the train to there and the fly to Delling City, there is someone there who I think will be of great help to you. He has resources we do not currently have. Zone will meet you at the train station. He has orders from me. Gentleman, Quistis." She nodded her head and left. Edea had taken a very active role in Garden since the whole affair last year.
"We have planning to do." Squall said to the two men the turned and left. Quistis ran after him till she caught up. Stopping a few paces behind him on the grass hill. "Thank you, for back there." Squall said almost tenderly.
Quistis suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "It was nothing."
"To me it was everything."
There was nothing she could say but, "Your welcome."