Here's a sad / Happy story yay. It's a romance and I doubt many will like it. But It's ok I thought it'd be coo so here it is. It's a story about Selphie, It's a story about Irvine, it's a story...... well, it's a story. Anyway Square owns the characters and all so don't sue me.... Mr. Pinky did it! If you hate it that's ok it's just my sad attempt at mush.

Selphie Tilmit walked into the lounge. "What in the world could I have been sent here for?" she thought. "This is just some music concert thing. What could there possibly be so important that they could send me here?" She just couldn't figure out why she was sent on a "mission" to watch a concert. I mean wasn't she supposed to be taking messages out to the battle fields and stuff, but here she is on a "mission" to watch a concert. "Well it's an easy mission...tee hee!" she thought to herself. Little did she know that this could be the most important concert of her life. She found a chair right on the front row next to a whole bunch of enthusiastic looking girls. "he must me cute!" she thought to herself again as the lights came down and the show began.

She sat and watched as a little band began to play. She couldn't help noticing that they were pretty good. All the smoke and lights and all were cool, and she kinda forgot her original distaste for being there for a little while. The band played a few songs. One or two she knew from people singing them around garden. She found herself singing along on some of the choruses. "I've got to get out more often." she said with a chuckle. Then the lights went down again and they began to announce the main act. The girls on that front row were freaking out. They were screaming, cheering, and yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Oh my he's so fine!" one of them said.

"I can't believe I'm going to see him so close!" another added.

"Oh he's dreamy!" The girl next to her said and promptly passed out.

"Wow, he must be something else!" Selphie thought Then she heard it. The sound that shocked her.

"We present tonight, for your listening pleasure....... Irvine Kineas and the Show Stoppers!" The color drained from her face. She couldn't believe her ears. Irvine Kineas. The very name caused her to be enraged. How could her friends put her through this she though, she looked for a way out, but found none. There were screaming fans, mostly girls of course! All around her, it was like a jungle or something.

"When I get ahold of that Zell, and that Squall, I'm killing them", she thought aloud. "Slowly and painfully! I can't believe they put me through this." She was highly disturbed. But there was nothing she could do. The show went on and she was trapped, and forced to listen to it.

She always loved to hear him sing when they were together. He'd soothe her soul. Now it hurt and caused her pain. It wasn't that his voice had changed, it hadn't. It was that her heart hadn't gotten over the pain of their break up. They were close to getting married at one point. In fact, they were engaged. Then one night a few months before they were to be married, She saw him "flirting" with another girl. Then she realized that she didn't trust him. So she decided to break it off. He Was devastated, but decided to leave it as she wanted, he didn't want to hurt her. So he left Garden, and decided to strike out at something else he loved, Music. He put together a little band, and hit the road. Before long Irvine Kineas and the Show Stoppers were a number one act. Going everywhere. Selphie stayed at garden, and worked her butt off. She really tried hard to preserve the status quo and her happy go lucky demeanor, but inside she was hurting. She heard that Irvine had become famous, and that all the girls in the world were crazy about him.

"That's just great." she thought. "Well, I hope that he's happy with all of those girls adoring him!" She hated to admit it, but she was a little jealous. I mean she felt he couldn't be trusted, and that's why she broke it off with him, and now look, he's made it big, and deep down inside her heart she wasn't over him. The show went on. She had to admit to herself that he was good. He seemed to have a confidence about him. Not the same childish cockey attitude, although that was still evident as well, but a more mature, more metered confidence, and a happiness as well. The show went by faster than she expected, and soon it seemed to be drawing to a close.

"Good, finally an end to this nonsense. Her mind filled with ways to get even with Zell, Squall, and that sellout Quistis. But really deep down her heart played the sad songs of "What if?" The questions danced through her psyche as the "last song" was announced. What if she had trusted him, what if she had believed in him like she used to. What if she'd talked to him instead of acting irrationally. What if...... She was wrong. "No," she thought, "it's obvious that girls and money are what it's all about to him, just look at this place!" She noted all the ladies screaming around her, and the lights came down. She couldn't see a thing. The fans were chanting. "one more, one more!" Selphie was thinking "no more, please no more!" But just as she thought it, the lights came up, and the band began to play. She didn't know what it was, but the crowd obviously did, because they all rose to their feet. and started cheering. The rhythm was kinda slow, and yet strong, and it was set up rather dramatically. She felt out of place in her seat, but no one seemed to notice it. They were all paying attention to the stage. There was smoke, and lighting that really added to the rich atmosphere already in the building. Then as expected, Irvine made his way to the mic.

"So it seems you all want one more song tonight before we go!" he said

"Yes!" came the massive reply from the crowd.

"Well, anybody know this one?" he asked. playing them to the fullest.

"Oh yes," They returned.

"Well this, as you all know, is a special song to me, a song that I wrote about three years ago. During a time when I didn't know what was going on with me and my life. It's a song about love....." The crowd cut him off with an eruption of cheers. Irvine waited for the noise to die down and then continued. "This is a little song about lost love...."

"Noooooo!" the crowd interrupted again.

"Oh yeah oh yeah," he went on but it's mostly a song about healing and forgiveness!"

"Yesssss," the crowd screamed their approval!

"Well tonight this song's a dedication to someone special! I'm dedicating it to that sad looking young lady here on the first row." He said pointing directly at Selphie.

Selphie was sweating now, she felt a lump in her throat. She could feel the gazes upon her. She could hear them whispering "it's her it's her."

"Oh my God you are soooo lucky!" the girl to her left shrieked, and passed out yet again.

Selphie couldn't believe it, he knew all along, she could only assume that he'd gotten the guys in on it, she couldn't believe it an all time new low. He's going to try to get her with some cheesy song. Little did she know what one "Cheesy" song could do.

"This ones for you Selphie." He said, and without further speech, he began to sin this song.

Once upon a time, I was yours and you were mine.

And it seemed that we would always be together.

I never thought we'd drift apart until you left my lonely heart.

With nothing more than empty dreams about "forever"

It seemed to me that this was more than I could take.

But then I came to realize that we both made mistakes.

Oh - oh why can't we sit and talk a while,

so I can see you smile through those shiny eyes.

There's no good way for me to end the pain,

and there's no escaping those sad good-byes.

But there's no blame left...... in my eyes.


Where did we go wrong. What brought about this painful song.

I thought that we would always be together.

Who's to blame for this, can we sacrifice for just one kiss,

So I could dream once more you'd stay forever.

Girl I know I hurt you more than I ever knew.

But give me just one little chance, to make it up to you...

Oh - oh why can't we sit and talk a while,

so I can see you smile through those shiny eyes.

There's no good way for me to end the pain,

and there's no escaping those sad good-byes.

But there's no blame left...... in my eyes.

At that point, Irvine began to play a guitar solo that he had played many times, but this time there was something different about it. It had the same mellow tones, and whining distortions, the same pitch blends, harmonics, and bends. The same chord progression, everything was the same, but there was power to it, a release that came from within, from finally being able to let go of this confession and a freedom that if rejected, he would finally be able to move on.

*********************************************************

Selphie sat motionless. At first she tried to just ignore it, and put it off as a childish gesture to try to get her back, but as she listened to the words a tear wet her cheek, tracing it's way down the side of her face until it hit the ground. And with that tear went her cold inhibitions about him. She looked at him in the realization that he still loved her, and that he always had, and hadn't stopped, even after three years. She began to understand that he was right, they were both to blame, and that really if they worried about blame forever, that no one would heal. It was time. A time to forgive. Selphie was beginning to realize the truth for the first time. And that one small tear that she had cried was followed by another, and another, and by the time Irvine reached that passionate guitar solo, she was crying her eyes out. But not out of sadness, out of joy, and release, because there was no blame left..... on her eyes.

************************************************************************

Irvine finished the solo, and continued the song, the crowd now all on their feet singing with him.

I loved you, I lost you,

And there's nothing I can to and that's a fact.

Just to hold you, and to love you,

Baby there's nothing I won't do to get you back.

Won't you give me one more chance,

To breathe new life into a cold romance.

Oh - oh why can't we sit and talk a while,

so I can see you smile through those shiny eyes.

There's no good way for me to end the pain,

and there's no escaping those sad good-byes.

But there's no blame left...... in my eyes.

He stopped singing momentarily, but the band kept playing. He placed his guitar back in it's stand, and took the microphone out of it's stand. Then he walked to the edge of the stage where Selphie Tilmitt now stood on her feet with the rest of the people. He looked her in the eyes and then began to speak.

"Selphie, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for quite some time, and I haven't got the chance, but I've got it now, and right here in front of all these people I want to ask you to forgive me for what I did to hurt you. I neglected you at times, and didn't pay you attention, and I'm sorry. I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you, but I did, and that's wrong of me. I'm not going to ask you to take me back, but I am asking your forgiveness. will you forgive me?"

Selphie looked up through teary eyes, at the man she still loved. Their gazes locked for a moment. The two just stared at each other and neither said a word. The crowd was now thoroughly into it, and was waiting to hear what the girl would say to him. They never heard a thing. But what they saw told the whole story. She reached out her hand to him, and he helped her up onto the stage. Then she hugged him close and whispered into his ear. "I forgive you, and I love you" And with that she pulled him in close and gave him a firm kiss.

The crowd went wild out of their minds. They loved it, and cheered. "kiss kiss kiss kiss" Well evidently the couple didn't mind indulging the crowd, so this time Irvine put his arms around Selphies waist and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss, with the crowd going berserk. When they finally broke apart. He motioned to his girl with his hands, and the crowd responded with a thunderous ovation. And with that he bowed and he and Selphie walked of the stage hand in hand.

*********************************************************

Midway back in the crowd. Somewhere in the same section where Selphie had sat five friends were standing very pleased with what they had just witnessed. Zell tried to wipe a tear from his eye without being noticed, but Seifer caught him.

"It's a great ending, but what are you crying about Chicken - Wuss?"

"Now now Seifer, what have I told you about that?" Quistis broke in

"Um uh sorry baby, I won't let it happen again." he said, and slipped his arm around Quistis' waist.

"That's better!" Quistis said with a smile.

"Hey where's Rinoa and Squall?" Zell asked. "Oh never mind." he said with a laugh as he pointed to the seats where Rinoa and Squall were doing a little kissing of their own.

"Well, yet another mission accomplished!" Zell said finally, "Now where can I get a hot dog?