Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft. But I do own this story! ^__^
Chapter 7: Little Town of Memories
The small town of Winhill was just waking up when father and son arrived. The aroma of coffee mingled with the fragrance of flowers was very inviting for the both of them. As soon as they stepped into town, they came face to face with Raine's old pub. Laguna came to a halt and stared at the old building, memory stirring in his old mind. He had so many fond memories of Raine and little Ellone.
As they continued to walk, Laguna started to comment on how the town had changed and how it used to be. Nothing much had changed, but there were fewer flowers growing then. He laughed at the sight of a chicobo running across the road. He stopped to admire the scenery at times. But he kept on describing how Winhill was and how he used to spend the day playing with Ellone and helping with Raine's flower shop. Squall acted as if he didn't care, but he was actually secretly listening and smiling to himself.
A few older people recognized Laguna as the bloke who brought ruckus to the small town many years ago. Laguna waved at them but he was met with unfriendly gazes. Squall wished that they would just lay off. However, some of the townspeople were on friendlier terms, and gave a smile and a nod when they saw them.
They had a good breakfast at the Flower Restaurant in the hotel. After finishing their meals, Squall excused himself for a nap as he was rudely awoken at three in the morning and hadn't had a wink since. Laguna on the other hand wanted to visit more of Winhill.
"We could stay here for a night and start our journey tomorrow morning," suggested Laguna.
Squall understood perfectly. He knew right away that Laguna had sentimental attachments for this place ever since he saw that large drawing of Winhill town hanging over the door of the meeting room in Esthar Presidential Palace.
Laguna skipped out of the hotel happily. "I wonder if the shopkeeper still remembers me."
Reaching the shop, he knocked on the door cheerfully.
"You?! I thought you were dead all these years! Now scram!"
Yep, he remembered Laguna alright.
Laguna decided to walk back to Raine's pub. On the way, he got the chance to chat with a few friendlier old friends. He even tried to kick the chicobo on his way, but lost his footing and fell on his back. Good thing it didn't break.
It was a weird experience, coming back to Winhill and seeing Raine's old pub again. Entering the room, a warm sensation started building inside of him. Suddenly, he thought he saw Raine walking down the stairs. As he blinked his eyes, he realized it was only the current owner of the building. Apparently, the woman was used to people confusing her with Raine. Laguna apologized and left the apartment.
The house he used to live in was just beside Raine's pub. He entered the now vacant house and went upstairs. Things have changed so much, he thought as he sat on his old bed.
They were right to dump Squall and him at Winhill, he thought. After all, everything started here.
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Author's note: For those who did not know, there's an event at Winhill. Raine's spirit and kicking the chicobo originated from there. Replay the game if you've missed it, it's worth it. Hint: Try and kick the chicobo several times. Another word of advice, if you're afraid of spooks (like me), don't play this event during the night alone ^_^