"You've got a mission, Squall." Said Cid from behind his desk, which was now located in front of the lift leading to the bridge.
"Me? I thought I wasn't active any more."
"Consider yourself re-activated, Squall." Cid had a serious tone in his voice. "You've been personally asked for, and the money they're offering is just too tempting. You'll be gone 3 days maximum, so the effect on the students should be minimal, and you'll take the Ragnarok to cut transit time."
Squall had another lapse in self-containment. "Who are "they", Cid? Who requested my personal presence?"
Cid replied with words that didn't exactly fill Squall with confidence.
"President Loire."
If anyone had become a bigger hero than Squall since Ultimecia's defeat, then it was Laguna. Sure, he was a bumbling, incompetent fool (as Squall had, rather cruelly, let it be known during their first meeting), but he must have had an ocean full of those intangibles Cid spoke of. Squall had felt a connection with Laguna from the very first moment he experienced "being" him in the dream world Ellone sent him to, but he could never explain it. Still, Laguna had paid for Squall's presence, and Squall's presence he was going to get. After managing to persuade Rinoa that she could live without him for three days, Squall (accompanied by Selphie) left on the Ragnarok for Esthar. All the way there, however, Squall couldn't stop thinking about Rinoa- he had an unusual feeling that something bad was going to happen to her. Fortunately, Selphie was able to put his mind at ease with her constant enthusiasm, to the point where Squall couldn't remember why he bothered being pessimistic at all. Ever.
"Woo-hoo! Squall! Look!" Cried Selphie from the pilot's seat. Squall craned his head so he could get a look at what was making the bubbly girl even more bubbly than usual.
"It's the Esthar presidential palace. We've been there hundreds of times."
"Oh, YOU! You really know how to spoil a moment, don't you?" Retorted Selphie. Squall had to remind himself that it was just eagerness on her part and not unprofessionalism, but he was itching to get his teeth into this mission, whatever it may be.
The Ragnarok landed at Esthar air station, and Squall disembarked, to be greeted by Ward and Kiros, high-ranking government officials of Esthar, and Laguna's closest friends. They approached him, and Ward stared down on him.
"Ward says," Kiros interjected, "The President wishes to see you immediately."
"Then let's not keep him waiting," replied Squall. The old Squall would have probably replied "whatever", and sat down and sulked for the whole shuttle tube ride to the palace, but the new Squall was noticeably softer. Squall noticed too.
I've been spending too much time with Irvine and Selphie, he thought. They certainly knew how to talk, and Squall's one-word answers were getting to be embarrassingly short compared to their ramblings. Before he could complete his thought, however, the car had stopped and Kiros and Ward were gesturing for him to disembark and follow them. He did so, up to the doors of the presidential office, where Ward and Kiros dutifully stopped, and opened the door for him.
He's certainly got them well trained, Squall thought, before realising that they probably saw it as an honour to work for Laguna, much as his students felt under his command. Damned intangibles, Squall thought again. He stepped into the office, to be greeted by the man with whom he'd shared so many memories of the past, the man with whom he felt a strange bond.
"Hi!" Said Laguna, strangely nervous. So this mission's got him rattled too, thought Squall.
"P-please, sit down," Laguna gestured to a chair in front of the desk. Squall sat down, as Laguna took his seat behind his desk. There were a few awkward seconds where neither one spoke, Laguna twiddling his thumbs, trying to gather his thoughts. Eventually, Squall broke the deadlock.
"So what's this mission you have for me?" Asked Squall, making Laguna jump with his words. Geez, thought Squall, he's more nervous than I thought.
"I'll have to come clean to you, Squall," Laguna said, "there is no mission. Not really."
Squall stood up and walked a few paces away. He couldn't believe it- dragged away from his work, his friends, and most importantly of all, the woman he loves, just for this fool to waste his time? Squall was about to make his feelings known when Laguna spoke again.
"I need to tell you something," Laguna continued, "and I'm not sure you're going to be happy about it," he finished, still with that definite nervous tone to his voice.
Oh what now, Squall thought, I'm not going to have to stay here longer, am I?
"It's-" Laguna stuttered, "It's about your parents."
There was another uneasy silence. Squall had gathered, from things said by Ward and Kiros (well, mainly Kiros actually) that Laguna had known his parents, but he hadn't given it much thought. His parents were dead. People he'd never known, people he'll never know. The next few minutes were to shatter that perception into a million pieces.
"There's no easy way to say this, Squall," Laguna said, almost as if he were forcing the words out, "but me- er, that is to say, Raine and myself, we-"
Laguna paused again. Squall's mind started racing at this point.
What? You knew my parents? You were related to them? You tracked them down?
"Squall," Laguna continued, his eyes closed, his back now turned to the young man whose life he was making ever more complicated, "Raine and me, we were your parents. A-are, are your parents. At least, I am your father, Squall."
Squall simply looked ahead, not quite able to comprehend what he had just heard. Laguna was his father? This moron was actually his dad?
Laguna turned around to face his son.
"Squall," Laguna started, "I-"
At that moment, Squall turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, not saying a word.
"Squall!" Laguna shouted after his son. "Wait! There's so much I need to tell you!"
Squall continued walking down the corridor, past the stunned Ward and Kiros, deeply lost in thought.
How can he be my father? Why didn't he tell me earlier? Why did her never try to contact me? Why did he abandon me? These were just a few of the thoughts running through the young man's head when he turned the corner and, not looking where he was going, walked straight into someone he knew very well.
"Sis!" Squall exclaimed, helping Ellone up off the floor where he, inadvertently, had knocked her.
"Squall!" The young woman exclaimed. "What are you doing in Esthar?"
Suddenly remembering, Squall lowered his head
"It's a long story. I don't really want to go into it right now."
"He told you, didn't he?" Ellone inquired. Somehow, she always knew how Squall felt. After a long pause, Squall responded.
"Yes."
"How are you taking the news?"
"How do you think?" Squall replied.
"Not well, then," Ellone observed. There was another awkward pause, while Ellone waited for Squall to ask her something. Anything. He was not forthcoming.
"You know, Squall," Ellone started, "If you need to talk, I'll always be here for you."
Squall looked up.
"I don't feel like talking right now," he said. He turned around, and walked off again.
"Where are you going?" Ellone shouted after him.
"I'm going home," Squall replied. "This was a waste of my time."
"Me? I thought I wasn't active any more."
"Consider yourself re-activated, Squall." Cid had a serious tone in his voice. "You've been personally asked for, and the money they're offering is just too tempting. You'll be gone 3 days maximum, so the effect on the students should be minimal, and you'll take the Ragnarok to cut transit time."
Squall had another lapse in self-containment. "Who are "they", Cid? Who requested my personal presence?"
Cid replied with words that didn't exactly fill Squall with confidence.
"President Loire."
If anyone had become a bigger hero than Squall since Ultimecia's defeat, then it was Laguna. Sure, he was a bumbling, incompetent fool (as Squall had, rather cruelly, let it be known during their first meeting), but he must have had an ocean full of those intangibles Cid spoke of. Squall had felt a connection with Laguna from the very first moment he experienced "being" him in the dream world Ellone sent him to, but he could never explain it. Still, Laguna had paid for Squall's presence, and Squall's presence he was going to get. After managing to persuade Rinoa that she could live without him for three days, Squall (accompanied by Selphie) left on the Ragnarok for Esthar. All the way there, however, Squall couldn't stop thinking about Rinoa- he had an unusual feeling that something bad was going to happen to her. Fortunately, Selphie was able to put his mind at ease with her constant enthusiasm, to the point where Squall couldn't remember why he bothered being pessimistic at all. Ever.
"Woo-hoo! Squall! Look!" Cried Selphie from the pilot's seat. Squall craned his head so he could get a look at what was making the bubbly girl even more bubbly than usual.
"It's the Esthar presidential palace. We've been there hundreds of times."
"Oh, YOU! You really know how to spoil a moment, don't you?" Retorted Selphie. Squall had to remind himself that it was just eagerness on her part and not unprofessionalism, but he was itching to get his teeth into this mission, whatever it may be.
The Ragnarok landed at Esthar air station, and Squall disembarked, to be greeted by Ward and Kiros, high-ranking government officials of Esthar, and Laguna's closest friends. They approached him, and Ward stared down on him.
"Ward says," Kiros interjected, "The President wishes to see you immediately."
"Then let's not keep him waiting," replied Squall. The old Squall would have probably replied "whatever", and sat down and sulked for the whole shuttle tube ride to the palace, but the new Squall was noticeably softer. Squall noticed too.
I've been spending too much time with Irvine and Selphie, he thought. They certainly knew how to talk, and Squall's one-word answers were getting to be embarrassingly short compared to their ramblings. Before he could complete his thought, however, the car had stopped and Kiros and Ward were gesturing for him to disembark and follow them. He did so, up to the doors of the presidential office, where Ward and Kiros dutifully stopped, and opened the door for him.
He's certainly got them well trained, Squall thought, before realising that they probably saw it as an honour to work for Laguna, much as his students felt under his command. Damned intangibles, Squall thought again. He stepped into the office, to be greeted by the man with whom he'd shared so many memories of the past, the man with whom he felt a strange bond.
"Hi!" Said Laguna, strangely nervous. So this mission's got him rattled too, thought Squall.
"P-please, sit down," Laguna gestured to a chair in front of the desk. Squall sat down, as Laguna took his seat behind his desk. There were a few awkward seconds where neither one spoke, Laguna twiddling his thumbs, trying to gather his thoughts. Eventually, Squall broke the deadlock.
"So what's this mission you have for me?" Asked Squall, making Laguna jump with his words. Geez, thought Squall, he's more nervous than I thought.
"I'll have to come clean to you, Squall," Laguna said, "there is no mission. Not really."
Squall stood up and walked a few paces away. He couldn't believe it- dragged away from his work, his friends, and most importantly of all, the woman he loves, just for this fool to waste his time? Squall was about to make his feelings known when Laguna spoke again.
"I need to tell you something," Laguna continued, "and I'm not sure you're going to be happy about it," he finished, still with that definite nervous tone to his voice.
Oh what now, Squall thought, I'm not going to have to stay here longer, am I?
"It's-" Laguna stuttered, "It's about your parents."
There was another uneasy silence. Squall had gathered, from things said by Ward and Kiros (well, mainly Kiros actually) that Laguna had known his parents, but he hadn't given it much thought. His parents were dead. People he'd never known, people he'll never know. The next few minutes were to shatter that perception into a million pieces.
"There's no easy way to say this, Squall," Laguna said, almost as if he were forcing the words out, "but me- er, that is to say, Raine and myself, we-"
Laguna paused again. Squall's mind started racing at this point.
What? You knew my parents? You were related to them? You tracked them down?
"Squall," Laguna continued, his eyes closed, his back now turned to the young man whose life he was making ever more complicated, "Raine and me, we were your parents. A-are, are your parents. At least, I am your father, Squall."
Squall simply looked ahead, not quite able to comprehend what he had just heard. Laguna was his father? This moron was actually his dad?
Laguna turned around to face his son.
"Squall," Laguna started, "I-"
At that moment, Squall turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, not saying a word.
"Squall!" Laguna shouted after his son. "Wait! There's so much I need to tell you!"
Squall continued walking down the corridor, past the stunned Ward and Kiros, deeply lost in thought.
How can he be my father? Why didn't he tell me earlier? Why did her never try to contact me? Why did he abandon me? These were just a few of the thoughts running through the young man's head when he turned the corner and, not looking where he was going, walked straight into someone he knew very well.
"Sis!" Squall exclaimed, helping Ellone up off the floor where he, inadvertently, had knocked her.
"Squall!" The young woman exclaimed. "What are you doing in Esthar?"
Suddenly remembering, Squall lowered his head
"It's a long story. I don't really want to go into it right now."
"He told you, didn't he?" Ellone inquired. Somehow, she always knew how Squall felt. After a long pause, Squall responded.
"Yes."
"How are you taking the news?"
"How do you think?" Squall replied.
"Not well, then," Ellone observed. There was another awkward pause, while Ellone waited for Squall to ask her something. Anything. He was not forthcoming.
"You know, Squall," Ellone started, "If you need to talk, I'll always be here for you."
Squall looked up.
"I don't feel like talking right now," he said. He turned around, and walked off again.
"Where are you going?" Ellone shouted after him.
"I'm going home," Squall replied. "This was a waste of my time."