***No, sadly I don't own any of the following characters, places, things, etc. Everything belongs to Squaresoft, Inc. I'm just using them for entertainment... ;-) ***
Author's Note-Just to warn you, I'm not anywhere near as good as Crimson in the area of writing, so please bear with me. I'm trying to stay in her style of writing for *your* comfort. All I ask is that you Read and Review, even if it's to say something like "You SUCK!! Crimson should have written the sequel!!" ...I'd really appreciate it.
Our very existence is based on lies. We fill our heads with petty wishes and silly dreams because we're too stupid, too proud, or too scared to realize everything -but- the truth. Not until our misted reality has been cleared and our dreams have been shattered do we ever begin to accept the bitter truth.
"Zell, what ever happened to waiting for your friends?" Selphie called to the blond young man sprinting ahead of her and Irvine. When she received no answer, she simply shrugged and moved closer to Irvine as he put his arm around her.
"Sefie, you know that boy doesn't wait for anything when hotdogs are being served for lunch." Irvine said with a hint of humor. "Not even Adel could stand in his way!" He chuckled at the mischievous thoughts that had sprung up in his mind, not noticing Selphie become quiet and a look of thought darken her features.
Selphie's thoughts drifted to the events of the past few days and she mentally reminded herself that it all -had- happened; everything -was- real. Since the incident with Adel and Seifer, a lot had happened: because of Ashton Petius' death (Treppie #1) the Treppies had disbanded, supposedly because of a "change of interests"; Odine had left as soon as he was finished with Seifer to begin "zee mass production uv my finest vurk!"; Seifer's association with Adel and the murders was kept confidential to ensure his safety -and- sanity, the Garden students were simply told it was a spy's attempt at destroying Garden and that the perpetrator had been apprehended; Seifer and Quistis continued to recuperate in the Infirmary, growing ever closer with each passing moment of intimacy.
Selphie gave a small smile as she remembered that both Seifer and Quistis were going to be released from the Infirmary today after lunch. The Sunshine Sprite was broken out of her contemplation by a nudge from Irvine.
"Hey, Sefie," he said, pointing, "look at Zell. He looks like he's been Petrified."
Selphie looked ahead to see Zell standing as rigid as stone in front of the open door leading into the Cafeteria. As soon as she and Irvine got closer, they noticed Zell trembling all over. Small beads of sweat had broken upon his pale, pale face. He appeared to be struggling to breathe.
"What's the matter Zell," Selphie asked as her and Irvine came next to the blond boy, "are they out of hotdogs again?"
Selphie and Irvine waited expectantly for a cry of frustration and an angry punch to the ground, but nothing came. Puzzled, Selphie leaned closer to Zell and peered into his face.
"...Zell?"
Selphie gasped as his horrified eyes locked onto hers. He whispered something, but she couldn't make it out. With mounting terror, she leaned even closer...
"...look..."
Selphie pulled back with a frightened look and froze. Beside her, Irvine made a strangled sound. Selphie turned to face him and saw her lover mirror Zell's appearance. Filled with dread, Selphie slowly began to turn...
...and came face to face with death itself.
The stench of vomit and human wastes permeated the air inside the Cafeteria. Everywhere food was scattered; dishes were broken; bodies were lying. The entire staff and student body of Garden was dead.
Tears streamed down Selphie's face as she spotted fellow SeeD members, Garden students, and friends among the masses. She took a few steps into the Cafeteria and was almost thrown back by the power of the stench. Steeling herself, she went on to inspect the bodies.
Selphie passed the table where Xu and Nida sat, facing each other. Even up to their last moments, they were together; their hands locked together forever in death. Selphie walked deep into the sea of bodies until she finally came to one whose name she did not know and leaned in for a closer inspection.
Selphie tried to stop the bile from rising in her throat, but to no use. She quickly turned to a nearby plant and vomited. After she was finished, she took a deep breath to steel herself and tried again.
The stench of the corpse was almost unbearable, but it didn't come from the decay of bodies; it came from the mixture of saliva, tears, vomit, and liquefied innards. This putrid mass covered everything in the Cafeteria and originated from the many corpses' open mouths. Selphie tried to look closer to determine for certain her guess at the cause of so many deaths, but was unable to withstand so many empty, pleading stares for so long. With a sob, she went back to where Irvine and Zell were still standing and told them what she had found.
"I think everyone's been poisoned," she stated grimly. "Everyone looks exactly the same, even the cooks and the only way they could have killed so many in so little time would have to have been through poison." Selphie bit her lip, trying to figure out who would wan to kill all of Garden.
"Well, whoever it was could still be in Garden," Irvine said, "Selphie, Zell, let's go get our weapons and alert Cid and Edea." Selphie merely nodded in agreement and moved to leave.
"Zell?" Irvine asked, noticing that the boy still had not moved. "Are you OK, mate?"
Zell suddenly snapped out of his trance and looked at both Irvine and Selphie.
"You guys go ahead, um.... I want to go and find Azura."
"Ok, Zell, we'll see you later. Watch your back, mate," Irvine said. He gave Zell's arm a brotherly squeeze before turning and sprinting for his dorm. Selphie only gave him a weak smile as she turned as well to follow her lover.
Finally able to let his tears flow, Zell, stepped into the Cafeteria in search of his girlfriend, the Pig-Tailed Girl.
Author's Note-Just to warn you, I'm not anywhere near as good as Crimson in the area of writing, so please bear with me. I'm trying to stay in her style of writing for *your* comfort. All I ask is that you Read and Review, even if it's to say something like "You SUCK!! Crimson should have written the sequel!!" ...I'd really appreciate it.
Our very existence is based on lies. We fill our heads with petty wishes and silly dreams because we're too stupid, too proud, or too scared to realize everything -but- the truth. Not until our misted reality has been cleared and our dreams have been shattered do we ever begin to accept the bitter truth.
"Zell, what ever happened to waiting for your friends?" Selphie called to the blond young man sprinting ahead of her and Irvine. When she received no answer, she simply shrugged and moved closer to Irvine as he put his arm around her.
"Sefie, you know that boy doesn't wait for anything when hotdogs are being served for lunch." Irvine said with a hint of humor. "Not even Adel could stand in his way!" He chuckled at the mischievous thoughts that had sprung up in his mind, not noticing Selphie become quiet and a look of thought darken her features.
Selphie's thoughts drifted to the events of the past few days and she mentally reminded herself that it all -had- happened; everything -was- real. Since the incident with Adel and Seifer, a lot had happened: because of Ashton Petius' death (Treppie #1) the Treppies had disbanded, supposedly because of a "change of interests"; Odine had left as soon as he was finished with Seifer to begin "zee mass production uv my finest vurk!"; Seifer's association with Adel and the murders was kept confidential to ensure his safety -and- sanity, the Garden students were simply told it was a spy's attempt at destroying Garden and that the perpetrator had been apprehended; Seifer and Quistis continued to recuperate in the Infirmary, growing ever closer with each passing moment of intimacy.
Selphie gave a small smile as she remembered that both Seifer and Quistis were going to be released from the Infirmary today after lunch. The Sunshine Sprite was broken out of her contemplation by a nudge from Irvine.
"Hey, Sefie," he said, pointing, "look at Zell. He looks like he's been Petrified."
Selphie looked ahead to see Zell standing as rigid as stone in front of the open door leading into the Cafeteria. As soon as she and Irvine got closer, they noticed Zell trembling all over. Small beads of sweat had broken upon his pale, pale face. He appeared to be struggling to breathe.
"What's the matter Zell," Selphie asked as her and Irvine came next to the blond boy, "are they out of hotdogs again?"
Selphie and Irvine waited expectantly for a cry of frustration and an angry punch to the ground, but nothing came. Puzzled, Selphie leaned closer to Zell and peered into his face.
"...Zell?"
Selphie gasped as his horrified eyes locked onto hers. He whispered something, but she couldn't make it out. With mounting terror, she leaned even closer...
"...look..."
Selphie pulled back with a frightened look and froze. Beside her, Irvine made a strangled sound. Selphie turned to face him and saw her lover mirror Zell's appearance. Filled with dread, Selphie slowly began to turn...
...and came face to face with death itself.
The stench of vomit and human wastes permeated the air inside the Cafeteria. Everywhere food was scattered; dishes were broken; bodies were lying. The entire staff and student body of Garden was dead.
Tears streamed down Selphie's face as she spotted fellow SeeD members, Garden students, and friends among the masses. She took a few steps into the Cafeteria and was almost thrown back by the power of the stench. Steeling herself, she went on to inspect the bodies.
Selphie passed the table where Xu and Nida sat, facing each other. Even up to their last moments, they were together; their hands locked together forever in death. Selphie walked deep into the sea of bodies until she finally came to one whose name she did not know and leaned in for a closer inspection.
Selphie tried to stop the bile from rising in her throat, but to no use. She quickly turned to a nearby plant and vomited. After she was finished, she took a deep breath to steel herself and tried again.
The stench of the corpse was almost unbearable, but it didn't come from the decay of bodies; it came from the mixture of saliva, tears, vomit, and liquefied innards. This putrid mass covered everything in the Cafeteria and originated from the many corpses' open mouths. Selphie tried to look closer to determine for certain her guess at the cause of so many deaths, but was unable to withstand so many empty, pleading stares for so long. With a sob, she went back to where Irvine and Zell were still standing and told them what she had found.
"I think everyone's been poisoned," she stated grimly. "Everyone looks exactly the same, even the cooks and the only way they could have killed so many in so little time would have to have been through poison." Selphie bit her lip, trying to figure out who would wan to kill all of Garden.
"Well, whoever it was could still be in Garden," Irvine said, "Selphie, Zell, let's go get our weapons and alert Cid and Edea." Selphie merely nodded in agreement and moved to leave.
"Zell?" Irvine asked, noticing that the boy still had not moved. "Are you OK, mate?"
Zell suddenly snapped out of his trance and looked at both Irvine and Selphie.
"You guys go ahead, um.... I want to go and find Azura."
"Ok, Zell, we'll see you later. Watch your back, mate," Irvine said. He gave Zell's arm a brotherly squeeze before turning and sprinting for his dorm. Selphie only gave him a weak smile as she turned as well to follow her lover.
Finally able to let his tears flow, Zell, stepped into the Cafeteria in search of his girlfriend, the Pig-Tailed Girl.