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It was at the very beginning of yet another busy day in his office that Esthar City's beloved president struggled to close the window of his e-mail program, on account of the tears that blurred his vision.
''Oh... okay... yeah. That's... that's gonna be a big one.'' He whispered to himself as he started crying in earnest. He couldn't help it. Hiding his face in the crook of his elbow on the desk top, he let the tears soak freely into his shirt sleeve, great sobs racking his whole body and making his breath hitch.
In a way, he was glad he had decided to start his day earlier, as he hadn't been able to sleep for any long period of time these last few days. His anxiety had been persistently robbing him of any attempt at peaceful rest, and the man had to admit; his mind was extremely creative when it came to torturing him with, somehow, multiple worst-case scenarios. But this morning, it mercifully meant that he was all alone and should be for quite a while still.
The last time President Laguna Loire had cried this strongly, this unrestrainedly, had been around a decade ago, and it had been for a shockingly similar reason.
It had been when he'd finally known Ellone was alive, and, more than that; safe:
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He had been waiting on the Horizon Bridge for what felt like hours to him, his leg cramping painfully at the prospect of the meeting to come. They had chosen an especially far spot on the disused bridge from both the shore of the Estharian continent and the town of Fishermans Horizon, to minimize any chance of onlookers, accidental or otherwise. His guard escort had been particularly careful in selecting this exact spot for maximum eye coverage, also taking advantage of it being in international waters. It was brutally open ground, with nowhere to hide and no means of ambush for miles in any direction.
But as it was, Laguna felt very vulnerable, standing like this alone in the middle of the road. He had traded his signature button-up shirt and slacks for a more formal attire; a neatly pressed dark blue military uniform with emerald green accents, flowy at the waist and extending in the back nearly to his calves in true Estharian fashion. The slightly looser fit also had the advantage of cleverly hiding his armored vest; he'd had Shell and Protect spells cast on him, but one could never be too cautious.
He knew some of his guards were hidden underneath the bridge and even in the sea aboard submersible ships, and the rest of them waited at the end of the road on the Estharian continent. They were all in contact with him and each other using shortwave radio frequencies via state of the art earpieces... but the feeling of standing completely alone on this abandoned bridge in the middle of the ocean was still unsettling. Simply put, he felt like a sitting duck.
He tried to focus instead on the fact that it was also the very first time he'd left Esthar's hidden confines since the end of Adel's rule and her subsequent imprisonment. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of awe and gratitude at seeing the vast expanse of the ocean again; its briny smell and its seagulls, as well as the reds and oranges of a breathtaking sunset in progress on the horizon. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this; this exhilarating sense of freedom. His ever-present thirst for travel and adventure, that had been dormant for so long now, seemed to spring to life once more. It was all very bittersweet.
The muffled sound of a vehicle's engine brought him back from his reverie. In the distance, a large reinforced truck slowed to a stop and several persons exited quickly and quietly. Laguna squinted; at a glance it seemed that, while they wore some kind of armored uniforms with a strange black and white insignia, none of them looked to be carrying weapons. At least not evidently. This was either reassuring or alarming, Laguna could not decide.
''So far, so good.'' He sighed nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
One of the guards opened the back door and out came a middle-aged man with short unkempt hair and glasses, obviously uncomfortable in his bullet-proof vest as he constantly fiddled with it.
The man turned toward Laguna and gave him a sharp nod, and behind him his guards lifted their hands up in a clear show of peace. When the somewhat stout man began walking alone in his direction, Laguna started towards him as well, but then a sharp command rang in his earpiece;
''Don't move! Let him come to you.'' Kiros' voice hissed.
''This is ridiculous, let me greet the man on equal footing!'' Laguna whispered back in annoyance.
''That's not... never mind. This is how you get assassinated. The terms have been agreed upon beforehand. Do not deviate, Laguna. Please.'' Kiros instructed in a low warning voice.
Laguna huffed but ultimately relented, standing awkwardly as he waited for his contact to catch up. He briefly wondered if the man before him also had an earpiece of some sort, with someone telling him exactly what to say because they couldn't trust him to speak eloquently enough. Or not to divulge state secrets, or whatever.
But the more the short man approached, the more Laguna was doubtful of who he claimed he was. Head of an anti-sorceress mercenary academy? He definitely did not look the type. He certainly had no military training, that much was obvious to Laguna. No, he looked like... like...
An academic? An educator? A father?
''President Loire, it is an honor and a privilege to meet you.'' The man had a warm smile, much in contrast to the hard military or political types Laguna was used to meeting.
''The pleasure is all mine, Headmaster Kramer.''
They exchanged a handshake that, while firm, somehow further confirmed Laguna's suspicions about the headmaster's lack of military training.
They went back to their respective places, a good two feet apart from each other, and Balamb Garden University's headmaster Cid Kramer wasted no time getting to the meat of the matter.
''I must confess I was extremely surprised to have been contacted by the president of Esthar City given its... sudden disappearance from the map and subsequent radio silence.'' He spoke cautiously.
''Yes of course, I understand. It's a rather... complex affair. Let's just say the city has been cloaked and thus cut off from the world following the entrapment of Sorceress Adel, as a rather extreme measure of security.'' Laguna explained. That was putting it very simply, but the less he disclosed without appearing distrustful the better. It was a fine line to walk for inter-personal relations when head of a superpower nation.
''But not that cut off, I have to presume?''
''We have eyes pretty much everywhere, and have been monitoring your project closely since its conception. A special academy training soldiers to fight and eliminate the threat of sorceresses is something that immediately caught our attention, as I'm sure you can guess why.''
''I can imagine. I'm sorry; you spoke earlier of Sorceress Adel's 'entrapment'?'' The headmaster was sharper than he looked, Laguna had to give him that. There was a brief pause between them as he awaited the next lines from his earpiece.
''Before we continue, may I remind you that every single thing said here between us, as well as this very meeting, is to be treated with the utmost secrecy, and as highly classified information.'' Laguna warned.
''Of course, your representatives have made that abundantly clear. You have my word.'' Cid assured, and the man really did seem completely honest. Laguna was certain there were several plans already in place for the future in case this all backfired, but his instincts for now told him that he could trust this man. He just hoped he wasn't mistaken.
''Very well. Sorceress Adel is still technically alive, but she has been trapped in a device that has frozen her body and mind, in such a way that she can't pass on her powers.'' Laguna explained, deliberately omitting to mention that said device was situated in space, and that it had been the cause for the constant noise on the airwaves that rendered all long range radio communication unusable. Sorceress Adel's mind was definitely not completely frozen. Walking the fine line again. ''The nation of Esthar wants, more than anything, to atone for its mistakes, and any means to avoid another sorceress rising up to become a tyrannical, fascist ruler is something we... I... am personally invested in. And so I have to ask, and believe that you will answer me truthfully; what is Balamb Garden University's one true goal?''
''The prevention of another sorceress war.'' Cid replied. It wasn't quite the truth, certainly not all of it, but he found it close enough to satisfy his own conscience. He simply could not disclose the plan; Operation Child of Fate, and Squall Leonhart's role in all of this. It was, for one, much too risky and, perhaps most important of all, would seem utterly preposterous to someone who wasn't there.
Still feeling somewhat nervous, Cid quickly added: ''President Loire, if you would allow me to share something a little personal: before all of this I used to care for children in an orphanage. We did our best, my wife and I, but there were only two of us. And... so many children. Too many. Dozens upon dozens of families broken in an instant, torn apart by the unspeakable horrors of this war... The things some of them told us they'd seen, what they'd lived through... I would never want another child to have to go through any of this again. It may be an impossible task, but I have to try.'' Cid was surprised at himself for being so sincere. But this, this was all truth. And there was something about the president that simply inspired honesty.
Laguna considered the man before him and his words for a moment, crossing his arms and inhaling deeply. ''I believe we have the same goals in mind, you and I. What I'm proposing to you today is the help of the nation of Esthar by way of magic.''
''I-- I beg your pardon?'' Cid frowned, unsure if he'd heard correctly.
''Para-magic, to be more specific. I understand how this must sound. But we could help you make your so called 'SeeDs'... stronger. Faster. Nigh impervious to lethal damage. Able to use lesser forms of magic and to call on the aid of powerful elemental spirits. Galbadia has their own bastardized version of this technology, but ours has been refined and perfected to an incredible degree.'' Laguna explained, kind of cringing at how he sounded like a salesman doing a sales pitch at this moment. Who was writing the lines being fed to him? He really hoped it wasn't Kiros himself.
''This... this would be incredible. Almost too extraordinary to be true. But... excuse my indiscretion; if you've developed all this technology... why not use it yourself?'' The headmaster asked, visibly discombobulated and astonished by the offer he'd just been presented with.
''Esthar City must remain hidden. Our reputation is... tarnished, to say the least. The world will not so easily believe in our change of heart and put their faith in us to protect them after the Sorceress War. And we must guard Adel's tomb at all costs. No, it has to come from someone else. Someone that has been directly impacted by this war. It appears you are the perfect candidate. Almost seems like fate, wouldn't you agree?''
''I see. Yes... almost seems like fate indeed.'' Cid's eyes were cast downward for a brief moment, and then he smiled at Laguna, but that smile strangely never reached his eyes.
''Then it is settled. My representatives will give you the means to stay in contact so we can coordinate the personnel and materials required for your establishment. We'll stay in touch for the time it'll take to implement this new knowledge and tools to your instructors, after which we'll communicate only in extreme emergency situations. I can't stress enough the need for Esthar City to stay hidden from public knowledge.'' Laguna warned once again. They were really being cautious, but then again, it was the first and only time Esthar had had any contact with the outside world since the end of the war.
''Duly understood. President Loire, I simply cannot thank you enough for your willingness to help. I feel wholly inadequate being unable to offer anything in return.'' Cid put a hand to his chest to show his sincere gratitude, still not believing how this whole crazy plan was seemingly falling into place so easily.
''Just stay true to your oath, that will be more than enough for me.'' Laguna pondered for a moment, unsure if he should say what he wanted to say next. Ultimately, as always, he trusted his gut. ''And... Headmaster Kramer, can I ask you a rather personal question?'' Laguna's tone had changed suddenly.
''Laguna, what are you doing!? Do. not. deviate!'' Kiros' voice warned loudly in his ear.
Cid seemed a bit taken aback by the president's odd request. ''Of course, go ahead.''
''You've mentioned you were a caregiver at an orphanage... I therefore have to ask; does the name Ellone Leonhart ring any bell for you?'' There was somehow both hope and hopelessness in the president's trembling voice as he asked, unable to keep the emotions at bay, even after so long.
''Laguna, stop! I repeat, stop talking!! Don't ruin this!'' Kiros' panicked voice rang in his earpiece.
''Mr. President I... I'm afraid I can't speak freely of the children that were in my care during my time at the orphanage, for their security.'' Cid explained. Of all the things he thought Laguna could have asked him at this moment, this wasn't even on the list. It wasn't the fact that the president inquired about an orphan child; not at all. His barely concealed shock was instead because he specifically asked for Ellone, of all people. Ellone, with her strange powers without even being a sorceress, who could spend her life in a lab if caught by the wrong people...
Ellone, who was related to Squall and the whole plan...
''Cid, is it? Please, Cid, I- I must know. Ellone... Ellone was like a daughter to me, and-''
''Understand that you're jeopardizing this whole operation Laguna, please stop!'' Kiros tried again, his voice shrill, so unlike his normally calm and collected demeanor.
''-and we've been separated ever since Esthar has gone under the radar. Ever since the death of my wife...''
''Laguna for Hyne's sake, STOP!!'' Kiros screamed in his ear.
Grunting angrily, Laguna suddenly dislodged his earpiece and with all the pent-up frustration he felt, flung it as far as he could over the side of the bridge and into the ocean. He'd regret this later, but for now it felt wonderful. Panting from the exertion, he turned back towards the headmaster, whose eyes were as big as saucers.
''Winhill. Ellone came from Winhill...'' Laguna stammered, voice soft and pleading, a stark contrast to the well-spoken, commanding man Cid had conversed with so far. ''Please, if you know, I have to know if she's okay...''
The headmaster was frozen in place for a moment. The president of the greatest superpower in the world was begging him right now and he wondered if he could even refuse him an answer. Could he trust this man to keep this secret? After all, he trusted him with extremely powerful technology and to keep Esthar City's status secret... And despite everything else, the man really did seem honestly, personally desperate for an answer. Hoping this was the right choice to make, Cid made up his mind.
''It seems I can offer you something in exchange for your help after all. Very well. I know of a young woman named Ellone. She was... a special child, with... peculiar powers.'' Cid said prudently.
''You do? Oh Hyne, yes! It's her for sure, I can't believe it, I just- where can I see her!?'' Laguna exclaimed incredulously, barely containing his joy.
''It's... complicated. Ellone is always on the move, hidden and protected by a contingent of bodyguards. Keeping her safe from the people who'd want to do her harm for her powers, namely a certain infamous Dr. Odine, whom, last I was aware... resided and operated in Esthar City.'' Cid was aware of the implication of what he'd just said, was aware he was the one now walking the fine line between diplomacy and distrust. But if his estimations of the man before him were exact, he'd know what he meant and how this all looked from an outside perspective.
Laguna had to admit; the man had done his research. He breathed a deep sigh, his earlier enthusiasm curbed by reality.
''Dr. Odine... yes. It is true he still works for Esthar's government. To be perfectly transparent, he's the one who designed and engineered our city's camouflage system, and Adel's tomb. It was some of the terms under which he would be pardoned for his association with Sorceress Adel...'' Even now, Laguna had to concede that he did not trust Dr. Odine. The eccentric scientist seemingly had no moral compass, and the only thing that truly mattered to him was the advancement of science no matter the cost.
''I cannot in good conscience reveal Ellone's location to anyone, you must understand. I'm truly sorry, President Loire.''
''No it's... it's okay, I- I understand.'' Laguna tried to swallow the painful lump in his throat. ''But, Headmaster Kramer, please answer me honestly, truthfully; is she safe, really? Is she... happy?'' His voice wavered, but he was determined to hold on to his crumbling facade just a while longer.
Cid felt for the man, his love for this little girl evident and beautiful, and so with a sad smile he looked the president straight in the eyes. ''I promise you she is safe, and well taken care of. Ellone was always so mature for her age; always helping us with the younger children. So caring and compassionate. Everyone she met could not help loving her.'' He said softly, his eyes suddenly misty as he recalled his more peaceful time with her at the orphanage.
''That's my girl.'' Laguna whispered proudly, and his eyes welled up before he blinked the tears away and cleared his throat with difficulty. ''T-thank you so much, Headmaster Kramer.''
''It is I who should be thanking you, President Loire.'' Cid replied, also clearing his throat.
The meeting ended shortly after that, with Laguna standing in place until he couldn't see the armored truck speeding off on the horizon anymore, and even then he stayed there for some time more still. The stars were beginning to come out and a slightly chilly breeze picked up when Kiros suddenly appeared from the side of the bridge.
''Ah, here we go.'' Laguna muttered under his breath as Kiros started berating him strongly. But he wasn't listening. More guards sprang up from both sides and formed a protective circle around Laguna as they cautiously made their way back to Esthar.
Laguna just felt like crying. Crying like he did when he learned of Raine's death. It wouldn't be tears of grief now though, but of relief.
The feeling was still gut-wrenching. Years of built-up guilt and anxiety demanding to be let out at once.
He held on until he was alone in his office, late that night. But just barely.
She was safe.
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And now this morning he was alone in his office, breaking down. Again. In a much similar manner.
When he'd sat at his desk and woken the computer up from its sleep mode, his eyes had immediately locked onto Dr. Kadowaki's name in his inbox, highlighted red with its 'urgent' tag amidst numerous other correspondences that demanded his attention but that he could not care less about right now.
Heart stuck in his throat, fingers trembling, he'd finally clicked on the message:
''President Loire,
This communication is, per your several insistent requests for updates, to inform you that Balamb Garden Commander Squall Leonhart has effectively woken up and is currently recuperating from his ordeal. His vitals and general state of health are being monitored closely and he has been put on sick leave until a further reassessment of his condition next week.
Should you be in need of further information, I would heartily invite you to contact Commander Leonhart directly going forward.
Regards,
Ema Kadowaki, M.D.
Head of Infirmary
Balamb Garden University''
''He's okay, he's okay, he's okay. Hyne, he's okay.'' He repeated to himself endlessly, brokenly, trying to register the reality of the statement, to reassure himself that it was true.
Four days. It had been four days since he'd found Rinoa cradling a pale, shaking, unconscious Squall in her arms, back at the old orphanage. They all had braved Time Compression, had stood before Ultimecia, had fought and eliminated her, and had come back safe and sound.
Except him. And Laguna's heart nearly split in half from grief. Again.
When he'd stumbled into them, in the long grasses and budding spring flowers, this time his heart had threatened to choke him, stuck as it had been in his throat. The young sorceress had brought Squall back, in more ways than one, but the ordeal had been terrifyingly hard on both his body and mind.
Laguna barely remembered the actual trip back to Balamb Garden, it was all a blur of panic and anxiety to him. Squall hadn't stirred at any point during the way back, and the brief worried look on Dr. Kadowaki's face when they brought him in had done nothing to alleviate his fear.
He'd had to go back to Esthar eventually, even though it tore him inside. Every day since had been spent checking his e-mails continuously, and then being unable to sleep. Rinse and repeat. He both dreaded and eagerly awaited an update, unable to stop himself from writing to Dr. Kadowaki several times in hope of news. Each day that passed only amplified his distress, until he seriously thought he would simply go insane.
But against all odds, against fate it seemed... Squall pulled through.
Conflicting emotions bubbled up inside him; relief, yes, but also shame and a great deal of guilt. He'd have his chance now, soon hopefully, to speak with Squall honestly, heart-to-heart. He felt so wholly undeserving of such a chance after so many mistakes... but fate had looked favorably on him once again and he could not understand why. He had been reunited with Ellone, they had worked it out, and now his son... his precious, very last gift from Raine... it was too much, and he could not believe his luck.
''Uncle Laguna?''
He jumped at the sound of the voice and hastily wiped his tears before realizing it was Ellone standing in the doorway of his office, concern etched on her features. He noticed she was carrying two mugs of coffee, the steam billowing from them the only thing moving in the tense atmosphere of the room. Laguna inhaled deeply, trying to regain his composure.
''...Is it Squall?'' Ellone asked quietly, panic creeping in both her voice and eyes, as if speaking any louder would confirm her worse suspicions.
''He made it, Ellie. He's okay. He made it.''
''Oh... Oh thank Hyne...'' Ellone breathed in disbelief, her whole posture relaxing at once as she set the mugs on his desk, just in time before being swept up in a powerful embrace. She hugged Laguna back just as tightly, also shedding tears of her own yet unable to stop smiling.
When they both pulled back and wiped their tears, Laguna couldn't seem to stop shifting his weight from one leg to the other, apparently unable to stay still.
''Dr. Kadowaki told me to contact him directly going forward, I'm- I'm gonna write to him right now. Or... do you think I should call? Maybe it'll look better if I write, he'll feel less pressured, right?''
''I-''
''Oh no, no. It's too early, is it? I should give him time to rest. He doesn't need that extra stress, right?''
Ellone opened her mouth to speak, but Laguna was going off again.
''But at the same time I don't want to wait too long, I don't want him to think it wasn't important for me. Or that I don't care!''
Ellone tilted her head and simply smiled fondly, if somewhat a bit exasperatedly, at him.
''Ah- I'm so sorry, I'm just... so nervous.'' Laguna took a deep breath and chuckled. ''He's... he's gonna hate this, isn't he?''
''You'll have to give him time afterwards, and a lot of space so he can work through this on his own. That's how he is. I'm certain he will reach out then, when he feels ready.'' Ellone put a hand on his arm in a comforting gesture.
''Am I doing the right thing?...'' He asked quietly, his eyebrows knitting in worry.
''Yes. For better or worse, he has to know.'' She replied emphatically.
''You're not exactly inspiring confidence right now.'' Laguna laughed nervously. ''But you're absolutely right, as always. I just hope I won't make a fool of myself...''
Ellone tilted her head once more in amusement, her lips pursed to keep the smile from betraying her. Laguna narrowed his eyes at her in a playful way and laughed.
''...Or at least not a bigger fool than usual.'' He finally added, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, and Ellone's smile bloomed into an affectionate grin.