Chapter 13
"Squall..." Rinoa Leonhart's voice whispered, "It's 3 'o clock in the morning. You're still awake..."
Squall Leonhart turned to his wife lying down near him. His face was one that had been recently stripped away of all emotions.
"Rinoa...S-Sifan, h-he...." He choked to say the words, the night feeling colder than usual.
Squall was getting ready to visit his son the morning after the party in Esthar, when a soldier brought the report of the Ragnarok found destroyed, in the middle of the ocean. They had searched but had found no one. Not even the pilot.
Shocked, Squall had walked into the bedroom. When Rinoa had asked him whether there was a problem, he had just looked at her with an inexpressive look on his face. And then he had told her slowly. Rinoa had broken into tears on Squall's shoulder, but Squall hadn't. He was still under the alarm and the shock from the news. All of a sudden, when Rinoa answered a call on the phone with Laguna, he had rushed out of his room and out of Esthar, on foot.
Later, after attending a few phone calls pertaining to the incident, she found Squall on the Esthar plains. Lionheart in his hand, he had sat on the deserted Railway platform at Esthar's entrance. She had hugged him with tears in her eyes, not because she found him, but because around Squall Leonhart, were seven iron-giants and ten hexa-dragons, all dead.
"Hey, Are you ok?" Phillona said seeing Sifan hold his head with his hand. She had to bow in order to see Sifan's eyes, which were staring at the ground.
"I am fine." Sifan said bluntly, "Where's Avatar?"
"He's sharpening his sword at the blacksmith's place."
"................................"
"Avatar said you weren't quite happy with me coming along."
"................................"
[I am not. You have a problem with that?]
"So I-I decided. Just to take you guys to the port. I am not coming to Costa-de-sol."
Her voice wasn't too nice or normal. He had hurt her. He knew it and somehow, Sifan didn't feel too proud. Worse yet, he realized he hadn't felt anything when he had ditched the SeeD girl Avatar had set up for him the previous at garden, but now a small feeling of guilt was pricking his conscience.
"I didn't say anything. A-Avatar's lying........." he blurted out suddenly.
[What's WRONG with me!? I should've been saying, "yeah, I am not happy with you coming along, thanks for NOT coming to Costa-de-sol"]
"I don't think so..." Phillona said strapping on the gloves she had brought, "He was pretty serious..."
"..............................."
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Sifan...." She said turning away from him, "If you don't like someone, be confident about it."
She walked away, without saying a word or smiling. Sifan watched her leave to the village entrance to wait for Avatar to arrive.
He stood, unmoving.
{You're pathetic...}
Sifan pretended he didn't hear the voice.
Seifer Almasy marched in to the balamb garden headmaster's office, his trench coat fluttering behind him, the Hyperion hanging by his side. Xu saw him coming, but didn't try to stop him. The headmaster was on the phone, but he hung up, the moment he saw Seifer throw open the door.
The flame-haired Galbadian General's jaw was tighter than usual. His blue eyes were firm and his face was anything but pleasant. He stopped in front of the headmaster's table and slammed his fist on it, sending papers and documents flying.
Headmaster Ronan rose from his chair, "Mr. ALAMSY! You think you can just WALK in here like THAT-". He stopped, Seifer's Hyperion stood right between his eyes.
"Where's my son, you filthy animal?" Seifer snapped.
"N-Now Relax Mr. Almasy...w-we."
"We what?" he said gritting his teeth, his finger on the trigger.
"W-we're sorry, but-"
The Hyperion's tip slid down to his neck, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut your head off, Ronan? You and your coyotes sit here all day and plan how to sell this garden and everything in it, and make your stinking lives better. To top that, you can't even ensure that the airship carrying your students reaches this place safely. MY SON was in THAT AIRSHIP you Son of a-"
"L-look...the party and everything was Squall's idea, ok? Not mine, h-he took r-responsibility for R-Relafen-" the headmaster warbled.
Seifer flipped the safety off when he heard his son's name.
"That's enough, Seifer..." Squall Leonhart's voice thundered behind him, "Leave that moron out of this..."
The headmaster seemed to care the least about being called a moron, under Seifer's gunblade, "Squall! Thank God-".
Seifer lowered his gunblade and turned to the man who had 'taken responsibility for Relafen' as the headmaster ran to his toilet and locked himself in.
Seifer walked up to Squall. They stared at each other, their scars reminding them of the rivalry that had sprung up between them, 20 years ago, on that very garden where they stood. Now, both of them had their own positions in life.
"20 years...ain't it Leonhart?"
"......................."
"20 years of WATCHING MY SON GROW!" He screamed, "All THAT RIPPED AWAY........."
"......................"
"...............in one night?" he said, his voice becoming shaky. And for the first time in his life, Squall Leonhart saw Seifer Almasy cry.
"So...." Avatar said, "We split in each direction from here onwards?"
"Yeah........" Phillona said, "Both of you have a Gysahl green each, don't you?"
"Yeah..." Avatar replied, "But are you sure we need to go separate ways just to catch a damn chocobo...It's hot out here, you know..."
"Your choice, really..." Phillona said, "There are chocobo tracks, a little away, north, east, and west of here. If you wanna stay together and just go to one place, you'll end up catching a chocobo by tomorrow..."
[She's trying to playing Miss. Sarcastic, isn't she?"]
"Or...." Phillona continued, "We could split up and one of us will surely find a chocobo in around half hour...it's up to you."
"Ok...then what?" Avatar said looking at his Gysahl green, "Three of us on one chocobo?"
"No. I've been doing this for a while. So I'll surely catch one." Phillona said, "Either you or Mr. I-hate-the-opposite-sex will catch another one..."
Avatar snickered at Phillona's reference to Sifan, "So...Me and Mr. Zombie will share one...while you take the other?"
[They just love picking on me, don't they?]
"Yeah" Phillona said, "I 'll take north. It's the hardest. West is moderate. East is easy."
"I'll take east..." Sifan said immediately, "I hate chasing big yellow birds."
"You remember what I told you about catching chocobos right?" Phillona said not turning once to Sifan, "And also how to use the materia Marlene and Trex gave you?"
"Yeah..." Avatar said, "Don't worry. We've read all about that stuff in garden".
"So, We'll meet here in half hour, with or without chocobo." She said. Avatar nodded, waved goodbye and ran away to the west.
Sifan sighed and looked to the east lazily. He turned his head and watched Phillona walk away to the north.
[Boy, she's mad at me alright. Cool...]
"Hey..." Phillona said turning around, "Best of luck, handsome." She winked at him and ran away to the north, smiling to herself.
[I HATE HER..........................don't I?]
Deep, inside the temple of the ancients, the voice from the HOLY materia spoke to the hooded old man.
"It pains me Goshen. Squall Leonhart and his wife, drowning in angst."
"Of course, Goddess Aeris. Sifan was their pride."
"I do not intend on making them suffer anymore."
"What is your will, your majesty?"
"In Squall Leonhart's world, a girl lives by the name of Ellone, with the power of the eye of Cervantus."
"The power to see all?"
"Yes, but being human, she can only embrace a small fraction of its power."
"Perhaps, I ll never understand why his majesty, Lord Cervantus chooses a human in every world to give the eye of Cervantus to."
"Neither will I, Goshen, but hear this."
"Yes, O Ancient one."
"Through the eye of Cervantus in the girl called Ellone, I will show Squall Leonhart a glimpse of his son's face, so that he shall know Sifan lives. That he is alive, but not in his world. So that Squall shall not pass his days in sorrow. After all, the Warrior who was chosen to slay Ultimecia doesn't deserve such pain."
"Pardon my curiosity Goddess, but why not the same warrior to slay 'him'?"
"They are chosen only once Goshen, only once."
"So, be it, your majesty, but Sifan Leonhart has still not accepted the path he has been brought to."
"Yes Goshen, as we speak, he is looking for a way to return to his world..."
"And that shall not come to pass unless you wish it so."
"True. You don't have faith in Sifan Leonhart, do you Goshen?"
"I'll admit it is so, your majesty, I do feel he is untested and untried."
"The choice of Destiny is never wrong, Goshen. I will aid its cause."
"But Goddess Aeris, when you first aided the last chosen one, Cloud Strife, you were............."
"...............I was killed. I know, Goshen. But I have to fulfill the purpose my spirit didn't die with my body at this very place. Even if it means, he will kill me again for the very last time..........."
"Squall..." Rinoa Leonhart's voice whispered, "It's 3 'o clock in the morning. You're still awake..."
Squall Leonhart turned to his wife lying down near him. His face was one that had been recently stripped away of all emotions.
"Rinoa...S-Sifan, h-he...." He choked to say the words, the night feeling colder than usual.
Squall was getting ready to visit his son the morning after the party in Esthar, when a soldier brought the report of the Ragnarok found destroyed, in the middle of the ocean. They had searched but had found no one. Not even the pilot.
Shocked, Squall had walked into the bedroom. When Rinoa had asked him whether there was a problem, he had just looked at her with an inexpressive look on his face. And then he had told her slowly. Rinoa had broken into tears on Squall's shoulder, but Squall hadn't. He was still under the alarm and the shock from the news. All of a sudden, when Rinoa answered a call on the phone with Laguna, he had rushed out of his room and out of Esthar, on foot.
Later, after attending a few phone calls pertaining to the incident, she found Squall on the Esthar plains. Lionheart in his hand, he had sat on the deserted Railway platform at Esthar's entrance. She had hugged him with tears in her eyes, not because she found him, but because around Squall Leonhart, were seven iron-giants and ten hexa-dragons, all dead.
"Hey, Are you ok?" Phillona said seeing Sifan hold his head with his hand. She had to bow in order to see Sifan's eyes, which were staring at the ground.
"I am fine." Sifan said bluntly, "Where's Avatar?"
"He's sharpening his sword at the blacksmith's place."
"................................"
"Avatar said you weren't quite happy with me coming along."
"................................"
[I am not. You have a problem with that?]
"So I-I decided. Just to take you guys to the port. I am not coming to Costa-de-sol."
Her voice wasn't too nice or normal. He had hurt her. He knew it and somehow, Sifan didn't feel too proud. Worse yet, he realized he hadn't felt anything when he had ditched the SeeD girl Avatar had set up for him the previous at garden, but now a small feeling of guilt was pricking his conscience.
"I didn't say anything. A-Avatar's lying........." he blurted out suddenly.
[What's WRONG with me!? I should've been saying, "yeah, I am not happy with you coming along, thanks for NOT coming to Costa-de-sol"]
"I don't think so..." Phillona said strapping on the gloves she had brought, "He was pretty serious..."
"..............................."
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Sifan...." She said turning away from him, "If you don't like someone, be confident about it."
She walked away, without saying a word or smiling. Sifan watched her leave to the village entrance to wait for Avatar to arrive.
He stood, unmoving.
{You're pathetic...}
Sifan pretended he didn't hear the voice.
Seifer Almasy marched in to the balamb garden headmaster's office, his trench coat fluttering behind him, the Hyperion hanging by his side. Xu saw him coming, but didn't try to stop him. The headmaster was on the phone, but he hung up, the moment he saw Seifer throw open the door.
The flame-haired Galbadian General's jaw was tighter than usual. His blue eyes were firm and his face was anything but pleasant. He stopped in front of the headmaster's table and slammed his fist on it, sending papers and documents flying.
Headmaster Ronan rose from his chair, "Mr. ALAMSY! You think you can just WALK in here like THAT-". He stopped, Seifer's Hyperion stood right between his eyes.
"Where's my son, you filthy animal?" Seifer snapped.
"N-Now Relax Mr. Almasy...w-we."
"We what?" he said gritting his teeth, his finger on the trigger.
"W-we're sorry, but-"
The Hyperion's tip slid down to his neck, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut your head off, Ronan? You and your coyotes sit here all day and plan how to sell this garden and everything in it, and make your stinking lives better. To top that, you can't even ensure that the airship carrying your students reaches this place safely. MY SON was in THAT AIRSHIP you Son of a-"
"L-look...the party and everything was Squall's idea, ok? Not mine, h-he took r-responsibility for R-Relafen-" the headmaster warbled.
Seifer flipped the safety off when he heard his son's name.
"That's enough, Seifer..." Squall Leonhart's voice thundered behind him, "Leave that moron out of this..."
The headmaster seemed to care the least about being called a moron, under Seifer's gunblade, "Squall! Thank God-".
Seifer lowered his gunblade and turned to the man who had 'taken responsibility for Relafen' as the headmaster ran to his toilet and locked himself in.
Seifer walked up to Squall. They stared at each other, their scars reminding them of the rivalry that had sprung up between them, 20 years ago, on that very garden where they stood. Now, both of them had their own positions in life.
"20 years...ain't it Leonhart?"
"......................."
"20 years of WATCHING MY SON GROW!" He screamed, "All THAT RIPPED AWAY........."
"......................"
"...............in one night?" he said, his voice becoming shaky. And for the first time in his life, Squall Leonhart saw Seifer Almasy cry.
"So...." Avatar said, "We split in each direction from here onwards?"
"Yeah........" Phillona said, "Both of you have a Gysahl green each, don't you?"
"Yeah..." Avatar replied, "But are you sure we need to go separate ways just to catch a damn chocobo...It's hot out here, you know..."
"Your choice, really..." Phillona said, "There are chocobo tracks, a little away, north, east, and west of here. If you wanna stay together and just go to one place, you'll end up catching a chocobo by tomorrow..."
[She's trying to playing Miss. Sarcastic, isn't she?"]
"Or...." Phillona continued, "We could split up and one of us will surely find a chocobo in around half hour...it's up to you."
"Ok...then what?" Avatar said looking at his Gysahl green, "Three of us on one chocobo?"
"No. I've been doing this for a while. So I'll surely catch one." Phillona said, "Either you or Mr. I-hate-the-opposite-sex will catch another one..."
Avatar snickered at Phillona's reference to Sifan, "So...Me and Mr. Zombie will share one...while you take the other?"
[They just love picking on me, don't they?]
"Yeah" Phillona said, "I 'll take north. It's the hardest. West is moderate. East is easy."
"I'll take east..." Sifan said immediately, "I hate chasing big yellow birds."
"You remember what I told you about catching chocobos right?" Phillona said not turning once to Sifan, "And also how to use the materia Marlene and Trex gave you?"
"Yeah..." Avatar said, "Don't worry. We've read all about that stuff in garden".
"So, We'll meet here in half hour, with or without chocobo." She said. Avatar nodded, waved goodbye and ran away to the west.
Sifan sighed and looked to the east lazily. He turned his head and watched Phillona walk away to the north.
[Boy, she's mad at me alright. Cool...]
"Hey..." Phillona said turning around, "Best of luck, handsome." She winked at him and ran away to the north, smiling to herself.
[I HATE HER..........................don't I?]
Deep, inside the temple of the ancients, the voice from the HOLY materia spoke to the hooded old man.
"It pains me Goshen. Squall Leonhart and his wife, drowning in angst."
"Of course, Goddess Aeris. Sifan was their pride."
"I do not intend on making them suffer anymore."
"What is your will, your majesty?"
"In Squall Leonhart's world, a girl lives by the name of Ellone, with the power of the eye of Cervantus."
"The power to see all?"
"Yes, but being human, she can only embrace a small fraction of its power."
"Perhaps, I ll never understand why his majesty, Lord Cervantus chooses a human in every world to give the eye of Cervantus to."
"Neither will I, Goshen, but hear this."
"Yes, O Ancient one."
"Through the eye of Cervantus in the girl called Ellone, I will show Squall Leonhart a glimpse of his son's face, so that he shall know Sifan lives. That he is alive, but not in his world. So that Squall shall not pass his days in sorrow. After all, the Warrior who was chosen to slay Ultimecia doesn't deserve such pain."
"Pardon my curiosity Goddess, but why not the same warrior to slay 'him'?"
"They are chosen only once Goshen, only once."
"So, be it, your majesty, but Sifan Leonhart has still not accepted the path he has been brought to."
"Yes Goshen, as we speak, he is looking for a way to return to his world..."
"And that shall not come to pass unless you wish it so."
"True. You don't have faith in Sifan Leonhart, do you Goshen?"
"I'll admit it is so, your majesty, I do feel he is untested and untried."
"The choice of Destiny is never wrong, Goshen. I will aid its cause."
"But Goddess Aeris, when you first aided the last chosen one, Cloud Strife, you were............."
"...............I was killed. I know, Goshen. But I have to fulfill the purpose my spirit didn't die with my body at this very place. Even if it means, he will kill me again for the very last time..........."