Chapter 15: The Anticipated Arrival and an Unexpected Departure
"President Loire, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Laguna, please," the President replied as he shook the hand of Coray Akito. The exiled Galbadian president was less than an inch shorter than Laguna, and her straight, red-blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. She looked about the same age as Esarene. Behind her was an escort of SeeDs, led by none other than...
"Yo, Laguna! How's it going?"
"Hey, Zell!" Laguna pulled his hand back as if to smack the SeeD five, but thought better of it at the last minute and the two just shook hands vigorously instead. Coray hid a smile behind her hand. "Welcome to Esthar. I wish the circumstances could be better, but it's still a pleasure to have you here."
Reporters and journalists were snapping pictures and following them with video cameras, keeping some distance from the political figures but still shouting questions. Two people were pushing their way through the crowd, and they broke free of the mob of reporters.
"Zell, why didn't you tell us you were coming to Esthar?" Irvine called.
"Hey, hey, top secret, man!"
"So top secret you couldn't even tell your fellow SeeDs?" Selphie teased. "Come on, Zell, what's going on?"
"I'm here on business, you know," Zell said.
"You can catch up later," Anita told the SeeDs as they made their way towards the Presidential Palace. "Right now, there is business to take care of. A meeting, a dinner, and a press conference, and then more meetings..."
"What a drag," Irvine groaned. "This is so boring."
"I'd rather beat the shi-crud out of some monsters any day," Zell agreed, grinning and waving at one of the video cameras.
"Then if you've got any spare time, you should go on patrol with my mom," Irvine replied.
"Eheh...maybe not." Zell still hadn't really gotten over the weirdness of that although Esarene was hot, she was also Irvine's mother. "Man...I still can't believe that Valdaeve jerk is your dad."
"Zell!" Irvine began, but it was too late. The reporters had overheard him, and now there was nothing that could hold them back. Oh, man...
Well, at least my mom's not around.
*
Esarene was sitting on her bed, watching Akito's arrival on television, and she winced as the words left Zell's mouth. Oh...oh, shit. Why did he say that?
On the television, Irvine and Selphie were being evasive. Oh, yeah, that's right. Start the rumor mill going. Not that there's anything I can do about it, now...
Dammit...dammit, dammit, dammit, what can I do? I can't change the past...I wouldn't want to, Irvine is wonderful. But no matter what I say, no matter what I do, people will think the worst. They'll never trust me.
I can't stay here. But if I run away, it'll just confirm everyone's suspicions...dammit!
Her suite seemed so empty, now. It felt like a joke...what was she doing, living in the Estharian Presidential Palace? She was just a normal woman, with no role in this play of heroes. But Laguna...
I love Laguna.
She sat perfectly still on her bed, her hands clenched around the blankets beneath her. The television was still on, showing commercials, but she didn't even notice any more.
I can't...I can't bring him down with this. It's a scandal...no one will trust me, and if I stay with him, it'll hurt his reputation.
I just don't give up, do I? Esarene tried to laugh at herself through the tears. I just wish he were here to hug me. But he's got more important things to worry about, and so should I.
She got up off her bed and turned off the television. She was getting so used to living in this place...her things were all over the floor. Not that she had that much; a few books, papers, clothing. It would have been so nice to make this place her home.
She started gathering up her things, putting them in piles. She still had her suitcase, but not everything would fit into it...some things she might have to mail...
"Esarene!"
"What?" Laguna was standing in her doorway. "What are you...doing here?" she asked, trying to wipe tears away from her face and look normal.
"Are you all right? It slipped out on TV-who Irvine's father is-"
"I know," Esarene said "I'm fine. It'll be all right."
"Esarene..." Laguna stepped towards her, and she practically fell into his embrace. He hugged her, but Esarene would not look straight at him.
"I should get ready to go," she whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Laguna said. "I don't want you to be hurt by this."
"Me?" Esarene laughed. "I'm no one important. You're the President-you're the one who stands to be hurt by this!"
"What are you talking about?" Laguna said. "Esarene-Esarene, it's okay. I don't care. It doesn't make a difference."
"Only because it hasn't had time to turn into a scandal!" Esarene said.
"Aren't you listening? I don't care!" Laguna shook her gently, then leaned in to kiss her firmly on the lips. "No matter what, I trust you. I'm going to stand behind you, no matter what." He looked her in the eyes.
"I don't deserve that," Esarene said.
"I don't want to let go of you," said Laguna. "Can you understand that? If you...disappeared..." Esarene looked up and saw that he was crying.
"Oh, Laguna..." She kissed his face. "I don't want to leave you, I just thought-it would be better-"
"It wouldn't," said Laguna. "Will you stay...please?"
Esarene's heart was pounding. It had been so long since anyone had wanted her...was this some sort of dream? "I'll stay," she whispered. "For as long as you want me, I'll be here."
"Thank you." Laguna held onto her, and they stood still and silent for a while.
"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" Esarene asked.
"I guess I do," Laguna sighed. "I'd rather stay with you..."
"I'll be here when you get back," Esarene said.
"Promise?" He looked at her with wide, sad, innocent eyes.
Esarene grinned. "Promise."
"Maybe you don't want to hang around here, though," Laguna thought. "I'll try to redirect the questioning, but I don't want you to have to deal with the reporters..."
"I could use a walk..." Esarene said. "When do you think you'll be done?"
"Hmm...probably eight or so..." Laguna said.
"I'll be waiting for you in the park at eight, then," Esarene said.
"Esarene..." Laguna whispered.
"We'll talk later," she said. "You should go."
*
Esarene went out to see more of Laguna's country. Fortunately, most people didn't recognize her-not that there were many people out at all. Estharian soldiers patrolled the streets, on guard for more monster attacks. The streets felt so empty--they should have been filled with the sounds of people moving about their business, talking, children playing, but instead, there was only the sound of an occasional saucer-transport flying by.
An imp caught her by surprise, but she defeated it without much trouble. Her shoulder wasn't even bothering her today.
The soldiers became more numerous and closer together as she approached the residential section of town. They acknowledged her as she passed through their guarded perimeter with nods.
Here there were actually people in the streets. The Estharian style of clothing still looked a bit strange, but they were at least human. And they didn't know or care who she was, or what she had done, either last night or eighteen years ago. There was refuge in anonymity.
"Why do you always get to be Squall?" a small boy was whining. Esarene saw a group of children gathered around a doorway.
"Because I got a gunblade," a taller boy replied, slashing the air with a plastic replica.
"You can be Seifer," the first boy mumbled.
"But I don't wanna be one of the bad guys! You be Seifer!"
"I wanna be Squall!" The whiny boy looked on the brink of tears.
"Why don't you let him have a turn, Darin?" a girl asked.
"What, so you can be Rinoa? Kayri and Mickel, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S--" he began to sing tauntingly, some of the other children joining in.
"Stop it!" the girl called Kayri shouted. "I just don't think it's fair that you never let anyone else have a turn, that's all. And I wanted to be Quistis. So there." Irvine should be amused when I tell him about this, she thought. A sarcastic voice began to sing in her head, Laguna and Esarene, sitting in a tree... She could see everyone in the Presidential Palace singing it, and began to laugh to herself.
"Whatcha laughing at?" Esarene blinked and looked around for the source of the small voice--then looked down. A little girl of about four or five years looked back up at her.
"Oh, nothing," Esarene replied.
"They're doing it again," the little girl said, indicating the older children who were arguing about who got to play Squall. The argument was beginning to get violent. "Now they're gonna get in trouble." She had a rather clear voice for someone so young, though her tone was still that of a small child.
"Are they your friends?" Esarene asked.
The girl shook her head. "They're too old," she said. "Kayri's nice, sometimes, but the others are mean."
"Is your mother around somewhere?" Esarene asked. No one seemed to be keeping an eye on the small girl. The girl nodded.
"She's inside. She told me to go out and play for a bit, but Kayri's busy, and nobody else ever plays with me." The girl kicked a stone across the ground.
"I see," Esarene said.
"I've never seen you before," the girl added. "What's your name?"
"Esarene," Esarene replied, finding it somewhat odd that the girl hadn't been taught to stay away from strangers.
"I'm Valeshia," she said, lisping on the s-sound in her name. "I'm going to be your friend, all right, Esarene?"
Esarene blinked. The conviction in her voice sounded strange, especially coming from so small a child. But she could believe this strange girl, even though there was something that didn't fit right about her, something that nagged at her from a corner of her mind.
"If we're going to be friends," Esarene said, "You should call me Reney. That's what my friends call me."
Valessia smiled and giggled. "And you can call me Val!" The way she laughed reminded Esarene of her son Irvine, long ago. Part of her missed it.
Reney drew a board on the sidewalk for Val to play hopscotch on, and Kayri and another one of the younger children eventually joined them. Esarene was enjoying herself, and didn't realize that the sun was beginning to set.
"When are you coming back?" she heard a woman's voice cry.
"Uh-oh," whispered Valessia.
"I will when I can, all right?" a man's voice responded. "Don't cry, you're making a scene."
"What do you mean, I'm making a scene? You're the one who only comes around here when you want money!"
"Well, we've got the money, don't we? I do my job, I pay the bills, all right? What more do you want from me?"
"You're a disgrace. They say you've got all the time in the world for children--yeah, all children except for your own!"
"I'm doing what I can, all right?"
"You're a coward." A woman opened the front door of the house from which the yelling was coming. A blond man walked past her, out into the street. Everything else seemed to have frozen--all eyes were on him, but he didn't seem to care. "You're a coward!" the woman shouted after him. He didn't turn around, just kept on walking.
"Daddy..." Valessia whispered as the man walked by them, but he didn't even look at her.
"I'm sorry, Valessia," the woman in the doorway--Valessia's mother--said, her voice choked with tears. "I know he loves you very much, he just...has a hard time..."
"It's okay." Val didn't remain upset for long. "Mommy, this is my new friend Reney!" Esarene stood up and smiled. It felt strange, being introduced to a mother who was at least ten years younger than she was.
The woman managed a smile. "Thank you for looking after her," she said. "I'm sorry, I must look--strange--"
"It's all right, it's all right," Esarene replied. "Val is a very nice girl."
"You're a very nice girl too, Reney!" Val replied. Esarene's cheeks colored.
"Supper's almost ready," Val's mother said. "I had hoped your father would join us, too, but..." she drifted off.
"I gotta go eat now," Val said to Esarene. "Come and play with me again, okay, Reney?"
Esarene smiled. "Okay," she said. "I should head home now, too, before it gets any darker."
"Will you be all right on your own?" Val's mother called.
"I shouldn't have any problems," Esarene replied. "It's not far to the next station, and I know how to fend for myself."
"Bye-bye!" Val called after her. She waved back at the little girl.
"Bye!" she said.
As she walked, her thoughts turned back to Laguna. She felt as if her feet couldn't carry her quickly enough. The sky was getting darker faster than she would have liked, but her spirits were light. She still had time to get back to meet him. There would be unpleasant things, surely, but she was wanted...
Finally, she reached the station for the hovering disc-transportation unit. And her smile vanished from her face.
Something horrible had happened here. Three soldiers were lying on the ground, their bodies ripped by some monster's talons, the ground splattered with red blood. Esarene was on her guard at once, turning around slowly, watching for any sudden movements. She had the uncomfortable--no, terrifying--feeling of being watched.
She cast a fire spell to light up the area, and saw it reflected in a pair of eyes, trained upon her. There were more of them--she stopped counting at ten, enough to know that she was surrounded. Nowhere to run...
"Esarene Kinneas," she heard a man's voice say. "Our orders aren't to hurt you. If you cooperate, you won't be harmed."
"What is this?" Esarene demanded. "What do you want?" She heard a monster's hiss and swallowed. She had to get out of here alive...had to fight...her heart was pounding in her chest, head swimming with a million fears.
"Please don't put up a fight. Unless you'd like some of my friends to assist in the...persuasion." The circle was closing in on her, and she saw the forms of various monsters. Too many...I'm surrounded...
She heard a spell being cast, and cried out as it struck her. Gotta fight it... The world was going black. Laguna...I'm sorry...
