A/N-This is just a short fic I'm hoping you guys will like! Happy Holidays! Don't forget to review! Tee-hee!
*Snowflakes*
Christmas. What a wonderful word. It meant presents, family, food, and most importantly, a god damn break. Squall Leonhart sighed contentedly into his pillow, his unruly chestnut locks covering his face. Nope, he wouldn't be getting up early this morning. For today, Balamb Garden's commander would sleep in and be grateful for the holidays.
BOOM!
Annoyed, the stone lion arched a regal eyebrow, closing his eyes tighter.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
This person just didn't know when to quit. Growling, he slid off of his enticingly warm bed and walked grumpily towards the door, looking through his peep hole with his frustrated blue eyes. He was greeted by a cheery looking martial artist, who was grinning and waving at the peep hole. Sighing, Squall opened the door slightly, peering out at his comrade with a death glare.
"What do you want, Zell."
The blonde man seemed
unfazed by the glare he was receiving. "Goooooooood
morning, Squall!" His voice boomed loudly into Squall's ears, making him
wince. "Hey, what are you still doing in bed? Tch!
You're supposed to be a role model, man! C'mon! Get dressed! We're all waiting
for ya in the cafeteria!" Zell
flashed a grin at his annoyed friend. Squall replied by happily slamming the wooden door in Zell's
face. "Atta boy!" Zell grinned naively and leaned against the wall next to
the door patiently. Minutes passed and Zell arched a
fair eyebrow, checking his watch.
Fifteen minutes…
Finally, something clicked inside the blonde man's brain and he started banging against the door once more. "Awww!! C'mon Squall! Get your ass out of that bed! Er…I'll knock this door down and drag you if I have to!" He chuckled embarrassedly as some SeeD candidates walked by, giving him odd glances.
"Fine you asked for it! Oh Irviiinnnnneeeee!" Suddenly, the sharpshooter appeared out of nowhere, a huge smirk plastered onto his handsome features.
"Yes, Zell?"
"Help me knock down this door and drag Mr. Leonhart out."
"Ok."
A moment of silence passed ("For a dramatic effect!" Zell had said) before a war cry was heard and Zell started kicking the door, every time the wood crunching from the blows.
"Um….Zell?"
"WHHHAATTT?!
I'M BUSY, IRVINE! HIYA!"
"We could just use my gun…"
"HIY—what? Oh, ehehe…yah, yah. Go ahead."
BANG.
A hole appeared next to the doorknob and a gloved hand appeared soon after, twisting the lock. The sniper and the martial artist jumped into the room, one looking sort of animal-like, blue eyes darting quickly back and forth while the other stood calm, looking around the room suspiciously.
"Hey…where is he?" No sooner had Zell spoken when a strong gloved hand pushed both men to the floor, and the sound of combat boots running over them in a hurried attempt to run away rang in their ears.
"Zell! He's getting away!" Squall had started to run in the opposite direction of the cafeteria, fully dressed and dragging his pillow with him. SeeDs and SeeD candidates alike looked at their running commander with interest, laughing and looking completely perplexed. Irvine stood up quickly, grabbing Zell's hand as the blonde man moaned and rubbed his stomach where the commander had run over him. "Let's go! He's headed for the Quad!"
And so, the hunt, er, chase, began.
Not being able to control himself, Zell cackled evilly as he ran alongside Irvine, screaming, "Come out, come out, wherever you are! You can run but you can't hide!" Irvine looked at his comrade oddly, shaking his head and looking ahead once more. They soon entered the Quad and nodded towards one another. Taking on serious expressions, the two departed, searching the huge area. Zell leaned against a wall, trying to blend in with the blue tile, and peered around the corner furtively before running ahead. He hid behind a tree and made chipmunk noises as an instructor walked by, raising a questioning eyebrow in his direction.
Meanwhile, Irvine was checking all the storage closets and secret hiding places he could remember, asking wandering people if they had seen their commander. Some just smiled secretively and shook their heads, then walked off laughing. Sighing, Irvine walked ahead and then suddenly stopped. This was it. This was the last place to look. He had to be in there. Growing anxious, Irvine looked around for his comrade. He spotted Zell opening the very first door near the entrance, screaming "AHA! I FOUND YOU, SQUALL!" before looking confused, shrugging, and going to the next door.
"Psst! Zell! Over here! I found Squall!" Irvine whispered fiercely, waving his arms frantically to get his friend's attention. Apparently, Zell didn't get the message, as he just waved towards Irvine frantically in return, looking bemused. Smacking his face, Irvine pointed to himself, then towards the door, and made a thumbs up sign. Zell got the message and pumped a fist quietly in the air jumping up and down happily. The martial artist ran hurriedly towards the sniper and stopped right before the door, an evil smile on his face.
"Hello, Squall."
"Leave me alone, Zell," Squall's muffled reply came. Frowning, Zell huffed indignantly and wondered what to do. He'd already brutally murdered Squall's dorm door, and these doors didn't come cheap. Suddenly, a sinister smile formed on the martial artist's face.
"Selphie told me that you'd do something like that! And she said that if you didn't come willingly, then I must take drastic measures…"
No reply.
"What? Am I not a threatening person?"
"Apparently not."
"Grrrrr……Shaddap, Irvine."
"Ah, just get to your 'drastic' threat already!"
"Fine!" Turning towards the waiting door, Zell smiled sweetly even though he knew Squall couldn't see it. I'll sing…" he said in a singsong voice. Getting no reply, he grinned wider.
Finally! Someone who wants to listen to my caroling!
"Silent…er…what's the word..? Oh yeah! Silent night!!! " Irvine's eyes widened and he plugged his ears, walking away and leaning against a far away wall. "Wait! That was a practice demo! Lemme start over! Ok…*ahem* Silent night! Holy night! All is calm…er…heh heh… just kidding! Lemme start again!" Zell sang in a strangled voice.
Suddenly, the door swung open with force, wind lightly brushing Zell's massive hair. The commander stood before his shorter friend, scowling. "Wow! That took twenty seconds!" Zell congratulated his annoyed friend. Growling, the commander swung his fluffy pillow into Zell's face, feathers flying everywhere.
"Whose idea was this to get me up?!"
"Ack! S-Selphie's! She said she had something important to tell you!" Zell screamed, winking twice.
Squall rolled his eyes at the silent gesture.
"…Let's go, Zell."
//*//**//***//****//*****
At the same time in the cafeteria, the girls were chatting away.
"Hey, I have this idea!" Selphie chirped, clapping her hands together.
"Don't you always…" Rinoa and Quistis replied at the same time.
"Hmph! Well, you know that dance we always have at the Quad?" Both girls nodded.
"Well, I think that this year, the girls should ask the guys to go with them by placing a Holy Stone in front of them or something sweet like that!" Quistis blanched and Rinoa's eyes widened.
"Selphie, maybe it should be something less powerful. I mean, what if the stone exploded or was activated?" Quistis said wisely.
"You're always the voice of reason, eh?" Selphie said, sighing. Suddenly, her dazzling green eyes shone and she clapped her hands giddily. "What about an Aura Stone?" Quistis seemed to think about it before slowly nodding.
"That can't be dangerous…alright."
"Woo-hoo! This is going to be SO cool! Ooh! Bing, bing! Another idea! And the guy has to give her a snowflake necklace in return to show that she is taken or something! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!" At the sound of Selphie's maniac laugh, both girls toppled over their chairs, plugging their wounded eardrums.
//*//**//***//****//*****
Ten minutes later, the three other comrades arrived at the cafeteria, one looking quite chipper, one looking slightly bored, and the other looking ready to kill. Zell plopped into a chair next to Quistis who was grading exams, Irvine next to Selphie, and Squall next to Rinoa, who smiled at him.
"Good morning, Squall! You look tired," Rinoa said lightly, continuing her meal of chicken salad.
"I am," Squall muttered, sending a second death glare towards Zell, who was taking animatedly with Selphie. Grr…Selphie. It's all her fault that I didn't get to sleep in. Did I really have to get up this early to work on the plan with her? She needs to suffer… Getting an idea, Squall internally smiled maliciously and turned towards Selphie. "Hey, Selphie." The hyperactive brunette whirled around to face Squall.
"Yah?" she asked, her high-pitched and perky voice squeaking.
"Thanks to you, I got a full dose of Zell's singing…skills…and I think he would make a great contribution to your Garden Caroling Committee." Selphie blanched, turning towards Zell who had a huge grin plastered on his face.
"You think so, Squall? Thanks, man! How about it, Selphie! C'mon, in the spirit of Christmas!" the martial artist gave his friend an earsplitting grin, eyes wide and hopeful. Selphie's smile faltered and she turned to Squall, glaring as she saw a small smirk appear. She squinted her green eyes at him, hoping that her *psychic* powers would be able to give Squall her thoughts. Argh! I'll get you for this!
"Er…Selph? What are you doing…?" Zell lightly poked his friend in the back, looking confused as the short woman squinted harder at Squall.
"Huh? Oh...nothing," Selphie sighed, wondering why her message didn't get through to Squall. "Well, anyways, I have to get to the third floor to report on the Christmas dance!" She waved to her friends, stuck her tongue at Squall, and skipped away to the elevator.
"Hey! What about my position in the GCC?!"
No reply.
"Take it as a 'yes', Zell."
"ALRIGHT!!!"
After a few minutes, Quistis stood up also, shuffling her graded papers.
"Well, I have to go back to my room and work on the Wendigo case in Winhill…" she muttered. She also waved goodbye and walked away, her boots clicking in perfect rhythm. Another minute passed before Zell stood up.
"Well, I'm done! I'm going to—" He was suddenly interrupted as the intercom blasted over everyone's ears and Selphie's perky voice echoed throughout the garden.
"HELLLOOOO BALAMB GARDEN! JUST WANTED TO TALK TO YA'LL ABOUT THE UPCOMING CHRISTMAS DANCE--!"
"Selphie, lower your voice a little, please." The Headmaster's voice echoed quietly, followed by sheepish laughter.
"Erm…sorry, everyone! Anyways, this year, the girls will have to ask the guys to the dance by finding an Aura Stone and placing it in front of them! Isn't the so cool?!" Groans and whoops of joy filled the academy. "Buuuuttt...if a guy accepts the offer, he has to give the lucky lady a snowflake necklace, to show that she is taken for the dance, okay?!" More groans and dreamy sighs.
"Well, that's about it! Good luck to the ladies! Out!"
Zell glared at the intercom, coughing to get attention back on him. "As I was saying…Well, I'm done! I'm going to go to the Training Center and work on my…er...fists," he finished lamely, walking away. And to make it less obvious, Irvine stood up, towering over the couple.
"I'm going to help Selph with the dance, k? Bye guys," he tipped his hat towards them and winked at Squall who rolled his eyes before exiting the cafeteria. An uncomfortable silence passed between the couple and Squall scratched his neck uneasily, looking anywhere besides Rinoa.
"Look, Rinoa---"
"Hey, Squall---"
Ah great, the whole interrupt each other during an uncomfortable silence deal. Woe is me…
"Rinoa, I'll talk to you later. I have to go talk to Headmaster Cid about trivial…matters," Squall said quietly, mentally smacking himself. Trivial matters?! Shaking his head, he stood up, walking out of the cafeteria and leaving behind a confused and slightly hurt sorceress.
//*//**//***//****//*****
"Argh! Move your foot, Zell!"
"YOU move! I'm trying to see! Damn, why does this have to be so small?!"
"Here, why don't you move towards the bottom, Zell above Selphie, then me, and then Irvine, since he's the tallest."
"Thank you, Quistis!"
The four comrades were right outside the cafeteria doors, trying to peer at the quiet couple a few yards away. They were looking through the small area between the two red double doors, squinting and stepping over each other.
"Ack! This isn't working! Zell's stepping on my leg and you 're kneeling on my foot!"
"Oh, sorry, Selph!" After squabbling and bickering for a few minutes, the doors suddenly opened, knocking all four friends to the floor.
"Ack!"
"Whoa!"
"Ah!"
"Whaa…so, how'd it go?"
"Not good. I told her that I was going to talk to Headmaster Cid about trivial matters." Zell stood up quickly, staring at his friend, goggle-eyed.
"TRIVIAL?! MAN! Good going! What's she gonna think?!"
"Shut up, Zell! Someone will hear you!" Irvine hissed, nervously glancing towards the cafeteria doors.
"Oh, sorry. Sorry, Squall." Sighing, the commander combed his gloved hand through his brown locks, looking down.
"Well, it doesn't matter. It's already been done, and there's nothing I can do about it," he muttered, walking away.
"Oh well. Let's get back on track and work on that plan!" Selphie said after a moment of silence passed.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Rinoa had appeared, looking confused, "I thought you all had gone your separate ways…" Everyone started to sweat profusely, exchanging worried glances at one another.
"Erm…BYE!" They all stood up and ran as fast as their little legs could.
"What is going on…?"
//*//**//***//****//*****
A few hours later, the girls were in Quistis's room, talking about random things. The conservation soon turned to the upcoming dance and Selphie and Rinoa wondered how to surprise their boyfriends with an Aura Stone. Selphie turned from her upside down position on the bed and clapped her hands together.
"Ooh! You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to just chuck the darn thing in his face! Just make it simple and hard-to-get!" Rinoa laughed.
"Sure, Selphie. Well, I'm still not sure how I'm going to do it. I want it to be really special, but knowing Squall, I don't want it to be too mushy." Quistis and Selphie exchanged a smile.
"Well…I think that you should just give it to him. The stone itself is already special, and he does like things simple, so there you have it!" Selphie said, followed by Quistis nodding.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, you guys," Rinoa smiled. She pulled out the Aura Stone from her dark shorts, examining it closely. Yes, it was just perfect. Smiling, Rinoa stood up from the beanbag chair. "I'll just get this over with and ask Squall. Wish me luck, guys!"
"Good luck!" Selphie cheered as the door closed. "Excellent…" she whispered, rubbing her hands together. Quistis laughed and rolled her eyes, chucking a pillow in her friend's direction. "Hey!" And so, a pillow fight engaged.
//*//**//***//****//*****
Rinoa walked through the halls of Balamb Garden, smiling and confident. She turned a corner and came upon Zell and Rikki, the library girl with a pigtail, and curiously watched, smiling slightly. Rikki nervously played with her hair, rummaging in her library uniform.
"H-Hey, Zell," she spoke shyly, holding an object in her hand.
"Yo, Rikki! Sup?" Zell asked casually, grinning naively. His blue eyes widened as Rikki opened her right hand and showed him the glowing Aura Stone. She turned away from him, hair covering her expression.
"I-if you don't want to go with me, I understand," she whispered, her hand shaking. Suddenly, a warm hand covered her outstretched one and she looked up to meet Zell's warm blue eyes.
"Rikki, I'd love to go with you." The library girl laughed and hugged him tightly, cause Zell to stumble a little, before he grinned and happily returned the gesture. Rinoa smiled and walked up to Zell, tapping him on the back.
"I'm happy for you, Zell. Congratulations, Rikki! You guys are going to look so cute together!" She squealed happily, and grinned as Rikki's blush deepened. She winked at Zell who smiled back and continued her walk to Squall's room.
//*//**//***//****//*****
Squall was reading the book When T-Rexaur met Ochu when the phone rang. Sighing, he bookmarked the page and tossed it onto his nightstand, picking up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Squall. Irvine here. Zell's not here yet. Rikki stopped him, so we might have a little delay. Meet us at the parking lot, k?"
"Right. I'll see you there." He hung up the phone and put on his bomber jacket, checking his reflection in the mirror before opening the door, coming face to face with Rinoa.
//*//**//***//****//*****
After two more minutes, Rinoa stood in front of her boyfriend's room, fist poised to knock. She breathed in deeply. Stop being so nervous! It's not like he's going to say no…
Just when she was about to knock, the door opened, and chocolate brown met ice blue.
"Rinoa? What are you doing here?" Rinoa was speechless. Argh! C'mon! Make some noise! ANYTHING!
"H-hey, Squall. Can I come in? I need to talk to you." Rinoa managed a small smile and played with the rings on her necklace, looking at anything but him.
"Sure." Damn! Why can't I talk like that? Easy and unconcerned. ARGH!!! The young sorceress entered the room and sat down on a nearby chair, wondering why it was suddenly so friggin hot in here.
"Um…" Rinoa started as Squall sat down on the bed and stared at her, attention focused. "It's not really that important, but…" She inhaled deeply and brought out the Aura Stone, smiling slightly. "Go with me?" Squall's eyes widened marginally before he crossed his arms and looked away.
"…Rinoa. I don't know what to say, but I can't go…with you," he looked at her, confirming his thoughts. She was shocked.
"..Why?" Squall looked away again. Damn, I didn't think it would be this hard…
"I just can't. I'm sorry, Rinoa." He stood up and walked out quickly, afraid to look back and see Rinoa's tearstained face.
Perfect. Why does this plan have to make her cry…?
//*//**//***//****//*****
Rinoa still sat on the chair in Squall's room, stunned and extremely hurt. She had just been rejected by her boyfriend. Hands trembling, she glanced at the glowing Aura Stone and sobbed, chucking the stone at the wall. Wiping her tears, she ran from the room, making hasty apologies as she bumped into random people. She finally ended up in front of Quistis's room once more and knocked repeatedly, not stopping when the door opened. She continued to bang her pale fists against Quistis until she couldn't anymore, collapsing in her friend's arms and sobbing. Looking bewildered, Quistis motioned Selphie over and shut the door.
"Rinoa…? What's wrong? What happened?" Quistis asked, brushing a stray piece of midnight hair from her friend's teary face. Selphie quietly brought over a washcloth and handed it to Quistis who gratefully accepted it and dried Rinoa's tears. After a few minutes of hiccupping incessantly, Rinoa quieted down and sighed heavily, leaning against Quistis's comforting grip.
"I was rejected…And he didn't say why," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "HYNE! I'm such a baby!" she furiously wiped away her tears from her red eyes.
"No, no you're not, Rinoa! He has to have had a reason! And it better be a good one!" Selphie huffed, trying to cheer up her saddened friend. Rinoa smiled slightly and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right, Selphie…I guess."
"Hey, don't doubt Squall like that. I'm sure he had a good reason," Quistis said, smiling. Rinoa nodded. The three friends stayed quiet like that for a few minutes.
"Hey, I have a great idea! You know what always cheers me up? SHOPPING!!!!" Selphie cheered, grinning. Quistis nodded also and the two women waited expectantly for Rinoa's answer.
"…I'd like that. Where to?" Quistis and Selphie exchanged a smile.
"Deling, anyone?"
//*//**//***//****//*****
Squall arrived at the parking lot a few minutes later, searching for the sharpshooter.
"Over here, Squall!" Irvine's voice echoed throughout the place. Squall rolled his cerulean eyes.
"Can you be more precise?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm next to the fucking Ragnarok, Squall! How can you NOT see me?!" Squall rolled his eyes again and walked towards the huge spaceship, its ominous face sneering down at him. Irvine jumped down from the wing, landing next to Squall like a cat.
"I take it your conversation with Rinoa didn't go too well?" Squall shook his head. The cowboy sighed. "It's alright, Squall. It's part of the plan. You gotta remember that." After a few minutes, Zell arrived at the parking lot, looking extremely pleased with himself.
"Ha. Ha. HA! I got myself a date!" He whooped happily.
"Lemme guess. Rikki?" The commander and sniper said at the same time, smirking.
"Hey…how'd you know?" he asked suspiciously.
"Zell, it's so obvious. You guys have liked each other since…oh, I don't know…forever? Right, Squall?" The stone lion nodded, smirking slightly. Zell huffed and crossed his arms.
"Tch. Whatever! Well anyways, on our way to the flower field, can we stop by Deling? I need to get a snowflake necklace for Rikki…"
"Zell! Why today?! You know the girls are taking Rinoa there!" Zell scratched his head sheepishly.
"Yeah, I know, Irvine. It's just that the store that sells the snowflakes closes today for the holidays, so…you know. Man, I'm sorry, guys." Squall shook his head.
"It's ok, Zell. We'll just have disguise ourselves."
//*//**//***//****//*****
After the girls were dressed appropriately for the weather in Deling, they marched off to the parking lot to take a SeeD car to the train station. Rinoa had asked why they couldn't use the Ragnarok, but her friends had just laughed nervously and said there were technical problems with the ship and that it was being repaired in Esthar.
As they walked down the halls, Rinoa saw tons of girls holding out Aura Stones to their potential dates, and their shouts and cries of glee as they were given beautiful snowflake necklaces. She smiled sadly and turned away quickly following her friends. They soon arrived at the parking lot and chose a slick ruby red Maserati Spyder. They climbed into the expensive car, Quistis at the wheel, Selphie calling shotgun and Rinoa in the back. As soon as everyone had their seatbelts in place, Quistis turned the car on and they sped off towards the train station. After a few minutes, Rinoa decided to start a conversation.
"So…Selphie. Have you asked Irvine to the dance, yet?"
"…No, Rinoa. We're not going to the dance. We're going somewhere else. You know, a surprise," Selphie replied, smirking with Quistis.
"Oh? Where to?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?"
"…Um…maybe?"
"Yeah, I guess. But I can't tell you."
"…Why not?"
"Oh look! A baby chicobo!" Quistis interrupted, glaring at her short friend. Immediately, Rinoa's attention was diverted as she cooed at the hopping bird as its mother chased it around.
"That was a close one, Selphie."
"What'd you say, Quistis?"
"Er…we're getting closer to the train station."
"Oh, I thought I heard something else."
//*//**//***//****//*****
"Ok, we're in Deling. Here's the plan. Get in, get out, fly AWAY," Irvine said, his long auburn hair tucked into a black hat, dark sunglasses covering his deep violet eyes, along with black jeans and a black shirt that was different from his usual attire. Zell jumped off of the Ragnarok soon after Squall, who was not wearing his usual black jacket. Instead, the commander was dressed in blue denim jeans and a black sweater, black sunglasses hiding his ethereal eyes, his unruly chestnut hair hidden with a Winhill Wendigoes baseball cap. Zell was dressed in white sweatpants and a dark blue hoodie that read I KICK BUTT along with dark blue sunglasses. Both men stared at the martial artist before shaking their hands.
The trio entered the city, looking around furtively before entering Special Gifs of Deling.
"Geez! What a lame title! Couldn't they think of anything else?" Zell whispered. The two other men ignored him, looking around the store and motioning for the martial artist to hurry up. Zell quickly walked up to the store clerk. "Hello, sir! Could you please give me a snowflake necklace?" The store clerk nodded and smiled.
"You're just in luck, young man! This is the very last one!"
"ALRIGHT! I mean, uh, that's great!" The store clerk smiled.
"Must be quite a special someone, eh? Are you going somewhere with her?" Zell grinned.
"Not really, just a dance! But, I'm helping my friend out, here. He wanted to have a special Christmas with his girlfriend, so we made this whole plan and it ends up with him and his girlfriend in the flower field! Isn't that so sweet?!" Irvine gasped and Squall just stared at his friend. Zell paled considerably and chuckled. "What? It's not like he's going to tell anyone, right?" Irvine sighed.
"Zell, just pay for the necklace."
Quickly, Zell paid for the silver necklace and shoved it into his sweatpants' pockets. "Ok, guys! Let's go!" They hurried out of the store, running towards the Ragnarok. Quickly, Irvine turned the spaceship on and they hurriedly flew out of the city, hoping they weren't seen.
//*//***//****//*****
Rinoa was having a blast.
"Thanks for bringing me here, guys! I feel much better!" she giggled as she carried five shopping bags, humming and laughing. Selphie and Quistis laughed along as well, glad that their friend was feeling better. They had stopped at various stores, trying out many articles of clothing and buying what they liked. After a few hours, they were done with their shopping and were now heading back for garden. Suddenly, Rinoa's laughing stopped. Confused, Quistis and Selphie turned around to see what had caused their friend's silence.
"What is that?" Rinoa whispered, wind brushing her hair into her face.
"Huh?" Quistis asked, looking up as well. And she gasped. Selphie looked up and bit back an enraged scream.
"WHHHAAAA!!! It's nothing, Rinoa!!" Selphie squealed and tried to block Rinoa's vision.
"It's the Ragnarok. What's it doing here? Why'd you guys lie to me?" Rinoa whispered. Her friends remained silent.
"Answer me!" Selphie flinched. "Fine, if you guys won't tell me, I'll find out myself. I'm following it," the sorceress said coldly, dropping her bags and running off. Smacking her face, Selphie groaned.
"I'm going to kill Irvine! MAN! Now our plan is ruined!"
"Not quite, Selphie."
//*//**//***//****//*****
Rinoa ran through the streets of Deling, wondering how she was going to track down the Ragnarok. She decided that the best she could do was ask if anyone had seen the Ragnarok, or if they knew where it was headed. After countless failed attempts, Rinoa sighed and covered her face with her hands.
"This is so hopeless. Merry Christmas to me…"
"Um, excuse me, Missy. Is something the matter?" Rinoa looked up to see an elderly man smiling gently down at her. Well, it's worth a try.
"Have you seen any suspicious person or persons around here, flying on a spaceship called the Ragnarok?" The old man scratched his head and then shook it.
"I'm sorry, Missy. I'm not so sure about suspicious. Just a while ago three men entered my store and one of them asked me for a snowflake necklace! Then he just babbled about romantic stuff…I forget; I'm getting old. He was pretty lucky, seeing as he got the last one!" The man chuckled. Rinoa's eyes widened.
"…Snowflake necklace?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, did they say anything about where they were going?" The elder scratched his balding head once more.
"Ah! Yes, something about a flower field. Why?" He looked back down to see that the occupant wasn't there anymore. Sighing, he sat down on the bench. "Kids these days," he muttered.
//*//**//***//****//****
Rinoa ran to the train station as fast as her legs could carry her. What's Squall doing at the flower field…? Why's he with Zell and Irvine? Why was Selphie trying to stop me from seeing the Ragnarok? What is going on? Millions of confused thoughts ran through the sorceress's mind as she hastily paid for a ticket to Edea's House (it had become a tourist attraction after the Second Sorceress's War). She slumped into a seat and waited impatiently for the train to stop.
//*//**//***//****//*****
After Rinoa
had run off, Quistis had immediately dialed Irvine's cell phone.
"Hello?" came his voice, along with a few static-y noises. Selphie grabbed the phone from the blonde woman.
"Irvine! You're in BIG trouble! Rinoa just spotted the Ragnarok and she's trying to find out what's going on! Hey, what were you guys doing here anyway?"
"Oh, shit! Well, Zell had to buy a snowflake necklace for Rikki. I'm sorry, Selph. Either way, Rinoa ends up at the flower field, you know? It's going to be ok." Selphie sighed.
"Alright. It's just that I wanted the perfect ending!" She pouted, smiling slightly. Irvine chuckled.
"Ok, we're landing at Edea's House. I'll see you soon, Selphie. Bye."
"Bye, Irvine." She hung up, handing the phone to Quistis. "Ah well! C'mon, Quistis! We gotta beat Rinoa to the flower field!"
"Um, how?"
"Well, I thought that if this plan backfired, we should have some sort of easy transportation, so I pulled a few wires and Laguna leant me a plane!" Selphie winked. "Plus, either way we would have to ride it because I really wanted to!" Quistis laughed and pushed her friend.
"Come on, Selphie. Let's go!"
//*//**//***//****//*****
After changing, the boys landed at the old stone orphanage and quickly jumped off of the huge red plane, running inside the ruins of their home. Zell hopped onto the stage that they had made by clearing away some rubble, and picked up his harmonica, testing the microphone and giving Squall a thumbs up. Irvine hopped on as well and picked up his guitar, smiling.
"You are one lucky guy to have friends like us, Squall." The commander looked at the sniper and smirked.
"I am. Thank you."
"You're welcome! And this time, since we actually practiced, our music is going to sound great!" Zell whooped, pumping a fist into the air. After practicing for a few minutes, the roar of another engine was heard and the boys hurried outside to see Selphie hopping out, followed by Quistis.
"Did we make it before Rinoa?" Selphie asked worriedly, looking around.
"Yes, now hurry up and go put on your instrument!" Irvine smiled and quickly hugged his girlfriend. Selphie nodded and hurried onto the stage, picking up her flute. Quistis walked quickly after, sitting down on the leather bench and practicing on the piano. Irvine walked up to Selphie and shyly tapped her shoulder. He handed her a silver snowflake necklace, smirking. Selphie grinned and put it on, admiring the shining rays as it reflected off of her glowing eyes.
"Thanks, Irvine." She gave him a tight hug, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Irvine grinned, returning the embrace. Suddenly, the sound of a train a few yards away sounded and everyone started to get ready.
"Ok, Squall! Into the flower field! Everyone else, onto the stage!" Quistis ordered. Everyone nodded and hurried to their places. Squall stood alone in the flower field, smiling slightly as snow started to lightly fall, some landing softly on his eyelashes. He looked down at his hand, which was holding a silver snowflake necklace, the thin silver chain shining in its aesthetic glow. He looked back at the orphanage, slightly nervous and waiting.
//*//**//***//****//*****
Rinoa stepped off of the train, shivering slightly. She was wearing denim blue jeans and leather boots. A white fur jacket covered her slim figure, and her hair was let loose, flying freely. She determinedly walked towards the orphanage. As she came nearer, she noticed how eerily quiet it was. It was dark, also. Confused, she wondered inside the ruins.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called. "Weird…" she muttered. Suddenly, lights flashed and Rinoa shielded her eyes from the sudden light. She gasped when she saw four of her friends on a stone stage, smiling down at her.
"Merry Christmas, Rinoa!" they all yelled, cheering. Confused, Rinoa walked up to them as they started playing Eyes On Me, quite nicely if I might add.
"What's going on…?" Rinoa asked, smiling slightly, looking around. "Where's Squall?" she added.
"He's waiting…" Quistis replied, winking twice. Rinoa's eyes widened slightly and she turned towards the flower field where a lone figure stood, his ethereal icy blue eyes piercing through her.
"Squall…" she whispered. She walked quietly over to him, eyes smiling. "You did this all…for me?" she asked as she stood in front of him. He nodded quietly, and then handed her a gleaming object. She laughed when she saw it was a silver snowflake necklace. She turned around and lifted her hair, allowing Squall to put the necklace on her. It felt cool to the touch. She shivered slightly.
"Are you cold?" he asked, breath warm on her face. Before she could answer, he had brought her into a strong embrace, silently dancing with her. Rinoa gasped lightly, and then melted into his embrace, giggling.
"Merry Christmas, Rinoa…..I love you." Tears slipped from the raven-haired princess's eyes.
"…I love you, too." The lion and the angel danced as music played around them, the stars in the heavens shining and snowflakes dancing upon them.
A/N-THANK GOD! I'M DONE! WEEEEE! I had a great time writing this fic! And I know the ending's really crappy, but what can I say? I suck at endings! I hope you guys liked it and please review! Also, I hope you have a merry little Christmas, holiday, new year, whatever! ^_^ I love you guys! Tee-hee!
Moshi Moshi Mai
Squall:….
Rinoa: Merry Christmas!
Selphie: OOOOHHHHH!!! MERRRY CHRISTMAS! WHOOOP!
Irvine: Howdy doo deh! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! *winks and stumbles around drunkenly*
Quistis: Happy Holidays!
Zell: Silent night! Holy night! *everyone starts to walk away* All is calm! All is bright…hey! Where are you guys going?! Come back here! I'm not finished!
THE END