Yay! New Chapter! This would have been posted earlier, but my boyfriend made the mistake of renting video games and leaving them with me. Evidently being a ninja with nifty stealth attacks is addicting.
A big thanks goes out to Anime-Diva and xxAngelHeartxx for being my first reviewers! This chapter is for you!
As always, I don't own FFVIII, the characters, etc, etc. I do own Ashlin and Phoenix. But don't use them without permission. I crave reviews; so if you read this fic, please leave a little note for me!
^signifies thought^
//signifies flashback//
~*~
Selphie concentrated, squeezing her eyes shut. She was alone in a field outside of Deling City, trying her best to summon a GF. The only thing she could see for miles was rolling green plains and the ocean in the distance. The sky was free of clouds, and the brightest blue she had ever seen it. It was a very serene atmosphere, and under different circumstances Selphie would have loved to lie in the grass and play with the butterflies floating by.
She felt a headache coming on, and all but screamed in frustration. She was the only person on the squad other than Irvine that had never used a Guardian Force at one time or another. A sudden pain swelled in her mind, and she groaned. Just as she was about to give up, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped, looking to see who touched her.
Ashlin, the spy at the briefing, stood behind her. He smiled slightly and took a step forward.
"Don't strain yourself. Relax, breathe in a few times." He instructed. Selphie stared at him as if he had grown three heads, blinking her wide, green eyes at the handsome man next to her. "Go on. Try it again. Just listen to my voice."
"A-a-alright." She stammered, finding it hard to comprehend anything because of the commotion occurring inside her mind. She turned away from him, her eyes landing on the blue sea before her.
"Take some deep breaths. Really deep so you clear all the stale air out from the bottom of your lungs." She did as he instructed, despite the pain in her head. "Good. Now quiet your mind. Allow the Guardian Forces to find a comfortable spot. You're worried too much, and your worry is forcing your GFs from your head, that's why it hurts. Close your eyes, just keep breathing, and open your mind."
Selphie was having a hard time doing what Ashlin was telling her to do, but she kept trying. Slowly the pain was alleviated, and she could function again. Her body suddenly felt warm, light and comfortable. The chaos in her head came to peace, and she sighed happily.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." She murmured, almost forgetting the man beside her.
"Wonderful. Now, focus on bringing one of your GFs forth. Move your body if you have to. Whatever you have to do to summon it, do it."
Selphie sighed, taking a step forward. She always pulled her weapon out when she cast a spell; why wouldn't it work for GFs? The ground suddenly rumbled, a red demon-like figure emerging before her. Ifrit stared back at her, awaiting a command. His large, red body loomed over her, his usual snarl absence from his face.
"I did it..." She whispered, amazed at the large creature looking down at her."I DID IT!"
"Now call him back to your mind." Ashlin commanded, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm. Selphie closed her eyes again, silently asking Ifrit to return to her. He faded slowly, her body becoming engulfed in a red light. "Fantastic. You're a natural."
"Thanks a bunch, Ashlin! I probably would have fried by brain if you hadn't showed up!"
"Don't mention a thing. I was just helping out a team mate." He answered, smiling at the sunny girl.
"Hey...are you doing anything later? Nida, Rinoa and I are all getting together at my place to watch some movies. Maybe you'd like to join us?" She asked, playing with a loose end of her hair.
"Sure, sounds like fun." He answered. "Where do you live?"
"You're a spy." Selphie giggled, walking past him. "I'm sure you can figure it out by yourself."
Ashlin smiled, and shook his head. Maybe this mission wasn't going to suck as much as he thought it would.
~*~
Phoenix stretched, yawning as she did. She had somehow made her way to her apartment, her eyes traveling around her home. There wasn't a single light on in the place, and her shades were drawn. Despite the fact that it was early afternoon, her apartment was as dark as it was at dusk. She walked forward, shedding her coat and tennis shoes as she plopped herself down on her sofa.
She felt out of place in her apartment. It was rare that she even had time to have the opportunity come home, and usually she found herself at Fury's mansion. It had been nearly a month since she had been back to her abode. She had a sudden urge to crawl under her blankets in her bed, in-between the sheets imported from Winhill. The area was rather depressing; most of the people left for Deling City. Those that stayed behind lived in charred houses, not having enough money to rebuild. They were too busy weaving precious silks and wools to export to grow the famous flower fields that once dominated the countryside.
Phoenix's tummy growled soon after, making her wonder if there was anything left in the kitchen that was edible after a month. She managed to pull herself from her sofa, her body leaving an imprint on the down feather furniture. She opened her refrigerator, poking through the various items: a box of baking soda, left over lasagna, a few soggy looking apples, and finally a pitcher of juice. She closed the door, shuddering at the thought of leaving the fruit. But there was no way she was going to touch it. ^"I bet I can pay off the little boy across the hall to clean this place..."^ She thought to herself, returning to the living room. She crashed down onto the couch. A spring suddenly stabbed at her arm, causing her to grow in pain. "...I'm going to Fury's. At least the furniture doesn't try to eat me." She grumbled out loud, swiping up her coat and shoes before heading for the door.
Moments later she was out in the sunny street, various people walking near and around her. Small shops along the street were open, awning and signs sticking out from the side of the building. She thought the entire area was absolutely adorable, and felt right at home. Phoenix took up residence on the north side of the city, which was a plethora of immigrants. It was the only place on earth that she could buy Trabian fruits and Centran herbs right next to each other.
Languages flowed around her, and she even heard a bit of ancient Galbadian. She turned her head to see a small group of Vascaroon monks that were trying to purchase candles, but they didn't understand what the Estharian shop owner was saying. They had solved the problem by resulting to the ancient technique: drawing pictures.
She continued along her way, thoroughly enjoying her stroll through her neighborhood. However, it was short lived when she walked by Rosa's, a Balamblese restaurant, and spied Rinoa sitting at a table alone. Phoenix quirked an eyebrow, and entered the restaurant. She walked past the host, and took a seat across from her.
"Hey there! I saw you from outside. Don't look so down or your face will freeze that way." She said, smiling warmly.
"...Fury never showed up. I've been sitting here for forty-five minutes." Rinoa explained, playing with the half-melted ice in her water.
"I'm sorry, Rinni. I'm sure he had something he had to do."
"He always has something he has to do." She answered angrily. "I'm in town until tomorrow, and he decides to blow me off. This morning was the first time I've seen him in six months. Doesn't he ever want to know how I'm doing? Or what I'm doing?"
"Rinoa, he cares about you, he really does. But... you don't understand how busy he is. There are times that I don't see him for days and we work together. I don't think you realize how important your father is to this country. He's all but running it single-handedly."
"So that means that he can't even pick up a telephone to wish his daughter a happy birthday?" Rinoa asked, giving the redhead across from her an evil eye.
"Yes." She replied, making the other girl's face turn to surprise. Phoenix had always joined in on the Fury-bashing at times like this to make her feel better. She wasn't supposed to take his side! "I shouldn't be telling you this, but after this mission, Fury wants to take you on vacation. He told me that he's going to take you all over the world; show you the places that you always wanted to see but never could because of this stupid war. He's always working so that he can put an end to all of this. So that you can live in a world of peace."
"Yeah. Right. Maybe he'll be too busy setting up a government somewhere." Rinoa answered sarcastically.
"Fury loves you more than you'll ever know, Rinoa. He doesn't mean to hurt you. He just wants to make you happy." She replied, standing from the seat. She reached out to touch the other girl's shoulder, but decided not to. She left quickly there after, leaving Rinoa to stew in her own juices.
~*~
Seifer poked through the selves of the weapon's shop, trying to find anything new he could add onto his Hyperion. Irvine had dragged him in there just as he was about to flirt with a cute girl working at an ice cream stand. Evidently he couldn't look for ammo without someone holding his hand.
"Hey, Seifer...can I borrow 900 gil?" He asked, making Seifer jump and bang his head on one of the selves.
"For what?!" He hollered, rubbing the back of his head.
"I wanna buy a few boxes of this nifty ammo, but I don't have enough."
"No!"
"C'mon, Seifer! You might regret this in the future when I'm out of ammo to blow a monster off your ass." Irvine said, crossing his arms.
"Fine, but you better pay me back." Seifer growled, digging in his pocket and retrieving the coins.
"You know I'm good for it." Irvine answered, paying the shopkeeper. "What do you say we head over to the bar, get a few in us, then head over to Selphie's for some movies? She's already invited Rinoa and Nida. I doubt that she'll mind if we show up."
"We weren't invited. We shouldn't go." Seifer replied as they headed out into the street. There was some guy flirting with the cute ice cream girl. Damn Irvine! He turned his head and gave him an evil look, but the cowboy didn't seem to notice.
"Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun!"
"Why do you want to go so bad?"
"Because I think Selphie is just the cutest little thing ever and I plan to put my moves on her. But I need someone else there to distract everyone else while I serenade her." Irvine replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
"You really need to get your hormones under control."
"Don't be like that Seifer. Let's just get some drinks. I'm sure you'll want to head over there once you get some liquor in your system." Irvine laughed, opening the doors to bar.
The bar was run out of a basement in an old townhouse near the center of the city. It wasn't very large, but unlike most of the other bars in the area, it was well lit and clean. The place was known as a 'kick-back-and-relax' joint, and a lot of soldiers usually would find themselves there if they didn't have family to go home to. Even in the mid-afternoon, the place was filled to the brim.
The bartender greeted the two of them happily when they entered. The small dance floor was filled, dominated by nurses and other female soldiers. A few men had ventured in, and were currently being groped by the sea of ladies. Others sat at the bar, sharing stories of their missions.
"I love this place. I always feel right at home." Irvine said, his grin oozing into his voice.
"Yeah, yeah. Go drool over some girls. I'm gonna get a drink." Seifer answered. Of course, he had every intention of drooling over and flirting with girls. He had a different approach, however: the cool guy. He flashed a smile to a cute blonde on the dance floor, and headed toward the bar.
~*~
He stood atop one of the hills, his eyes wandering the once flora-filled lands. He swallowed deeply, taking in the overgrown grasses in some places and the charred dirt in others. His utopia had been destroyed years ago, and a depressing, shack-ridden cluster of homes took its place. Little children didn't run down the dirt paths anymore. Mothers didn't warn them not to go near the creek for fear of them falling in. Now they all had gathered around the small stream of infected water, using it as drinking water and a bathtub.
A baby was crying somewhere, it's shrill scream cutting through the air like a hot knife. It tore into his heart, making his lungs hurt. Tears threatened at his eyes, trying to suppress the memories rising into his mind.
//"What are you going to call him, Raine?" The midwife asked, handing her the small bundle. Laguna's eyes widened as he looking down at the little face framed by the soft blankets. It was the most beautiful thing that he had ever laid his emerald eyes on. So teeny and helpless...so...perfect.
"Squall..." His wife whispered softly, smiling.//
He couldn't stop them though. The spirit of the village was clawing into his mind, making him remember all the things he didn't want to remember. Things he shoved into the back of his mind in an effort to ease his raw heart.
//"Daddy, daddy! Look what me n' Sis caught down at the creek!" The small boy said, dashing into the bar. Ellone, a sly yet content smile spreading across her visage, was the next to emerge from the door.
"Sis and I, Squall!" Raine corrected from somewhere behind the counter.
"Wow, that sure is a big trout!" He exclaimed, crouching by his five-year-old son.
"Can we have it for dinner? Please?"
"We'll have to ask your mom."
The sudden sound of gunshots made him turn his eyes to the windows. Raine was now next to him, and he soon stood near her.
"Laguna...?"
"Take them upstairs..." He whispered, looking over to his wife. "If this is what I think it is, the Colonel will need me."
"...Alright...be careful." She answered in a hush voice. "Let's go clean out your fish, Squall. Come along, Ellone. You can help us upstairs." Raine led her two children upstairs. He heard the door close, and headed behind the bar for his machine gun that Colonel Aring issued him.//
He fell to his knees then, the small shacks become blurry little blobs of brown; the harsh baby's scream still reverberating through his mind. He could do nothing to help these people. It was out of his power to do so. If he sent more than a few hundred gil to them, the SeeDs would find out kill the remainder of the people of Winhill.
//Raine flew down, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. They kissed, pouring all of themselves, their passion and their love into it, sharing one of the most powerful moments in either of their lives.
"I love you..." She whispered.//
He was openly sobbing now; his memories bombarded his mind and invading every crevice of his being. He rubbed his temples, trying to focus on something else. All he succeeded on was trigger the worst memory of them all. The one that laid dormant in his subconscious while he was awake, but wrecking havoc in his dreams while he slept. It was always in the back of his mind, reminding him of the failure that he truly was.
//"Laguna..." The solider said, looming over the injured man. A friend was helping him bandage his broken skin. He had never seen battle his entire life, and it scared the hell out of him. After all, he was just a simple journalist. The most violence he had ever seen was a bar fight or on the television. All he wanted to do was head back home and hold his family. He longed to sit on the couch, Raine in his arms, and watch Ellone and Squall play games on the floor. He hadn't even heard the solider until he touched him.
"What?" Laguna asked, turning his eyes to the other man.
"It's about your wife, Laguna. The bar was invaded and-"
"Is she alright? Is Raine alright?"
"...She's dead, Laguna." He stared back at him, never comprehending the words. It couldn't be true. It wasn't acceptable. The solider must be joking. He had to be.
"I don't believe you."
"She's gone. The SeeDs...they murdered her, Laguna."
"...The children...are they alright?" His friend asked. Laguna turned and looked at him, disgust written across his face.
"He's lying. Don't believe him." He urged, trying to push the words out of his head.
"They took Squall and Ellone, Laguna. They're gone." //
The tears came even more than, his throat raw and his lungs burned. His eyes were shut tight, fists clutching the brown grass. The small, salty raindrops fell from behind his eyelids, landing as tiny lakes in the hard dirt. He coughed a few times, trying to get enough oxygen to calm himself. He continuously swallowed in the air, trying to breathe. It seemed to be an impossible task, as if we were drowning in an ocean.
A small, delicate hand reached out and caressed his back. He sat up, wiping the extra tears from his eyes so he could see who it was. The blurry silhouette of Ellone was crouching near him, framed by waist length grass in the distance. She touched his face, and moved forward a bit.
"It's alright, Uncle. I'm still here." She whispered, as if she knew what was happening to him. Her voice cut through the cries of the child, and for a brief, wonderful moment, it was all he heard.
"Oh Elle..." He murmured, eyes filling once more. She pulled him close, resting his forehead against her shoulder. Her small arms held his shoulder and head in an attempt to sooth her surrogate father.
"I'll always be here, Uncle. I promise."
A big thanks goes out to Anime-Diva and xxAngelHeartxx for being my first reviewers! This chapter is for you!
As always, I don't own FFVIII, the characters, etc, etc. I do own Ashlin and Phoenix. But don't use them without permission. I crave reviews; so if you read this fic, please leave a little note for me!
^signifies thought^
//signifies flashback//
~*~
Selphie concentrated, squeezing her eyes shut. She was alone in a field outside of Deling City, trying her best to summon a GF. The only thing she could see for miles was rolling green plains and the ocean in the distance. The sky was free of clouds, and the brightest blue she had ever seen it. It was a very serene atmosphere, and under different circumstances Selphie would have loved to lie in the grass and play with the butterflies floating by.
She felt a headache coming on, and all but screamed in frustration. She was the only person on the squad other than Irvine that had never used a Guardian Force at one time or another. A sudden pain swelled in her mind, and she groaned. Just as she was about to give up, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped, looking to see who touched her.
Ashlin, the spy at the briefing, stood behind her. He smiled slightly and took a step forward.
"Don't strain yourself. Relax, breathe in a few times." He instructed. Selphie stared at him as if he had grown three heads, blinking her wide, green eyes at the handsome man next to her. "Go on. Try it again. Just listen to my voice."
"A-a-alright." She stammered, finding it hard to comprehend anything because of the commotion occurring inside her mind. She turned away from him, her eyes landing on the blue sea before her.
"Take some deep breaths. Really deep so you clear all the stale air out from the bottom of your lungs." She did as he instructed, despite the pain in her head. "Good. Now quiet your mind. Allow the Guardian Forces to find a comfortable spot. You're worried too much, and your worry is forcing your GFs from your head, that's why it hurts. Close your eyes, just keep breathing, and open your mind."
Selphie was having a hard time doing what Ashlin was telling her to do, but she kept trying. Slowly the pain was alleviated, and she could function again. Her body suddenly felt warm, light and comfortable. The chaos in her head came to peace, and she sighed happily.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." She murmured, almost forgetting the man beside her.
"Wonderful. Now, focus on bringing one of your GFs forth. Move your body if you have to. Whatever you have to do to summon it, do it."
Selphie sighed, taking a step forward. She always pulled her weapon out when she cast a spell; why wouldn't it work for GFs? The ground suddenly rumbled, a red demon-like figure emerging before her. Ifrit stared back at her, awaiting a command. His large, red body loomed over her, his usual snarl absence from his face.
"I did it..." She whispered, amazed at the large creature looking down at her."I DID IT!"
"Now call him back to your mind." Ashlin commanded, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm. Selphie closed her eyes again, silently asking Ifrit to return to her. He faded slowly, her body becoming engulfed in a red light. "Fantastic. You're a natural."
"Thanks a bunch, Ashlin! I probably would have fried by brain if you hadn't showed up!"
"Don't mention a thing. I was just helping out a team mate." He answered, smiling at the sunny girl.
"Hey...are you doing anything later? Nida, Rinoa and I are all getting together at my place to watch some movies. Maybe you'd like to join us?" She asked, playing with a loose end of her hair.
"Sure, sounds like fun." He answered. "Where do you live?"
"You're a spy." Selphie giggled, walking past him. "I'm sure you can figure it out by yourself."
Ashlin smiled, and shook his head. Maybe this mission wasn't going to suck as much as he thought it would.
~*~
Phoenix stretched, yawning as she did. She had somehow made her way to her apartment, her eyes traveling around her home. There wasn't a single light on in the place, and her shades were drawn. Despite the fact that it was early afternoon, her apartment was as dark as it was at dusk. She walked forward, shedding her coat and tennis shoes as she plopped herself down on her sofa.
She felt out of place in her apartment. It was rare that she even had time to have the opportunity come home, and usually she found herself at Fury's mansion. It had been nearly a month since she had been back to her abode. She had a sudden urge to crawl under her blankets in her bed, in-between the sheets imported from Winhill. The area was rather depressing; most of the people left for Deling City. Those that stayed behind lived in charred houses, not having enough money to rebuild. They were too busy weaving precious silks and wools to export to grow the famous flower fields that once dominated the countryside.
Phoenix's tummy growled soon after, making her wonder if there was anything left in the kitchen that was edible after a month. She managed to pull herself from her sofa, her body leaving an imprint on the down feather furniture. She opened her refrigerator, poking through the various items: a box of baking soda, left over lasagna, a few soggy looking apples, and finally a pitcher of juice. She closed the door, shuddering at the thought of leaving the fruit. But there was no way she was going to touch it. ^"I bet I can pay off the little boy across the hall to clean this place..."^ She thought to herself, returning to the living room. She crashed down onto the couch. A spring suddenly stabbed at her arm, causing her to grow in pain. "...I'm going to Fury's. At least the furniture doesn't try to eat me." She grumbled out loud, swiping up her coat and shoes before heading for the door.
Moments later she was out in the sunny street, various people walking near and around her. Small shops along the street were open, awning and signs sticking out from the side of the building. She thought the entire area was absolutely adorable, and felt right at home. Phoenix took up residence on the north side of the city, which was a plethora of immigrants. It was the only place on earth that she could buy Trabian fruits and Centran herbs right next to each other.
Languages flowed around her, and she even heard a bit of ancient Galbadian. She turned her head to see a small group of Vascaroon monks that were trying to purchase candles, but they didn't understand what the Estharian shop owner was saying. They had solved the problem by resulting to the ancient technique: drawing pictures.
She continued along her way, thoroughly enjoying her stroll through her neighborhood. However, it was short lived when she walked by Rosa's, a Balamblese restaurant, and spied Rinoa sitting at a table alone. Phoenix quirked an eyebrow, and entered the restaurant. She walked past the host, and took a seat across from her.
"Hey there! I saw you from outside. Don't look so down or your face will freeze that way." She said, smiling warmly.
"...Fury never showed up. I've been sitting here for forty-five minutes." Rinoa explained, playing with the half-melted ice in her water.
"I'm sorry, Rinni. I'm sure he had something he had to do."
"He always has something he has to do." She answered angrily. "I'm in town until tomorrow, and he decides to blow me off. This morning was the first time I've seen him in six months. Doesn't he ever want to know how I'm doing? Or what I'm doing?"
"Rinoa, he cares about you, he really does. But... you don't understand how busy he is. There are times that I don't see him for days and we work together. I don't think you realize how important your father is to this country. He's all but running it single-handedly."
"So that means that he can't even pick up a telephone to wish his daughter a happy birthday?" Rinoa asked, giving the redhead across from her an evil eye.
"Yes." She replied, making the other girl's face turn to surprise. Phoenix had always joined in on the Fury-bashing at times like this to make her feel better. She wasn't supposed to take his side! "I shouldn't be telling you this, but after this mission, Fury wants to take you on vacation. He told me that he's going to take you all over the world; show you the places that you always wanted to see but never could because of this stupid war. He's always working so that he can put an end to all of this. So that you can live in a world of peace."
"Yeah. Right. Maybe he'll be too busy setting up a government somewhere." Rinoa answered sarcastically.
"Fury loves you more than you'll ever know, Rinoa. He doesn't mean to hurt you. He just wants to make you happy." She replied, standing from the seat. She reached out to touch the other girl's shoulder, but decided not to. She left quickly there after, leaving Rinoa to stew in her own juices.
~*~
Seifer poked through the selves of the weapon's shop, trying to find anything new he could add onto his Hyperion. Irvine had dragged him in there just as he was about to flirt with a cute girl working at an ice cream stand. Evidently he couldn't look for ammo without someone holding his hand.
"Hey, Seifer...can I borrow 900 gil?" He asked, making Seifer jump and bang his head on one of the selves.
"For what?!" He hollered, rubbing the back of his head.
"I wanna buy a few boxes of this nifty ammo, but I don't have enough."
"No!"
"C'mon, Seifer! You might regret this in the future when I'm out of ammo to blow a monster off your ass." Irvine said, crossing his arms.
"Fine, but you better pay me back." Seifer growled, digging in his pocket and retrieving the coins.
"You know I'm good for it." Irvine answered, paying the shopkeeper. "What do you say we head over to the bar, get a few in us, then head over to Selphie's for some movies? She's already invited Rinoa and Nida. I doubt that she'll mind if we show up."
"We weren't invited. We shouldn't go." Seifer replied as they headed out into the street. There was some guy flirting with the cute ice cream girl. Damn Irvine! He turned his head and gave him an evil look, but the cowboy didn't seem to notice.
"Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun!"
"Why do you want to go so bad?"
"Because I think Selphie is just the cutest little thing ever and I plan to put my moves on her. But I need someone else there to distract everyone else while I serenade her." Irvine replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
"You really need to get your hormones under control."
"Don't be like that Seifer. Let's just get some drinks. I'm sure you'll want to head over there once you get some liquor in your system." Irvine laughed, opening the doors to bar.
The bar was run out of a basement in an old townhouse near the center of the city. It wasn't very large, but unlike most of the other bars in the area, it was well lit and clean. The place was known as a 'kick-back-and-relax' joint, and a lot of soldiers usually would find themselves there if they didn't have family to go home to. Even in the mid-afternoon, the place was filled to the brim.
The bartender greeted the two of them happily when they entered. The small dance floor was filled, dominated by nurses and other female soldiers. A few men had ventured in, and were currently being groped by the sea of ladies. Others sat at the bar, sharing stories of their missions.
"I love this place. I always feel right at home." Irvine said, his grin oozing into his voice.
"Yeah, yeah. Go drool over some girls. I'm gonna get a drink." Seifer answered. Of course, he had every intention of drooling over and flirting with girls. He had a different approach, however: the cool guy. He flashed a smile to a cute blonde on the dance floor, and headed toward the bar.
~*~
He stood atop one of the hills, his eyes wandering the once flora-filled lands. He swallowed deeply, taking in the overgrown grasses in some places and the charred dirt in others. His utopia had been destroyed years ago, and a depressing, shack-ridden cluster of homes took its place. Little children didn't run down the dirt paths anymore. Mothers didn't warn them not to go near the creek for fear of them falling in. Now they all had gathered around the small stream of infected water, using it as drinking water and a bathtub.
A baby was crying somewhere, it's shrill scream cutting through the air like a hot knife. It tore into his heart, making his lungs hurt. Tears threatened at his eyes, trying to suppress the memories rising into his mind.
//"What are you going to call him, Raine?" The midwife asked, handing her the small bundle. Laguna's eyes widened as he looking down at the little face framed by the soft blankets. It was the most beautiful thing that he had ever laid his emerald eyes on. So teeny and helpless...so...perfect.
"Squall..." His wife whispered softly, smiling.//
He couldn't stop them though. The spirit of the village was clawing into his mind, making him remember all the things he didn't want to remember. Things he shoved into the back of his mind in an effort to ease his raw heart.
//"Daddy, daddy! Look what me n' Sis caught down at the creek!" The small boy said, dashing into the bar. Ellone, a sly yet content smile spreading across her visage, was the next to emerge from the door.
"Sis and I, Squall!" Raine corrected from somewhere behind the counter.
"Wow, that sure is a big trout!" He exclaimed, crouching by his five-year-old son.
"Can we have it for dinner? Please?"
"We'll have to ask your mom."
The sudden sound of gunshots made him turn his eyes to the windows. Raine was now next to him, and he soon stood near her.
"Laguna...?"
"Take them upstairs..." He whispered, looking over to his wife. "If this is what I think it is, the Colonel will need me."
"...Alright...be careful." She answered in a hush voice. "Let's go clean out your fish, Squall. Come along, Ellone. You can help us upstairs." Raine led her two children upstairs. He heard the door close, and headed behind the bar for his machine gun that Colonel Aring issued him.//
He fell to his knees then, the small shacks become blurry little blobs of brown; the harsh baby's scream still reverberating through his mind. He could do nothing to help these people. It was out of his power to do so. If he sent more than a few hundred gil to them, the SeeDs would find out kill the remainder of the people of Winhill.
//Raine flew down, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. They kissed, pouring all of themselves, their passion and their love into it, sharing one of the most powerful moments in either of their lives.
"I love you..." She whispered.//
He was openly sobbing now; his memories bombarded his mind and invading every crevice of his being. He rubbed his temples, trying to focus on something else. All he succeeded on was trigger the worst memory of them all. The one that laid dormant in his subconscious while he was awake, but wrecking havoc in his dreams while he slept. It was always in the back of his mind, reminding him of the failure that he truly was.
//"Laguna..." The solider said, looming over the injured man. A friend was helping him bandage his broken skin. He had never seen battle his entire life, and it scared the hell out of him. After all, he was just a simple journalist. The most violence he had ever seen was a bar fight or on the television. All he wanted to do was head back home and hold his family. He longed to sit on the couch, Raine in his arms, and watch Ellone and Squall play games on the floor. He hadn't even heard the solider until he touched him.
"What?" Laguna asked, turning his eyes to the other man.
"It's about your wife, Laguna. The bar was invaded and-"
"Is she alright? Is Raine alright?"
"...She's dead, Laguna." He stared back at him, never comprehending the words. It couldn't be true. It wasn't acceptable. The solider must be joking. He had to be.
"I don't believe you."
"She's gone. The SeeDs...they murdered her, Laguna."
"...The children...are they alright?" His friend asked. Laguna turned and looked at him, disgust written across his face.
"He's lying. Don't believe him." He urged, trying to push the words out of his head.
"They took Squall and Ellone, Laguna. They're gone." //
The tears came even more than, his throat raw and his lungs burned. His eyes were shut tight, fists clutching the brown grass. The small, salty raindrops fell from behind his eyelids, landing as tiny lakes in the hard dirt. He coughed a few times, trying to get enough oxygen to calm himself. He continuously swallowed in the air, trying to breathe. It seemed to be an impossible task, as if we were drowning in an ocean.
A small, delicate hand reached out and caressed his back. He sat up, wiping the extra tears from his eyes so he could see who it was. The blurry silhouette of Ellone was crouching near him, framed by waist length grass in the distance. She touched his face, and moved forward a bit.
"It's alright, Uncle. I'm still here." She whispered, as if she knew what was happening to him. Her voice cut through the cries of the child, and for a brief, wonderful moment, it was all he heard.
"Oh Elle..." He murmured, eyes filling once more. She pulled him close, resting his forehead against her shoulder. Her small arms held his shoulder and head in an attempt to sooth her surrogate father.
"I'll always be here, Uncle. I promise."