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FINAL FANTASY VIII
-Time's Orphan-

-Chapter 04-

Squall stared at his father. "Little Paradox?"

Laguna's eyes sparkled with tears as he recalled
his friends at the orphanage.

With full plates in hand, Squall and Laguna joined
the others.

"You're not going to believe this," Squall told
the others.

Selphie looked over at them and was about to ask
"What?" when she realized what Squall was going to
say. "Little Paradox!" she cried out, going over to
Laguna and hugging him.

"But... how?" Quistis wondered.

"He must have been pulled there during the Time
Compression," Rinoa suggested.

"I tried so hard to be your friend," Laguna told
Squall.

"But I blamed you for Ellone not returning."

"Which ironically was my fault," Laguna admitted.
"When I became President, I sent my soldiers out to
find her. They didn't know Adel had been overthrown so
they thought she was looking for Ellone again. That was
why Edea sent her away. Though it would seem that my
fear of rejection is all your fault, son."

"So what you're saying," Selphie realized, "is that the
reason you never personally went to get Ellone was that
you were afraid that Raine would reject you the way
Squall had rejected you when you were a little boy."

"But," Quistis joined in, "Squall had rejected you because
the adult you was responsible for Ellone leaving the
orphanage."

"And the reason for that was because you were afraid
Ellone would reject you because Squall had done so when
you were a little boy." Irvine finished.

"So it was all Squall's fault." Rinoa stuck her tongue
out, playfully, at Squall.

Squall stuck his own tongue out right back at her.

Food forgotten for the moment, the group played as they
hadn't played in years.

Selphie and Irvine enjoyed a model train Laguna bought
for them. Zell played tag with Quistis and Rinoa.

Laguna and Squall sang together this time.