Chapter One: Bracelets, T-Rexaurs and the Island Closest to Hell
Selphie swung her nunchaku expertly, while glancing nervously down at her wristwatch. 8:55 p.m. Five more minutes and she would be locked within the Balamb Garden. What a perfect time for her to lose that freakin' bracelet, right before they close the Training Center for renovations and new monsters.
The T-Rexaur roared, lashing its tail angrily. Who was this small creature that menacingly trudged into his territory? This was his area and he was the king; no one messed with him! He moved forward, sending another tree crashing to the earth. Selphie screamed and leapt backwards, nearly missing being crushed by the tree.
Selphie gulped. Never had she been able to defeat such a large monster on her own. Usually Zell or Irvine went to the training area with her to protect her from T-Rexaurs. But now...she was alone. And in trouble. She backed away from the steadily approaching monster.
Selphie stifled a scream as she felt her bare back touch the steel walls of the training center. Her halter-top fluttered lightly from the rancid breath of the monster as it brought its head down. The large pearly teeth grazed Selphie's shoulder. In the corner of her eye, she could see the silvery glint of her bracelet trapped between the monster's teeth. She screamed, her face turning blue. What would she do? What could she do?
She closed her eyes and slid to the floor. The monster withdrew its head, only to bring it back at her. Selphie waited for the searing pain of the teeth around her middle, tearing her to pieces. It never came. The T-Rexaur roared - in pain.
"Get outta there!" An annoyed voice yelled. Selphie climbed to her feet and ran away from the monster and her hero. She hid behind a tree and watched in awe as Seifer defeated the monstrosity. She sighed a breath of relief. What would she have done without him? She smiled and made her way over to the panting warrior. Selphie opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.
"C'mon! The doors are closing!" Seifer grabbed her firmly, but gently around the wrist and pulled her to the front of the training center. They could see the large steel doors beginning to close. "RUN!" Seifer yelled. They ran as fast as they could towards the quickly closing doors. But they were too late. Seifer groaned and put a hand on his forehead. Selphie's jaw dropped. She banged her tiny fists on the door, screaming. "Let us OUUUTTT!" She gave up and slumped to the floor.
"I think we are locked in..." She murmured. He rolled his eyes.
"Ya think?" He snapped. "If it wasn't for you, I would be on my way to Deling to get a few drinks and relax. No! You had to lose your stupid jewelry and get in a fight with some damn dinosaur! Then I had to come get you, and you get us both locked in here! What is wrong with you! You could have gotten the damn thing when you got back from vacation!" He roared, voice nearly as loud as that of the now dead monster.
Selphie's lip trembled. "It-It-It was the bracelet that...that...Irvine gave me before he went back to Galbadia Garden...It means a lot to me." Her normally shocking-green eyes were now a dull shade of green. She hung her head and held back the tears.
Seifer scratched the back of his head. Now, he had gotten her started. He pulled the silver trinket from his pocket and dangled it in front of her face. "Here...I got it from that dino." He tossed it at her, picked up his Hyperion and moved back further in the training center.
Selphie wiped her eyes and clasped the bracelet around her wrist. She called out faintly. "Thank you..."
"Agh." Seifer replied from the base of a nearby tree.
Selphie cried out in pain. The fright of being locked in had made her forget her wound. But now that the fear was gone, the pain seared and burned.
Seifer moved back over to her. He knelt in front of her, grabbed her roughly by the wrist and straightened her injured arm. He ignored her shrieks of pain. He turned her arm slightly, examining the damage. "It's a little cut, not that deep. We'll just bandage it and let it be." Seifer stood again and ripped a piece off of the bottom of his shirt. Selphie could see his bellybutton and the perfectly toned skin. He wrapped the strip of cloth on her arm tightly and tied it. He gently lowered her arm. His gaze caught hers for a brief moment. Then he trudged off again.
"Thank you, again." She called out.
"Yea, sure." He called back. He disappeared behind the tree again. Selphie fingered her bandage. The dark blue shirt with a bit of the white cross. Was this really Seifer? Why was he being so kind?
"Seifer?" She called quietly.
"What the hell do you want now?" He shouted, flinging his blade to the side from his spot at the tree.
"How long did Squall say renovations were going to take?" She watched as Seifer climbed to his feet and headed her way. He pulled her to her feet and held his face an inch from hers, his eyes cold and serious.
"One week, Selphie. And within that week, they are going to be putting some pretty nasty monsters in here. Remember those monsters you guys gallantly fought at Edea's castle?" She nodded, her eyes wide at Seifer's grave tone. "They're gonna be put in here. And have you heard of the Island Closest to Hell?" She squeaked this time. "Yeah, it's going to be pretty nasty." He smirked at her and walked away, as she slid back to the ground.
So much for him being nice. But she wasn't thinking of Seifer's manners anymore; she was trying to figure out how she could survive a week trapped in a Training Center flooded with the world's strongest monsters?