Author's Notes: Well, after taking most of Easter vacation to myself, here
I am again to give you what you want people. I'd like to thank Silver-nex
for help with this chapter. I'd like also to thank my reviewers now that my
story is over half way over. So... After some comments to my two loyal
reviewers (the rest of you readers that don't say anything... I don't love
you) I'll get this chapter going. Oh yes, I have an offer to any decent FF7
RPers, so e-mail me if you are literate and think you're a good RPer and
are really looking for a place to let your creative juices take over.
Later. And PS, my center button is on the fritz, so deal with it. And to
clarify something finally... Seifer is 25, Squall is 24. And you gotta love
the implication of the curse I throw in later in this chapter. Give it
another 3 chapters and you'll understand it fully.
Silver-nex: If you think that is nice, then you must turn your head away in a chapter farther along... evil laughter
InSaNe KeYbLaDeR: No, his father isn't gay. You'd think that if he was he wouldn't have had Seifer, but I'll let the story tell you that all.
Chapter 12: His Name was Almasy
His name was Damien Almasy. We are the same height. Our eyes we get from his mother. When he was my age, he was a soldier from Galbidia. Once he had been in the same unit as Laguna Loire. Now he was known as Lisone to Diablos and Gilgamesh. Either way, the man was my father. Fifty-ish, but well built and confident, and even clad in the loose black shirt and pants one could tell he was strong and still muscled. Yet this old man broke down into tears after he started to tell me why I'd spent three years in an orphanage.
"Back during Adel's days, life in war was hard. My buddies Laguna, Kiros and Ward were sent to patrol in Centra, while I, being trained in special ops, was sent to recover two powerful GFs from a special underwater research facility. Sadly all those people there had been slain when many monsters, even ruby dragons, had taken over the place. After my return to the surface, they found Ward and Kiros, never Laguna. The two claimed they'd been attacked by Esthar patrols, and Laguna had made them jump off a cliff to save their lives. When you turned two years old, I was sent back for those two GFs. And here I am now. When I came across Odin and Diablos here, Griever was with them. He said for the world's future, I'd have to stay here. The great one told me my wife would die in the war. Griever said leaving you to an orphanage was for the best. I didn't want to Seifer. So for the past years, I've only had the word of these two GFs to find out how you were. How proud I was when Odin returned here as Gilgamesh and praised the strength of my son, the sorceress knight."
At this point I had to stand. I just couldn't take any more of this. How could he expect me to believe him? For twenty-three years I had no father, and wasn't ready for one now. Silence held us until the door opened and Squall reentered. Quickly I crossed to him, pulling my lion into my arms.
"Mister Almasy, I'm glad I have finally met you. Gilgamesh says you were my father's friend. You really must forgive Seifer's behavior though, you see, it is very hard to accept one coming into your life so quickly. You must give him time."
Lisone nodded and stood, "I should be going."
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Sparks flew from the two clashing gunblades. Seifer backed up a step, slashing across Squall's chest. The younger man spun out of reach, retaliating with a strike towards Seifer's head. So quickly the duel came to an end, Squall's Lion Heart pressed against Seifer's neck. Like that, with the hair in front of his icy blue-gray eyes, Squall looked a lot like Laguna in his prime. Not hard to believe my son loved Laguna's child. I had to admit that they fit perfectly together.
"Good," Gilgamesh said, "You two can leave this evening."
"Thanks," Squall replied, guiding the Lion Heart back to a safe position by his side.
"Cool, we're on our way to break this curse!" Seifer proclaimed.
I didn't want them to go. Seifer had just spent two hours telling me everything he could think of that I had missed. There had been so much. Still, even with Gilgamesh and Diablos confirming it, I could not believe that he had been a sorceress's knight, or that Squall was one for a young sorceress named Rinoa. I could also never believe that clumsy old Laguna was now THE President of Esthar. So much in the world has changed since I came here. My little baby had become one of the strongest men in the world. Sadly, I know his fate for the future. Yet... He'll be able to help even more in the future.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Squall! Seifer! How good of you to call me finally!" Laguna's chipper voice echoed around us.
"Um..." I could say nothing like a greeting to my father on the video phone here in the hanger of the Ragnarok.
"Allow me to translate," Seifer laughed, "Squally-boy wants to know what you're doing in HIS office in Esthar Garden when he turned it's care over to Kiros."
Laguna laughed, embarrassed, "Well, Kiros has a few matters of state to deal with, so I'm covering for him."
"Aren't matters of state your job as President?" Seifer questioned him.
All the while visions of Esthar garden being blown up by my klutzy father flashed through my mind. This and the change in pressure from coming from the sea floor to the airborne Ragnarok made me dizzy. After our duel in the dark palace, Gilgamesh and Diablos had us get back into the capsule and sent us back to the airship. We'd head toward Balamb next, the mountains north of where Balamb Garden once again stood. What was odd was the guest upon our ship at the moment, Damien (or as Diablos and Gilgamesh called him, Lisone) Almasy.
"Laguna?" the man my thoughts had turned to asked, coming to the sound of my own father's voice.
It was rather pleasant to watch Laguna's jaw drop, seeing as I was incapable of shocking him myself, "I know that voice.... Damien?"
Seifer's father grinned as he placed himself in front of the video screen, "Well well, seems you got yourself a cushy life."
Grabbing Seifer's hand, I slip off with him, wanting to ponder our fate. Now Seifer brought me to the cockpit. He sat in the pilot's seat and grabbed the controls. Quickly I sat and strapped in as Seifer used the com to inform 'pops' we were heading out.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
Damien, or Lisone or whatever, waved goodbye to us as Squall and I departed from the Ragnarok. It had taken a bit of help from Balamb's Headmaster Quistus Trepe and SeeD Commander Zell Dincht but we had found it. So here we were, so close and so far away. Squall looked jumpy, hand constantly on his gunblade as we entered this cave in which our fate waited.
Before us was a fabulous sight. Stone was cut into beautiful pillars and it was like a great old fashion abbey of stone. The walls were covered in runes of precious metals and gems. Straight ahead upon a great stone chair was an emerald and gold harp. Squall looked at me and I nodded and summoned the only GF known for her musical skills. When Siren appeared, she was sitting on the throne of stone, the lovely harp in hand.
"Two paths now you must go, leading to what ends you don't know. For the cold is the dark, for the fire is the light. Ice Queen's chosen to the left, Fire Lord's to the right. Go now my dear, do not fear. Follow your hearts, to your new starts," Siren sang beautifully.
The answer to this riddle was obvious, Squall went to the left path cut into the stone, and I to the right. I had to hope we'd meet again wherever those paths met.
Silver-nex: If you think that is nice, then you must turn your head away in a chapter farther along... evil laughter
InSaNe KeYbLaDeR: No, his father isn't gay. You'd think that if he was he wouldn't have had Seifer, but I'll let the story tell you that all.
Chapter 12: His Name was Almasy
His name was Damien Almasy. We are the same height. Our eyes we get from his mother. When he was my age, he was a soldier from Galbidia. Once he had been in the same unit as Laguna Loire. Now he was known as Lisone to Diablos and Gilgamesh. Either way, the man was my father. Fifty-ish, but well built and confident, and even clad in the loose black shirt and pants one could tell he was strong and still muscled. Yet this old man broke down into tears after he started to tell me why I'd spent three years in an orphanage.
"Back during Adel's days, life in war was hard. My buddies Laguna, Kiros and Ward were sent to patrol in Centra, while I, being trained in special ops, was sent to recover two powerful GFs from a special underwater research facility. Sadly all those people there had been slain when many monsters, even ruby dragons, had taken over the place. After my return to the surface, they found Ward and Kiros, never Laguna. The two claimed they'd been attacked by Esthar patrols, and Laguna had made them jump off a cliff to save their lives. When you turned two years old, I was sent back for those two GFs. And here I am now. When I came across Odin and Diablos here, Griever was with them. He said for the world's future, I'd have to stay here. The great one told me my wife would die in the war. Griever said leaving you to an orphanage was for the best. I didn't want to Seifer. So for the past years, I've only had the word of these two GFs to find out how you were. How proud I was when Odin returned here as Gilgamesh and praised the strength of my son, the sorceress knight."
At this point I had to stand. I just couldn't take any more of this. How could he expect me to believe him? For twenty-three years I had no father, and wasn't ready for one now. Silence held us until the door opened and Squall reentered. Quickly I crossed to him, pulling my lion into my arms.
"Mister Almasy, I'm glad I have finally met you. Gilgamesh says you were my father's friend. You really must forgive Seifer's behavior though, you see, it is very hard to accept one coming into your life so quickly. You must give him time."
Lisone nodded and stood, "I should be going."
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
Sparks flew from the two clashing gunblades. Seifer backed up a step, slashing across Squall's chest. The younger man spun out of reach, retaliating with a strike towards Seifer's head. So quickly the duel came to an end, Squall's Lion Heart pressed against Seifer's neck. Like that, with the hair in front of his icy blue-gray eyes, Squall looked a lot like Laguna in his prime. Not hard to believe my son loved Laguna's child. I had to admit that they fit perfectly together.
"Good," Gilgamesh said, "You two can leave this evening."
"Thanks," Squall replied, guiding the Lion Heart back to a safe position by his side.
"Cool, we're on our way to break this curse!" Seifer proclaimed.
I didn't want them to go. Seifer had just spent two hours telling me everything he could think of that I had missed. There had been so much. Still, even with Gilgamesh and Diablos confirming it, I could not believe that he had been a sorceress's knight, or that Squall was one for a young sorceress named Rinoa. I could also never believe that clumsy old Laguna was now THE President of Esthar. So much in the world has changed since I came here. My little baby had become one of the strongest men in the world. Sadly, I know his fate for the future. Yet... He'll be able to help even more in the future.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Squall! Seifer! How good of you to call me finally!" Laguna's chipper voice echoed around us.
"Um..." I could say nothing like a greeting to my father on the video phone here in the hanger of the Ragnarok.
"Allow me to translate," Seifer laughed, "Squally-boy wants to know what you're doing in HIS office in Esthar Garden when he turned it's care over to Kiros."
Laguna laughed, embarrassed, "Well, Kiros has a few matters of state to deal with, so I'm covering for him."
"Aren't matters of state your job as President?" Seifer questioned him.
All the while visions of Esthar garden being blown up by my klutzy father flashed through my mind. This and the change in pressure from coming from the sea floor to the airborne Ragnarok made me dizzy. After our duel in the dark palace, Gilgamesh and Diablos had us get back into the capsule and sent us back to the airship. We'd head toward Balamb next, the mountains north of where Balamb Garden once again stood. What was odd was the guest upon our ship at the moment, Damien (or as Diablos and Gilgamesh called him, Lisone) Almasy.
"Laguna?" the man my thoughts had turned to asked, coming to the sound of my own father's voice.
It was rather pleasant to watch Laguna's jaw drop, seeing as I was incapable of shocking him myself, "I know that voice.... Damien?"
Seifer's father grinned as he placed himself in front of the video screen, "Well well, seems you got yourself a cushy life."
Grabbing Seifer's hand, I slip off with him, wanting to ponder our fate. Now Seifer brought me to the cockpit. He sat in the pilot's seat and grabbed the controls. Quickly I sat and strapped in as Seifer used the com to inform 'pops' we were heading out.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
Damien, or Lisone or whatever, waved goodbye to us as Squall and I departed from the Ragnarok. It had taken a bit of help from Balamb's Headmaster Quistus Trepe and SeeD Commander Zell Dincht but we had found it. So here we were, so close and so far away. Squall looked jumpy, hand constantly on his gunblade as we entered this cave in which our fate waited.
Before us was a fabulous sight. Stone was cut into beautiful pillars and it was like a great old fashion abbey of stone. The walls were covered in runes of precious metals and gems. Straight ahead upon a great stone chair was an emerald and gold harp. Squall looked at me and I nodded and summoned the only GF known for her musical skills. When Siren appeared, she was sitting on the throne of stone, the lovely harp in hand.
"Two paths now you must go, leading to what ends you don't know. For the cold is the dark, for the fire is the light. Ice Queen's chosen to the left, Fire Lord's to the right. Go now my dear, do not fear. Follow your hearts, to your new starts," Siren sang beautifully.
The answer to this riddle was obvious, Squall went to the left path cut into the stone, and I to the right. I had to hope we'd meet again wherever those paths met.