Final Fantasy 8
Moomba Laguna
by Sephiroth
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Ain't gettin' paid.
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Chapter Nine-


Squall heard a long string of what he guessed were Moomba 
swearwords from beneath him..

"Oh! Sorry!" He stood up, helping the furry creature to its 
feet. "You okay, father?"

The embarrassed Moomba diverted its gaze as it 
shuffled away in silence.

"Please, father," Squall caught up with Laguna and put an
arm over his shoulder. "Father, I am not ashamed of you. In
fact, I think you'll make a fine Moomba."

Laguna beamed with newfound pride as he hugged Squall.
A moment later, he began to run off. Squall grabbed him by
the scruff of the neck and scolded him gently.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Laguna pointed in the general direction of the Shumi Village.

"Squall," Seifer said from behind him, "he's right. The Shumi Village
is the best place for him now. You saw how they treated him in
Esthar. If he remained, he'd be mistreated like that on a regular
basis."

"I won't have my father driven from his home by a group of bigots."
Squall said, firmly. He turned back to Laguna. "You don't have to
go if you don't want to."

The Moomba nodded, then pointed back to the Shumi VIllage.

"I think he wants to go," Zell pointed out, "Squall, I know you'll miss
him, but..."

"Squall," Seifer suggested, "in his current form, I don't think your father
can survive the journey to the Shumi Village on his own. We 
should probably escort him there."

Zell nodded in agreement, "We'll need help, though."

Squall gave a nod. "We'll return to the Presidential Palace for tonight,"
he decided, directing his words mostly to Laguna, "then in the morning
we'll bring you to the Shumi Village if that's what you still want."

Squall carried the Moomba back to Esthar with Seifer and Zell flanking
him as they walked.

"Probably has fleas," a passerby muttered.

"Just ignore him, father," Squall reassured Laguna.

"He might have a point, you know," Zell admitted. "Wtih him having been
out in the wastelands for a bit, fleas might be a possibility."

Squall sighed. "Perhaps a flea bath would be appropriate.  Let's get home.
before..."

A shot rang out, breaking the calm evening silence. Laguna's scream came
shortly after, and Squall felt the Moomba go limp in his arms. "I won't lose you
again, father. Not this way!" he turned and saw a man in his mid forties putting a
gun away. "Seifer! Zell! Go after that bastard! I want him dead! I'm taking father
home. I just hope I can heal him when I get there."

Seifer and Zell ran toward the man who had shot Laguna. The gunman ran off
as soon as he saw them coming. 

Laguna convulsed in Squall's arms as the young SeeD carried him back to 
the Palace. Blood came up from somewhere deep inside him and trickled out his
mouth. Eventually, his head lolled to one side, resting heavily against Squall's 
chest, and his breathing ceased. Squall ran faster, carrying the dead Moomba in
his arms. There were revival spells that could bring Laguna back, but Squall didn't
want to do that until he got him home. There was no reason to subject his father
to the trauma of multiple revivals. Being killed several times in one night was no
way for a young Moomba to spend an evening.

(tbc...)





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