Wonderful World (the extension package):

The First Step (Reprise)
Prequel to the parody Wonderful World, based on the AU parody inspired by "As Good As It Gets".

Now, the story about Ellone. This one, is one I owe many people to do. For that, I'll have to thank one of my more recent reviewers - Shadow Cat17 - for snapping me out of my reverie to finally get down to it.

For a secondary character, I liked Ellone, especially when she was little. She was an adorable child, and I have the feeling she was a great sister figure, not just to Squall, but to the other orphans in the stone house as well as the white SeeD ship. What I felt had so little touched on, was how she must have felt when she had to leave Squall behind - he was (( as most of us can safely assume )) her surrogate mother Raine's and Uncle Laguna's only son, and no doubt she would have loved him to bits for him to be so heartbroken when she left.

Wonderful World cannot compare to the original, but in the least, it's another way to which I feel assured that something has been said and done. At least, in this one, it's a comfort that Squall knows he's not alone.

Ever since Squall became more aware, he was instantly attached to his "Sis". Every time Ellone appeared in his line of view, he would reach eagerly for her until she picked him up. And when he at last learned to walk, he toddled after her everywhere she went, wanting to be a part of whatever she did. Sometimes, their old grandfather - tired of trying to distract his grandson - would just sit and watch them with a warm mug of tea in his hand.

But of course, there's a tricky matter of life that most good things come with a catch. And as attached as little Squall was, he soon became greatly distressed at any separation from Ellone whatsoever. While it was still somewhat adorable at first, it was a problem - after all, Ellone was not a little girl anymore, and no doubt they would have different classes when they both attended school at their own respective times.

And so, a year before Ellone was set to start her education in the academy, Pride saw to it that they began conditioning the boy.

They started it slow - Ellone would step outside, tell Squall that she would return later, and take her leave in the company of a trusted instructor, if only for five minutes. Initially, Squall reacted as they knew he would, and Pride spent the first week holding onto the hysterical child, rubbing his back soothingly and assuring him that she would be back soon.

The second week into conditioning, Ellone started to leave for longer periods of time. As she helped the groundskeeper's wife - activities that kept her both busy and entertained for half a day to a full day - Squall would stare at the door frequently, fidgeting, as he wondered where she was and why she was taking so long. At least now, he was no longer as terrified of her departure, as he knew she only took a while.

As the months passed, Squall learned: his "Sis" could not always be with him, but she would always come back. And if he was good and behaved himself, his Grandpa would let him sit outside the door and wait for her. Sometimes, he would even join him on the steps, and usually with two cups of hot chocolate, so that time would pass more quickly as they waited for the beverages to cool.

It was, all in all, a success, and by the time Ellone was ready for school, Squall had come to see this moment of separation as yet another part of life. Pride had even made it more like a game for the little boy - as Ellone would leave for her lessons, he would grin, swoop up the kid in his arms, let out a gruff, "Right, cadet! You know the drill!" and bring him inside to go on with the rest of the day. And when school was let out in the evenings, little Squall would already be sitting on the steps, and would eagerly meet her as she came home.

And then the day came when the soldiers arrived. Squall was inside, playing quietly by himself, and - indignant about having potentially armed men anywhere near his grandson - Pride had the soldiers cross-examined outside. When he found out what they had been charged with, and came to understand how this was truly for the best - for his granddaughter, most of all - he finally relented, and asked them to come back the next day.

Later that evening, he took Ellone aside and explained to her what was going on.

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "I know the Kramers well - if anyone can teach you, it's them. Especially Edea."

"What about Squall?" she had asked.

"I'll take care of him," he promised. "The next time you see him, he'll be the academy's star cadet."

At last, when Ellone agreed to go, he still spent the night restless, watching over the both of them, a part of him finding it so hard to let her go.

The next day, the soldiers showed up as promised. Ellone, already packed and ready, came out to meet them. Squall, used to seeing her off by now, followed after her, with Pride bringing up the rear. Squall stared up in a mixture of awe and confusion at the soldiers who took some of Ellone's things to load into the car, and then smiled as Ellone turned her attention back to him. As he usually did, he raised his arms for a hug.

As Ellone wrapped her arms around him, the small boy, in all his three years of age, wondered why she felt a little different than she usually did. Mimicking what Pride often did to comfort him, he patted her back with his small hand.

"Bye, Sis," he whispered.

"...goodbye, Squall," she whispered back. Squeezing him one last time, she broke the embrace and turned to go.

By now, the boy had become used to seeing her depart, used to seeing her walk away with both adults and other children alike. But now, for some reason, he realized something was off. Turning back, he looked up imploringly at his grandfather, if only for some measure of reassurance.

"Grandpa? What's wrong? Where's she going?"

Pride took a deep breath, then knelt down behind the boy and pulled him into his arms, holding him close as they watched the car drive away.

"Don't worry, kid," he mumbled into the child's soft brown hair, "she'll be back soon. She'll be okay."

Even with those words, the little child was able to pick up on his voice - the voice that was usually strong and confident, was now tired, maybe a little wavering.

When his grandfather had not let go of him, he finally patted gently at the arm that was around his waist.

"...I'm okay, Grandpa," he mumbled, staring at the ground. "I know the drill."

Pride had let go of him then, and watched as the child trudged halfheartedly back inside, sparing occasional glances back at the window and the open door along the way.

He too looked back out, at where the car had once been, and the tire tracks that formed in the sandy grounds.

And for the rest of that day, it was the old man who stood there longer than his charge did.

Ever since that day, he had been waiting. He would help his grandfather do Ellone's share of the chores, behave himself on most part, and then when the time was his, he would sit and wait on the step for her return.

But in all that time he waited, he did not see her again, and even the deep grooves left by the car on the ground were laid over with new sand, as though they had never been there. Sometimes, he would reach for her pillow, and bury his face in it, if only to find a trace of her scent. By the time he was five, it was almost nonexistent.

And it was that time when he was old enough to begin his training as a proper cadet in the academy. The instructors knew him well, by then, not only through his grandfather, but by having seen him on the steps every evening. And with so many of them younger than their senior instructor Pride, they found it awkward to call Pride's grandson by his last name, and instead called him by his first name. Perhaps, later, if they had been more attentive, they would have realized that it was not the best idea after all.

Taking the chance of school letting out, Squall had found himself a good spot on the steps where he could see the gates clearly, that he may spot anyone who entered through them. And as he did for so long, he sat and waited.

And then his attention drifted to where he knew a pair of eyes had been watching him for a while now.

"Why are you staring at me?"

The boy, caught in the act, turned properly to look back at him.

"I'm not staring," he had protested, to which Squall scoffed.

"You've been staring at me since this morning."

The boy paused, looking down as he scuffed his boot cap against the grounds. At last, he spoke again:

"Okay, I was; sorry."

That was that, and Squall returned his attention to the gate. Only to be interrupted again not a moment later as the boy took it upon himself to come up the steps and stand beside him.

"So...what are you doing?"

"None of your business," Squall had replied curtly, but that had not deterred the boy.

"I swear I won't tell anyone?"

Squall finally relented and gave him his attention a second time. "Cross your heart, hope you die, and hope Hyne condemns your soul to oblivion?"

"Cross my heart, hope I die, and hope Hyne condemns my soul to oblivion," the boy repeated solemnly. "Now tell me what you're doing."

He was sincere - a good trait, his grandfather had taught him. Nodding, he turned back to the gate as he replied:

"Waiting."

"For who?"

"Sis."

"Who?"

"Sis. She went off with soldiers from the other nation; told me she'd be back soon."

"When did that happen?"

"When I was three."

"Two years ago?"

"So she should be here any time now."

There was more silence between them, for a moment. The boy that had disturbed him did not seem to wish to leave so soon, even as he did not really know what to say.

But at last, he did speak again.

"Is it okay if I sit a while and wait with you?"

Squall had shrugged and let him, and he promptly took a seat on the same step, side by side with him. And together, they resumed the vigil.

"By the way, I'm Cloud."

"I'm Squall."

Shadow Cat17: The way you went and reviewed so many of my stories...wow. I'm honored to be regarded so highly. Hope I can meet those expectations!