This story is about the relationship between Laguna and Raine. WARNING: The ending is very sad and contains spoilers. Don't read if you haven't finished the game!

Disclaimers: I don't own Final Fantasy or its characters.

On her way downstairs to open up the bar, Raine caught him trying to sneak out the front door.

"What's he doing down here at this time of the morning?" She looked around at the quaint little place she called home. To the left of her staircase stood five tables with a simple bar in front of them. "Of course, he was putting fresh flowers on the tables."

"Laguna, where are you going?" she asked in her usual, singsong voice.

"Oh, I thought I'd...um...g-go out and destroy some of the monsters still roaming around the town. T-There still everywhere, you know," he responded a little too quickly. "I probably won't be back until supper time, so I guess I'll see you then." His voice trailed off as he rushed out the door, only he had to sit outside on the steps until his leg stopped cramping, like it always did when he was nervous. "How do I do it? Every time, I choke up. And I thought I had it down that time." Sweat glistened on his brow and he tried to calm his aching leg.

"Think again, bud," said a familiar voice from the side. "Your nerves always get the best of you. You've always been that way, and you’re never gonna change. So, what are you really going to do? Buy her some more of those pretty white flowers from the old lady?" He walked up confidently and sat down beside him. His long braids were floating in the wind that swirled around the steps.

"Kiros!! I...I didn't know you were listening. Well, to answer your question, no, it's time I let her know how much I care for her with something other than the same old flowers. She thinks I'm bored of this town because nothing ever happens here. But my life is here, with her and Ellone! I can't leave them now, not after all this time. I gotta find the perfect thing to tell her with, but what? I might have to go out of this town to get it, but it will definitely be worth it if it lets her know how much I love her."

"Love? Laguna, you sure about that? I mean, love is a powerful word, you never even said you loved Julia. And Raine may not feel the same way. How are you gonna know for sure?"

"I won't. I'm going on instinct."

"Oh no. This is sure to be a disaster then."

"Kiros, when was the last time I steered you wrong?" He stood up and smirked.

Kiros looked at him with a humored expression on his face. "Well, there was the forest outside of Galbadia, then you threw us off that cliff, and yesterday against those gnats, you ran away and left me to fend for myself...again, and..."

"Okay, I get the picture. But this time, I just know I'm right! I've gotta be. You heard her and Ellone talking upstairs. But the problem is making her believe in me."

The two friends walked for some distance before Kiros came up with something that might work. He had thought about it from the moment Laguna admitted that he loved Raine, but was too afraid that Laguna might actually do it and screw up. But the more he listened to him, the more he himself believed the klutz could pull it off. "Why...don't you buy her an engagement ring?"

"A what?! An...engagement ring... Yeah... Yeah, that's it! Kiros, you're a genius! I'll ask her to marry me. It will let her know exactly how I feel about her. And Ellone... Ellone will have a dad again!" He pondered Raine's reactions for a while longer and talked to Kiros about what to do about it, fighting quite a few monsters along the way. They killed about 20 before heading back to the bar. After supper they sacked out in Laguna's apartment adjacent to the bar, and were gone before dawn.

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"So, where's this train headed?" asked Kiros, yawning mid-sentence. "You woke me up so early I didn't even bother to ask where we were going and why." He looked around the poorly furnished train room. Very shabby furniture, and not too comfortable either. This was definitely Laguna's doing, he never had money for the finer things in life.

"Well, I drove us to Timber for the train, and now it's heading to Balamb City. I've heard that there's a guy there who makes the best rings money can buy. Raine deserves it more than anything, and I'm gonna see that she gets it." The train roared on underneath the ocean on its way to the small island.

Raine walked into Laguna's apartment next door. There was a table in the center of the room, machine gun bullets were seen in the wall behind it, and pictures of Elle's parents on a table neat the wall by the staircase. A note was propped against a picture of a very young Ellone being held by her mom and dad.

By the time the train reached Balamb City, Laguna was wringing his hands with nervousness. He had been trying to think of how he would ask Raine to marry him, but he was such a klutz with words! How could he ask her?

"Laguna, we're here. Exactly where are we going?"

"A guy here knows his stuff with metal. He can make a ring for me, no problem."

The train station was empty except the two of them and the workers. Not many came to the small town. It was the only thing on the island except for an abandoned shelter, perfect for people trying to get away from Sorceress Adel's ways of change. There was a small poster to the side of the station asking for volunteer workers. They were trying to fix up the shelter and make it a force against the sorceress.

They walked down the road a little, past the item and weapon shops, to a house on the corner. The steps led down into a quaint little house where Laguna knocked on the door.

"Mrs. Dincht? Are you home?"

A small woman in a green dress and white apron opened the door, her hair up in a loose bun. "May I help you boys?"

"Actually, yes. I"ve heard your husband works wonders with metal. Do you think I could speak with him about a job?"

She led him into the parlor and called for him. A man walked in with yellow hair, spiked in the front and duck-tailed in the back, and a large black tattoo on his cheek.

"Sup? The name's James. What'cha need?"

"Hello, James. I'm Laguna. Would you be interested in doing a job for me?" Seeing the man nod his head, he continued. "See, I need a ring made for me. Not just any ring, but a beautiful engagement ring. A simple gold band with light wings engraved on the inside. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing, 500 Gil."

"That's all? A lot less that what I expected. How can you make a ring that cheap?"

"When you're the best, you get a lot of business, enough to buy what you need and sell it back cheap. I'm not in it for the profit, I'm trying to make people happy."

As he handed over the money, he asked, "About how long is this going to take?"

James put his finger on his chin. "About a week. You can stay at the hotel down the road and I'll bring it there when I'm finished. That okay?"

"Better than okay! Thanks, James. I owe you!"

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Back in Winhill, Raine was wondering what kind of mission the Galbadian Army had found for Laguna and Kiros. He took a few odd jobs for them, but for the most part, he was the town monster killer. The only reason he left was for their missions.

She heard little feet run up to her and turned around to see Elle looking up at her.

"Raine, where is Uncle Lagooona? I miss him."

"Don't use baby talk, Elle! But I miss him too. Say, what do you think about Laguna? Is he a decent guy whenever he isn't around me? Wait, don’t answer that. What am I thinking?" she said as she walked away. "A big city guy can't live for long in a little country town. He needs to get out in the action every once in a while. He wouldn't be able to live here forever."

She closed the bar down early. Hardly anyone came on Mondays anyway. And it was raining, so hardly anyone went outside either. A nice quiet night in her room seemed very relaxing. She looked out the side window that viewed the hills behind the town. Rain was creating little rivers in the tall grass, and she wondered at the last time it had been cut. It had a certain mystery to it as it flowed in the wind, silver shimmers glided across the blades. Soon, Raine was lost in daydreams. She could see herself and Laguna together. She was in his arms, holding him very close, looking at a ring on her finger.

A soft tapping at her door brought her out of her dreams. "Raine, come tuck me in, I can't sleep without it."

"Hmm? Oh, sure thing, Elle, I'm coming."

Once Ellone was asleep, Raine returned to her room. It was close to ten o'clock, but she still wasn't tired. Her thoughts returned to her dreams earlier. "What if he does ask me?" she thought "What would I say?" Her mind stayed on that thought for a long time. If he were to ask her, would she be able to tell him yes? Did she love him enough? Well, one thing was for sure: Ellone wouldn't lie to her about him being a nice guy. Elle knew that she liked him, she knew before Raine herself could tell. She was a very perceptive child. Of course she was, she had special powers and there was really no way of telling what all they did. As she laid down in bed, thinking of nothing but Laguna's face for once, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

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James had finished Laguna's ring earlier than expected. It only took him four days to complete the beautiful masterpiece.

"And since it's an engagement ring, I made a plain gold one for you, no charge."

"Wow, this is a surprise! Thank you very much! They’re magnificent! Thank you!!"

"Not much trouble, I was working on a bed and had all of my tools out anyway. See, I'm getting a room ready for when the orphanage finally calls us. We're getting a son soon."

"Wow, that's a big step. Good luck, I hope he turns out just like you. We're in a hurry though, so we've gotta rush. Thanks again, James. I hope you have a wonderful family." Laguna clasped arms with the man, not knowing that in a little over a month, he would be called to serve in the Galbadian Army. He would be able to visit his family, of course, but he would only be able to see his son once, with hair of the same yellow as him, before he never returned to the peaceful city.

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The train ride back was very calm, Kiros was very tired and slept the whole way back. Laguna couldn't calm himself down enough to sleep. He knew Kiros would sleep until he woke him, so he wasn't worried about bothering him. He took the rings out of his pocket and looked at them. Perfect. He slipped his own work of art onto his finger and saw that it fit perfectly, too. James did a magnificent job on them. It was definitely worth the money. He would have to send James a check when he saved up some more Gil to repay him for the excellent job. He turned Raine's ring over in his fingers and glanced at the small angel wings on the inside. It was absolutely beautiful, just the ring he was looking for. One of a kind and the most beautiful piece of jewelry he had ever seen. He couldn't wait to slip it on her finger.

Then he started thinking, "How am I going to ask her?" She wouldn't say yes very easily. If she thought it was a trick or he wasn't sincere enough, she wouldn't accept, he knew that for sure. He had to make it very romantic and very random so that she wouldn't suspect anything.

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By the time the train pulled into the station, Laguna had the whole thing planned out. That night, when the moon was just over the hills, he would step out secretively so that Raine, who was always observant, would follow him out of curiosity. Or, at least, he hoped she would. Ellone would be asleep by then, so she wouldn't try to follow Raine. Then he could just put it on her finger. He wouldn't have to say anything, luckily, so he wouldn't be able to screw it up with his stuttering. It would be perfect, or as close to it as he could get.

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"Next stop, Timber Station. I repeat, next stop, Timber Station." The conductor's voice echoed through all the cars, just loud enough to wake Kiros. The first thing he saw was Laguna, sitting and staring at something in his hand. He looked like he was off in a trance or something.

"Maybe he really is in love. I mean, I've never seen him like this, even when he was with Julia. I don’t think I've ever seen the look in his eyes that's there now. I hope I did the right thing in suggesting this marriage. If I was wrong, he'll never forget it."

"Laguna. Hey, man, wake up. We're about to stop at Timber."

"I was awake, Kiros. I just can't stop thinking about how Raine is gonna react to this. This is a big thing, a very big thing. Marriage is forever you know, and I want it so badly I can't stand it. But Raine.... I'm worried about what she's gonna say."

The two stepped off the train and rented another car. The drive beck was just as boring as the train ride for Kiros. He wouldn't let Laguna drive for fear of him going into another daydream and driving off the road. He was glad he did. Once they got a couple miles away from Timber, he couldn't even talk to Laguna he was so far gone.

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"Raine, when's Lagooona gonna come back? I miss him."

"I know Ellone, but it's your bedtime. I've let you stay up late three days already waiting for him, now tonight you have to follow the rules. But if he comes back, I'll make sure and have him wake you up and tell you goodnight. Alright?"

"Okay. Oyasumi nasai, Raine."

Once she was sure Elle was in her room, she walked over to her window. It was a beautiful night, the moon would be out soon and the valley would be filled with its silvery rays. But her mind kept going back to Laguna. She was getting worried about him. He had been gone for nearly a week now. What did the army want him for anyway? He had already told them that he quit. When were they going to leave him alone, and when was he going to stop taking up their odd jobs?

It was then that she saw something coming over the hill. A car. They never got any visitors in Winhill, especially visitors who could afford to rent cars. There was only one thing it could be. Laguna was back! She couldn't believe it. She wanted to run down and jump into his arms, but she didn't know whether or not they would welcome her in the way she wanted. Her feelings for Laguna were still mixed, and she didn’t know how to react, so she just stood there, staring out her window, watching his every move.

"Well, aren't you even going to welcome me home?" Raine had been watching for him so closely outside that she didn't hear him walk up the stairs. "I've been gone for six days, and not even a 'Hello?'"

"Sorry, Laguna, I guess I didn't hear you come in. Did you have a nice trip? Lots of new stories for Elle I suppose. She loves to hear about all you did with the army."

"Well, actually, it had nothing to do with the army. But right now I"m...I'm going for a walk. See you in the morning!" And with that, he left her with her curiosity, hoping that she would follow him. She never did. He walked all the way out to the hills and looked into her window, now far enough to look like a speck. He could still see Raine's shadow in the light of her bedroom window. So, she was interested in where he was. That was a start anyway.

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The next day, Ellone practically gave Laguna a black eye jumping on him. "Uncle Lagooona!!! Uncle Lagooona!! Yoor bak!! Yoor bak!!"

"Yes, Elle, yes. I'm back. Now, what do you think Uncle Laguna has brought you back this time? A...doll maybe?" And he pulled the little toy out of his pocket. "I couldn't just come back empty handed, now could I?" he asked Raine innocently. "What would poor Elle think if her Uncle Lagooona didn’t bring anything back for her after being gone for a week?"

"That her Uncle LAGUNA was thinking about her and knew about all her other toys and knew she didn't need any more to spoil her. And I've asked you a million times, don't baby talk around Ellone!" She continued wiping down the tables in the bar and putting fresh flowers in the cups in the center. "Oh well, he is kinda cute, always bringing back a gift for Elle. Maybe I should be a little easier on him from now on. He was only trying to be nice."

Laguna and Kiros had gone out to kill off the monsters that had entered the town while they were gone. There were always more around when they had been gone for a while. They stayed out fighting all day and killed a record of 47 since they first came to town. Laguna knew Elle would be happy that she could go out and play tomorrow. That night, he decided that once Elle was asleep, he would try his plan again.

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Around nine, an hour after Elle's bedtime, Laguna peeked into Raine's room. She was staring out her window at the stars, waiting to see the moon. It was her favorite sight to see, so every night she would stare out her window and wait for it to rise over the hills so the valley could see it. It was so close over Winhill, closer than anywhere else in the world. You felt like if you could reach just a few feet higher, you could touch it. Once it was directly overhead, it almost covered the sky completely over the valley. The craters were very big and very beautiful. They had even adopted the man in the moon as one of the village's protectors, with Laguna being the other. They had a festival once a year to honor the moon, the night the moon was closest. It lasted all night, and Raine even allowed Elle to stay up and enjoy the festivities. It was about a month away, and Laguna decided that if Raine wasn't curious enough tonight to follow him, he would give up for now and ask her at the festival.

He walked out of his apartment and made sure he was in sight of her window before setting off. He knew she would see him tonight. He walked straight towards the hill the moon would rise over. He looked over his shoulder every now and then to see if she was still there. She was black against the soft yellow light emerging from the window. He walked on, hoping that she would notice him tonight more than ever. Looking back, though, the light from her window had gone out. Well, of course it had, the moon was over the hills now, so she probably went to sleep. He stopped and stood there, gazing at the magnificent sight in front of him. "Why won't she follow? Usually she wouldn't let me out the door without a decent explanation. What's so different this time?

"Laguna? What are you doing out of bed this late at night?" Raine had been watching him for about five minutes. He was just standing there. She had never seen him so still. He hadn't even heard her walk up, it startled him so much that he jumped! "You've been out for two nights now. What's so wrong that you can't talk to me about it?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong. Don't worry about it. I'll be back to town soon." He turned his back to her and walked slowly away, hoping his leg wouldn't start cramping. He fumbled in his pocket and gripped the ring tightly in his shaking fingers.

"Come on, you can tell me. Please, Laguna? It will make you feel better to tell me."

And with that, he pulled the ring out of his pocket, turned around, took her hand, and slipped it onto her finger. It looked so beautiful on her, even more than it did when he had held it in his hands. She looked at it, confused. Did she understand? He held up his hand with his own ring on his finger. She did the same, tears now welling up in her eyes. She understood perfectly. The biggest smile Laguna had ever seen crossed her face. She looked so beautiful, the ring on her finger, the moon shining off her hair, and tears streaming down her smiling face. The only thing she could do was fall into his arms. Laguna held her so tightly. He never wanted to let her go. He had dreamt about holding her many times, wanted to grab her and not let her go. Now he could, and he didn't, not for a long time. His dreams had come true. His plan had worked just as he wanted it to. "I love you, Raine," he finally got out.

"I love you, too, Laguna."

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The wedding was held at the Moon Festival, flowers filling Raine's hair, white flowers from the old lady's shop to match her white dress. Elle was in light pink and scattered rose petals down the aisle where Rain would walk to Laguna. It was perfect.

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A year later, Laguna was on a mission to save Ellone. She had been taken by Adel's army to receive the sorceress's powers, and he wasn't going to allow it. He found her and sent her back to Winhill while he was forced to stay and stop Adel's reign of power. She had gained too much control in the world and it was time to put a stop to it.

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When he returned home, the town was in tears. He couldn't understand why. He walked past their tear filled faces to the bar where he knew Raine was waiting. He opened the door slowly and looked around the place he now called home.

"It's messy. Raine must have had the baby and not had time to clean!"

"Raine! Raine!" he called as he raced up the stairs. He looked around their bedroom, but no one was there. He searched his old apartment next door. They had been talking about moving in over there to live, maybe she went ahead and did it while he was away. When he couldn't find her there, he went door to door, but all he got out of his neighbors were tearful apologies. He finally went to see the doctor and was welcomed inside.

"Laguna, while you were gone, Raine had a beautiful baby boy. But she also had complications after the birth. With some mothers, they aren't strong enough to give birth to a child and still have enough strength left to survive themselves. She lived for about a week after your son was born. Ellone got back in time to see them both. She cared for Raine and the baby all she could. I'm so sorry."

Laguna sat there, tears filling his eyes. How could this have happened? Why had he stayed to fight Adel? Why didn't he leave it to Esthar to take care of? Why?! Wait, if Elle was back in time...

"Where is Ellone? And my son? Where are they?"

"Laguna, the Esthar Soldiers came back. Raine, right before she died, sent them to a safe place. She knew a woman who ran an orphanage, but she wouldn't tell any of us where it was or who the woman is. She didn't want us knowing so that the Estharians couldn't drag it out of us and get to them. Again, I'm very sorry Laguna, I know it must be hard."

"Then there is one thing you can tell me," he managed through his tears. "What is my son's name? This way, if I ever do find him, I'll know he's my son."

"Raine and Ellone decided on Squall. I think it's a lovely name, don't you?"

"Squall... Yes, Squall is a wonderful name." He got up and walked out. "Thank you, doctor," he whispered right before he closed the door behind him. He walked out to the hill where the doctor told him Raine was buried.

"She requested to be buried here. Don’t know why though," he remembered him saying. He knew. He remembered every detail of that night. The moon, the hills, her face glittering with tears, and holding her close for the first time.

She had been buried in the very place where he had proposed.