Even with as fast as I updated, I didn't think I'd be done this soon.
pinklove: You can go ahead now; it'll all be over soon.
WildfireDreams: Beware; I have typed two words at the bottom that some have been dreading for a long time.
Lady-Rinoa: It was the ending (in the game), How could I half ass it?
nightfighter642: The answer you're looking for may be included here.
k i w i froot: The mystery inside your brain is now revealed.
QueenAdreena: Let this be a lesson, ALWAYS take my word for it. Also, I wasn't giving you the evil eye, I'm just too anxious to see Zell start stomping a mud hole in her ass, and figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
Kenny H: A guy's gotta know, right? You're not the only one learning something new today (Squall).
One more thing. In your review, don't ask any questions. Odds are, they won't be answered.
CHAPTER 50: TRUTH BE TOLD
Once they both needed air, they finally broke their first kiss. Sure, at first, they had gotten on each other's nerves, but this was all a result of Squall's change. The cold, quiet, loner had finally let someone into his life after 13 years, and felt much better because of it. Rinoa was the first one Squall felt he could trust in a long time, and Zell, Irvine, Quistis, and Selphie soon followed suit. Squall not only had friends, but now, a girlfriend.
"I'm thirsty." Rinoa said.
"Let's go find the drink table." Squall said. They went inside and grabbed a couple of soda's, before someone got their attention.
"There you are." The person said, it was Seifer.
"I thought you were studying." Squall said.
"I came out to make a phone call when I spotted someone at the front gate." Seifer said. "Rinoa, you're dad's here, and he says it's important."
"Ugh, the one man who could ruin a moment." Rinoa cursed. She looked over to the door to find General Caraway approaching.
"Caraway." Rinoa said coldly, just to acknowledge his presence.
"General, what are you doing here?" Squall asked.
"I need to tell my daughter something." Caraway said. "Something important."
"I'm listening." Rinoa said, not even looking at him.
"Honey." Caraway began. "As you may know, Galbadia is without a Ruler."
"Hmm, when did this happen?" Rinoa asked.
"Well, Ultimecia killed Deling, putting her in charge." Caraway began. "Then when she disappeared, that Almasy boy took command, then he just resigned. But what you don't know is that Seifer never named a Second in command."
"So now what?" Rinoa asked.
"The Galbadian congress came to me today, and they asked me to be the new president of Galbadia." Caraway said.
"I'm happy for you." Rinoa said.
"Rinoa, my daughter," Caraway continued. "I want to get along with you again. That's why I've decided to name Timber as an Independent Nation." At this announcement, Rinoa turned around.
"Is it true?" Rinoa asked.
"Yes." Caraway said. "I'm spending the night in the Balamb Hotel, and catching a Train to Timber tomorrow morning to declare its independence." Rinoa was speechless; the one thing she fought for for so long was finally going to happen.
"Who will be Timber's President?" Rinoa asked.
"That's up to the people." Caraway said. "An election will be held 3 months after I make the announcement, and the new President will be sworn in 2 weeks after."
"Thank you...Daddy." Rinoa said as she hugged her father for the first time in years.
"By the way, you're Squall, right?" Caraway asked.
"Yeah, why?" Squall asked back.
"A former soldier of mine is here too, and he's looking for you." Caraway said.
"Former soldier? Who?" Squall wondered.
"Oddly, he became President of Esthar." Caraway said.
"Oh, Laguna." Squall said, rolling his eyes. He remembered Laguna had to tell him something, and apparently, it couldn't wait. "Send him in." Squall said. Caraway left, and Laguna walked in.
"Squall, there ya are." Laguna said. "I've been looking everywhere for ya."
"I guess you wanna have that chat now?" Squall asked.
"Well, if you're not too busy." Laguna said. Squall looked around for his friends. Zell was still stuffing his face, Irvine and Selphie were looking frantically for a pair of batteries for her camcorder, and Quistis was talking with Cid and Edea.
"It's alright Squall." Rinoa said. "I'll just go help Selphie and Irvine or something." With that, Rinoa skipped off.
"I guess I'm free now." Squall said.
"Is there a place we can do this that's, you know, more private?" Laguna asked.
"Whatever you have to tell me must be important." Squall said. "I guess we could step outside." Squall led Laguna out onto the balcony, and shut the door.
"I guess I'll start." Laguna said. "You know why I couldn't go back to Winhill after I saved Ellone, right?"
"Yeah." Said Squall, "You had to seal Adel, and then you were made president. You WANTED to go back, but couldn't. I understand."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Laguna said. "Anyway, this has to do about the relationship I had with Raine."
"I know." Squall said. "She helped you when you were hurt, then you got married. It's a shame what happened to her and your son."
"What happened there is only the half-truth." Laguna said. "I didn't know of it until Ellone came and found me."
"What are you talking about?" Squall asked.
"Raine died, but my son survived." Laguna said. "He's still alive."
"So you're son is out there." Squall said. "Are you gonna try and find him?"
"I know where he is." Laguna said. "Squall. What you don't know is that my son didn't take my last name. Raine gave him her maiden name."
"And what was her maiden name?" Squall asked. Laguna took a deep breath, and looked Squall dead in the eye, a serious look on his face.
"Her name was Raine Leonhart." Laguna said.
"Leonhart?" Squall asked. "That's my last name." Suddenly, Squall's eyes went wide, and he put his hand to his mouth. "Are you saying...?"
"Squall." Laguna said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am your...Father." Squall gave a big gulp, and grabbed the railing. He felt dizzy.
"Are you mad at me?" Laguna asked.
"I don't know." Squall said.
"Look Squall," Laguna began to stammer. "I didn't even know until Ellone told me, I'm..."
"No, don't say anything." Squall said. "I just...I need to go sit down." Squall stumbled back inside the party, leaving Laguna on the balcony. He knew Squall was his son and that he had the right to know, but after 17 years, was he better off being left in the dark?
Squall was pale as a ghost. He sat down and tried to sort everything out. Could Laguna Loire, the man Squall referred to as a bumbling clown, really be his Father? He needed a Second opinion, but none of his friends would know. Suddenly, another person caught his eye, Ellone! She would definitely know! She knew Laguna as a Little girl, and Squall for 'perhaps' all of his life! Squall slowly walked over to his beloved 'Sis.'
"Sis!" Squall said, getting her attention.
"Squall, there you are!" Ellone said.
"Laguna told me something, and I need a second opinion, and you're the only other one who would know." Squall stammered.
"Laguna told you that he's your father, didn't he?" Ellone asked.
"Is it true?" Squall wondered.
"Yes Squall, it's true." Ellone said. "I'm the one that convinced him to tell you."
"And that means," Squall continued, "That Raine was..."
"Your Mother." Ellone said. "I saw you on the day you were born. It was 2 days after I got back to Winhill."
"Ellone, why didn't you tell me?" Squall said.
"I wanted to Squall, I really did." Ellone said. "But you seem to have forgotten everything. I didn't think you would believe me."
"It was because of the GF's." Squall defended.
"I know." Ellone said. "Listen, that was a lot to take in after 17 years. Why don't you get some rest? I'll talk to Laguna. You want me to tell the others?"
"Yes, I still can't believe it myself." Squall said. Ellone escorted Squall back to his room, figuring that he could take care of the rest. On her way back, she spotted someone familiar.
"Relax Ellone," Seifer said, "Those days are behind me. So what's wrong with Squall?"
"Come with me back to the party, I need to tell the others too." Ellone said. Soon, Ellone rounded up Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis, as Seifer got hold of Zell and Rinoa.
"So what's so important that Squall had to go lay down?" Irvine asked.
"Squall just found out who his Father is." Ellone said. Everyone's eyes went wide.
"No way! His BIOLOGICAL Father?" Zell asked.
"Yes." Ellone said.
"Well, who is it? Do we know him?" Selphie asked
"It's Laguna." Ellone said. Everyone's jaw dropped, except for one.
"Who's Laguna?" Seifer asked
"Laguna Loire, President of Esthar." Ellone said.
Squall was asleep in five minutes. After getting a shock like that, normally, that could keep someone up all night, but Squall hadn't had a wink of sleep in 2 days.
In his dream, Squall found himself up in the sky, standing on a cloud, but somehow, he didn't feel right.
"I don't think this is a regular dream." Squall said to himself.
"Of course not." A woman's voice said. "You usually don't know you're dreaming. You're actually having a vision." Squall turned around to look for this person whom the voice belonged to. Squall found a woman standing about 12 feet away from him. She wore jeans, a yellow turtleneck sweater, and a matching bandana: Raine, his mother.
"Mom?" Squall asked. "But you're..."
"I told you it's a vision, my son." Raine said. "I may be dead, but you're really speaking to me."
"So it is true." Squall said. "You and Laguna are my parents." Raine simply nodded.
"From the second I laid eyes on you, I fell in love." Raine said in a motherly tone.
"Rai-, I mean, Mom." Squall said. "When you...you know. Were you upset with La-, I mean, Dad?"
"At first I was." Raine said. "I didn't understand why he didn't come back. And with Ellone's age and lisp, I couldn't count on her to tell me why at the time. Then when I got up here, I was able to see what Laguna was doing. When he did come back to Winhill, he found out and sprinted to my grave, yelling out 'I'm so sorry, Raine!' He was bawling like a baby."
"But you watched him." Squall said.
"Squall, though I can't tell him, I forgive Laguna." Raine said. "And you should too."
"Did you watch over me too?" Squall asked.
"I would never forgive myself if I didn't." Raine said. "I saw when Laguna sealed Adel, then I watched you finish the job. The next time you see Edea, thank her for raising you for me."
"I will." Squall said. "But I bet everything that you would have done a better job." Squall, acting on instinct, then hugged his mother.
"I'll never forget you, Mom." Squall said.
"And I'll never stop watching you." Raine said. And with that, Squalls vision ended. It was 5:30 in the morning when he woke up. He felt someone with him. He reached up and turned on a light, and saw that Rinoa had curled up next to him. He didn't mind, he was happier this way. One thing was for sure, his life would never be the same again.
EPILOGUE
Squall told Laguna about his vision, and let him know that both he and Raine had forgiven him. Squall accepted the fact that Laguna was his father; though both thought it best that Squall keep Leonhart as his last name in order to honor Raine's memory.
Rinoa patched things up with her father, and went with him when he declared Timber's independence. Rinoa convinced him to go see her mother's grave, allowing him to grieve properly and become a better father. Rinoa stayed at Balamb Garden, and Squall gave his word to love and protect Rinoa.
Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin were allowed back in Balamb Garden. After a mere 2 months, Seifer passed his 4th Field Exam and was made a SeeD. Seifer has recently grown fond of his tutor: Quistis.
Zell was happy with his hot dog every day, and even hooked up with another girl at Balamb Garden. He soon found himself going to the Library every day just to flirt with her.
Selphie spend countless time with her friends from Trabia Garden who were boarded at Balamb for a few months until Trabia Garden was completely repaired. However, her Trabian friends soon found themselves taking a back seat whenever Selphie saw a certain gunslinger named Irvine cross her vision.
Following the death of 2 sorceresses, Adel and Ultimecia, Ellone moved to Esthar and stayed with 'Uncle Laguna'. Nobody was around to seek her anymore. And even if anybody tried, Laguna still had a keen eye with a Machine gun. They shouldn't have had to worry, since Laguna and Caraway signed a peace treaty between Esthar and Galbadia.
Cid and Edea took roles as Headmaster and Headmistress at Balamb Garden. However, there were still orphaned children in the world. Edea now had more children who could call her 'Matron.' Or as a small child would say 'Matwyn.'
The GF stones regenerated, bringing each one back to life. Griever's was included, and now Squall had the power of the two most dangerous GF's in the universe: Griever and Eden.
SeeDs were still sent out on missions every now and then, they had to keep the income coming into Balamb Garden. Mainly, they were hired by Governments of other nations to deal with the monsters from the latest Lunar Cry.
Raine continued to watch Squall and Laguna from heaven. Each time Squall referred to Laguna as 'Dad', or Laguna to Squall as 'Son' made her smile.
And alas. After many months of writing and 50 chapters. Sadly, this is...
THE END
But remember, every end is a new beginning…
Should inspiration strike again, I hope every loyal reviewer I got will continue reading any future works I may create
Final Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8 or any characters of the sort. Never have, Never will. Don't bother suing me, I have 81 cents to my name.