The Sorceress' Legacy Prologue

By Kettch

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed through the windows of the old tavern as torrential rains fell. And elderly man, his thinning hair gray, his eyes running over with the anger and sorrow he was struggling to control, ran up the stairs into the living quarters above. He opened the door to the small apartment slowly and carefully stepped inside.

He first looked to the doctor kneeling at the foot of the bed. The small towns doctor looked back and just shook his head, affirming what the old man already knew. She wasn't going to make it. But what of the poor child? He walked over to the bed where a young woman lay. She screamed as she pushed one last time and the room was filled with the cries of a newborn infant.

"Look, Raine, your son...." the doctor said as he held up the newborn for his mother to see.

Raine Loire looked up and smiled, "Laguna's son," She let her head fall back into the pillows, "Laguna, your son...your son......" She trailed off as her eyes fluttered and slowly closed, never to open again.

"Dammit!!...." The old man said as he looked away, "That bastard left her to die..." He spoke of the drifter who had blown into town a few years ago. Laguna Loire had washed ashore on one of the beaches surrounding the small country town of Winhill. Raine took him in and cared for his injuries. It was just the kind gentle person she was. He knew when Loire left for Esthar to "find Ellone" as he claimed, that he wasn't coming back. The fact that when Elle returned there was no sign of him, just some story she told about how Loire was going to defeat Adel, proved it. Neither Raine nor Elle would believe it though. Now Raine was gone forever.

"What of the child?" The doctor asked.

"The child, born into turmoil, during a storm....I think Squall would be an appropriate name, don't you agree?"

"OK, Squall Loire-"

"NO!, That bastard doesn't deserve a son, we will name him after Raine's family....Leonheart.

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Laguna Loire paused in front of the old tavern’s front doorway, rocking nervously on his feet. It had been along time since he had last been here, too long in fact. He slowly put a hand on one of the swinging doors, feeling the rough wood and chipped paint before he pushed it open and stepped inside.

He and Ellone had returned to Winhill so that she could visit some of the townspeople she knew as child, and Laguna decided that it was time he did some remembering. He had stopped at Raine’s grave to tell her about their son, Squall, and how he defeated the Sorceress Ultimecia. He didn’t know if she heard him, or if she even needed to be told, but it made him feel better. Now, here he stood, in the place where it started so long ago. After standing awhile, reminiscing about the long past that these walls held, he slowly looked around the room, taking in the scenery.

Everything was just as he remembered. Flowers on each table, bar spotless with the glasses organized on the shelf behind it, and the way the chairs and tables were laid out so that the most tables could fit in the room without it being crowded. He smiled, a small tear in his eye, as he ran his hand over one of the polished wood tabletops, leaning forward to smell the flower on it.

Just as he looked up from the flower, he noticed movement behind the bar. He quickly looked up and stared in shock at what he saw. Raine was behind the bar, wiping it down as she always had before. He tried to speak, but no sound came out as tears welled up in his eyes. He stepped forward and held up his hand, managing to croak a short greeting. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t grasp the words. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, holding up her hand, showing off the wedding ring on her finger. A tear glistened down her cheek as she faded from view, leaving in her place, a black cat sitting on the bar. He walked over and picked the cat up, trying to brush the tears away. He sat on one of the stools that lined the bar, stroking the cats soft fur. He brought his hand up to the felines chin and felt something hard and metallic on it collar. He took the small fabric band off and gazed at the ring that was tied to it in disbelief. He pulled it off and examined it closer, finding an inscription that read “I will never leave you”. Tears once again welled up in the Estharian President’s eyes, for he was holding his deceased wife’s wedding ring. Laguna had put those words on the rings as a promise that no matter how much he wanted to run off and be a journalist, he would live out his life in this small town with her.

“Raine….” He sobbed, “I’m so sorry…..I never kept my promise. I should have come with Elle, and not stayed to fight…..I‘m so, so sorry I left you like that. I wish it weren‘t too late.”

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Squall Leonheart jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking around to see the sun coming in the windows as he head birds chirping. "Ellone," he mumbled softly as he swung his feet over the side of the bed, placing his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes.

Moments later, as he sat, two soft, thin arms gently embraced him from behind and a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked softly.

"Nothing, it's just Ellone.."

"I might get jealous if my knight is thinking about other women...." she teased.

Squall picked his head up slowly and looked at her, "Whatever...." He turned slowly, taking her hands in his, gazing into her eyes. "Elle sent me into the past again...."

"So what fascinating part of Sir Laguna's life did we see this time?" She asked, smiling.

Squall gazed into her eyes, lost in their beauty. He wondered what he had done to possibly deserve such a companion. How had he earned her affection, especially after trying to push her away and trying to deny the feelings that were growing within.

"Well?" She chuckled, "what did you see that has you so withdrawn?"

"I saw Raine's death......"

"Oh, was it that bad? Did she die a horrible death or something?"

"It was also my birth." Squall turned and sat facing forward on the edge of the bed again, "I'm Raine's son........"

"Raine....wasn't she Laguna's-"

""That's great!" Rinoa said, "You have a family!"
"But why didn't he tell me?" He looked over his shoulder at her, “Why did he leave me at the orphanage?" He looked forward again and shrugged, "What do I do now?"
"Don't worry about that," She slid over and sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder, "I'm sure he has an explanation, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would abandon those close to him." She kissed his cheek, "You have that quality yourself. Actually, when it comes right down to it, you and him are allot alike."

"Really? How so, I don't remember babbling incessantly at you when we first met.....nor getting us lost in Centra, nor half the other stupid things he's done...."He chuckled lightly.

"That’s not what I meant, he is president of Esthar because of his passion, his courage, his drive, motivation, heart, and the fact that he stands for everything that is right. He is a good man. You have those same traits." She smiled and giggled a bit, "You just like to squash them beneath that rugged, uncaring exterior of yours."

"You really think that?" He turned to face her.

She leaned forward, kissed him softly, and whispered, "If not, I wouldn't be here right now."

He reached out and took her into his arms and kissed her.


Chapter 1

Final Fantasy 8 Fanfic