Shadow of the Sun...
Ch. 9: Eyes of Emptiness...
The sun crept to its accustomed resting place high above, nestled within the heavens. It lit up the sky with a gorgeous array of radiant illumination. Light cascaded down to the quiescent earth below, as it snuck into Balamb Garden, hitting shades and tugging at closed eyelids.
Daylight cunningly filtered in through the Infirmary blinds as it melted on the female blonde's pale milky flesh. Cerulean eye's struggled to fight off the intruding luminosity, desperately trying to stay shut, but to no avail.
Heavy eyelids lifted wearily to reveal the soft sapphire orbs beneath. The tired blonde blinked her eyes lazily as she sat up in the bed. She arched her back and stretched her arms floridly, while exuding a rather exaggerated yawn.
She rubbed the night's sleep from her eyes with her fists and scanned the surrounding room. Her face frowned in slight confusion at the sight before her. She gazed down and saw she was wearing an oversized white tee with equally large baggy ashen pants.
Her heart began to race as she searched her unknown territory. She looked around the room, noticing all the different beds and medical equipment. Her eyes finally caught glimpse of the figure resting in the chair next to her.
She gasped in shock, but quickly covered her mouth so not to wake the slumbering blonde.
'Zell?!?' Quistis posed to herself, wondering what was going on.
Recollections of the previous night's events came to her. Her face washed over with worry and fear at the thought of last night being more than just some horrible dream.
'Please let last night be just some awful nightmare or hallucination.' Quistis pleaded with herself, as she searched for an alternative explanation for the reason of why Zell is only feet beside her, and why she is in the Infirmary.
'Zell can't be that demon, he just can't be…I must have been knocked unconscious and when I came too I bet Zell was the firs person I saw, so naturally I must have been delusional and hallucinated that Zell was the demon…' Quistis elucidated, trying to give a rational explanation for the frightening images constricting her mind.
A warm smile smoothed over Quistis' lips as she gazed fondly at the long lost blonde beside her, sleeping peacefully.
'He's no monster…' Quistis' heart called out.
The petit blonde started to giggle, but quickly covered her mouth, frantically trying to hold it in. She couldn't understand how anyone could sleep in such an awkward position. Zell was in a plain metallic chair without any armrests or cushions. Even though Zell was a person of small stature, he looked like a giant sitting on a chair that miniature. His head hung low towards the floor, cocked slightly to the right, while his arms dangled limply by his side.
Her eyes fell upon the rather strange black ink that marred Zell's tender skin. It seemed to glow with an enigmatic radiance as the sun splashed upon it.
Quistis watched the rythmatic rise and fall of Zell's chest, as he was fast asleep. Her mind began to meander back to the preceding night. Her body involuntarily shuttered at her recollections, but she quickly disregarded all such thoughts and decided it best not to think about them, or at least not right now.
She pulled down the covers and swung her legs off the bed so her feet dangled dangerously close to the floor. She slipped out of the bed and stealthily made her way out of the room. With each step and motion she made sure to distribute her weight to the ball of her foot first and then proceed in placing the rest on her heel. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it gently, a sharp screech made Quistis cringe as she hoped Zell would not awaken.
She exited the room and made her way to the bathroom. She looked herself up and down in the mirror, extensively scrutinizing her features.
"I'm a mess." She mumbled wearily.
She reached down and turned on the faucet to the sink. Water spewed out in rapid succession. She cupped her hands, allowing water to fill the small abyss in between. She bent down and threw the water onto her face as it washed the remaining sleep that was currently draining her body.
She turned off the faucet and grabbed a nearby washcloth. She dabbed her face gently allowing the closely knitted cloth to absorb the excess moisture dancing off her face and once again gazed at herself in the mirror.
"It's a start, but I still need to take a shower." Quistis mused before exiting the room.
Dr. Kadowaki was at her desk filling out some sort of paper work, before noticing the blonde exiting the washroom.
"Quistis." The plump woman called as she ran after Quistis.
"Yes?" Quistis inquired politely, as she stopped in front of the door to where she and Zell currently stayed.
Dr. Kadowaki took notice of Quistis gazing in on the other blonde resting in the Infirmary that morning. "You know, he stayed with you all night. And every time you coughed or moved he was immediately up by your bedside, making sure it was nothing but a momentary spasm." Dr. Kadowaki enlightened happily.
Quistis felt blood steadily rush into her cheeks. "Really?" She asked if only to hear it again, as her hands found themselves covering the red marks that swelled within her face.
The curvy lady in the white trench coat smiled warmly. "Yes he sure did."
A smile melted onto Quistis features as she closed her eyes and thought about Zell watching over her, protecting her. As soon as the thought came, it disappeared and gave way to the previous night's events. If that creature was Zell, then that would mean he didn't protect her, he didn't look over her, no, instead her hurt her and even tried to kill her.
Quistis shook her, clearing it of the thoughts which presently occupied her mind.
Dr. Kadowaki frowned slightly, "Are you ok my dear?" She asked concernedly, watching Quistis' odd actions.
"Oh I'm fine, just a little tired I guess." Quistis replied with a fallacious smile, hoping to ease the elder woman's mind.
The doctor eyed her dubiously, sensing something was amiss. "So what happened last night?"
"Well…I…don't really remember." Quistis answered, choosing her words carefully. "There was a strange creature that battled me, but he must have knocked me unconscious and Zell must have come to my rescue." She finished, and held her breath waiting for a response.
"Well aren't you lucky." Dr. Kadowaki said gingerly, giving Quistis a small wink.
Quistis smiled nervously and went back into the room. She waited a few moments leaning against the door waiting for Dr. Kadowaki to take her place at her desk. After hearing slight footsteps leading away Quistis' posture immediately drooped and the tension in her body dissipated.
"I…I didn't mean to lie, but…" She glanced over at Zell, "Zell, just can't be…" Her words trailed off as she was trying to remember last night.
Her thoughts were interrupted by small moans coming from the corner of the room. Zell began mumbling incoherently as his body convulsed and jerked involuntarily. His hands began to spasm and twitch as Quistis watched in trepidation.
She hurried to Zell's side, panic overtaking her. She reached out her hand, ready to place it on Zell's shoulder. Inches before her hand reached its imminent destination, a sharp burning pain choked itself around her wrist.
She looked down and saw Zell's hand vehemently gripping her wrist, and squeezing with an insane strength. Although Zell was small, she knew he was really quite strong, but this strength was something…else... She looked up and saw Zell's eyes still shut tightly as he broke out in a cold sweat, his mind still racing with horrific nightmares.
Quistis couldn't help but gasp in pain as Zell's relentless vice-grip only got tighter. The worst part was she was, at this moment, she was completely defenseless against Zell.
"Zell…" She yipped in agony, trying to make Zell stop.Without her whip, she was naked and immobile, sending cold shivers of stark vulnerability jetting up her spine.
Cold sapphire eyes burst open.
Quistis felt a fist of ice plunge deep within her stomach, abolishing all former optimisms of last night's recollections being more than a simple mix up. She gazed fearfully into dark, empty eyes. She stood petrified as her eyes were ostensibly glued to the same lifeless eyes she saw last night.
Something akin to fear slipped into her veins as her world began to collapse around her as she realized that Zell had a deep, dark secret. Quistis gasped again as the intense pain from her wrist leaked throughout the rest of her body.
Dark clouded eyes, started to focus, as Zell's nightmare became a distant memory. Zell awoke; sweat streamed down his face, as he panted heavily. Quickly he realized that he had a small wrist clenched tightly within his grasp. Immediately he released Quistis' wrist and gazed down at the linoleum skinned floor.
"I…I'm sorry," he mumbled with a quiet dejection in his voice.
Quistis pulled her hand back and cradled her wrist carefully, trying to ease the throbbing pain that now resided in her arm. She wanted to reply and say it was ok, but she couldn't, her words were choked by fear. It wasn't ok, was it? Zell is supposed to be the one for her, to always make sure she is safe, not to ever hurt her, but is this, really Zell?
When she first looked within Zell's eyes, she didn't see the old hyperactive Zell, she didn't even see hatred, and that's what scared her most of all. When she gazed into his eyes, she didn't see anything at all; it was though she was looking into a boundless pool of nothingness.
'Zell what has happened to you…?' Quistis pondered silently.
The two blondes sat in an eerie silence, wondering what was next. The air between the small blondes grew arid and stale, as a murky think ink suffocated around them like a melting shadow; drenching them in uncertainty with all the unspoken words that resided deep within.
"Maybe I should go…" Zell whispered quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Quistis' eyes widen as shock stretched around her. "Wait, no please don't go." She pleaded softly, fidgeting with her fingers. "I just…" She trailed off, not sure what to say, or if she even had anything to say.
With the ever present silence regaining control once more, Quistis couldn't take it and her mouth opened of its own accord and she said the first thing that came to her. "Zell what happened when you were gone all those years?" As soon as her words slinked from her lips she immediately turned away, knowing that she shouldn't have asked such a question, or at least not quite yet.
Zell could feel his lungs constrict and steal the air away from him. 'What should I do? I…I can't tell her, can I? Zell contemplated inwardly before turning his gaze towards the floor. "I…I don't remember." Zell responded hesitantly.
Quistis knew something was amiss, she could hear the tentative deceit drip from Zell's words as it splashed against her ears. "Zell…" She started, turning around to lock her eyes with his.
Zell could feel her steely eyes tear through him, searching for something. He knew he should return her gaze, that is what she was waiting for, but he couldn't, she would find out what was inside of him, begging to be released.
Quistis waited for Zell to return her gaze, but when his eyes didn't meet hers, a tinge of pain stabbed her heart. She strolled over to his chair and knelt down in front of him, placing herself in his direct line of vision.
Her eyes finally apprehended Zell's. She bore deep within his eyes and into the depths of his soul. She saw the fear in his eyes, as her own grew soft with sympathy.
"Zell, you know you can tell me anything, don't you?" She asked slightly heartbroken.
He paused, knowing that before he could tell her anything, but this, if she only knew what he had done. The things he had seen…would Quistis ever be able to forgive him and love a…monster? No he couldn't tell her, she would forever hate and fear him, like all the others.
"I know, but honestly I don't remember anything. I must have been brainwashed, but when I was fighting you…you helped me overcome the poison that seeped into my mind." Zell explained his farce dilemma, though it wasn't entirely a lie.
Zell waited nervously, wondering what the other blonde would think. To his surprise Quistis leapt up into his arms and held him tightly. 'This…this feeling, I haven't felt this in…a long time…' Zell reminisced silently.
"Oh Zell, I don't care what happened. You're back, back with me and that's all that matters." Quistis coo'd in his ear lovingly.
Zell actually felt something akin to happiness, being wrapped up in Quistis' warm embrace, but something wasn't right. He could feel something was missing. A small twinge of pain ached inside him, maybe in his heart, but for the past three years he didn't know if he even had a heart to speak of.
It took a few moments but soon the troubled blonde realized that Quistis was holding him, holding him with a sincere passionate loving embrace, but he wasn't holding her, his hands were still resting on his knees. Isn't it only natural to return an embrace even if you didn't like the person? Zell liked, no loved Quistis, or at least he used to, so why didn't he do an action that was so normal? Why did he have to think about it to do it?
"It's because I am no longer normal, I'm a... freak...…" He thought in disgust, as he finally forced his hands to their "rightful" place, holding one who used to be so close to his heart.
A/N: Well I pretty much put this short chapter in hear so everyone would know I'm not dead and also to tell you this story will be finished very soon, so there would be no sense in not completing it. I tell you, an unfinished story irritates the hell out of me and I promise I won't leave this story unfinished. I know some might say my What it Takes stroy isn't finished that is because it is on hold and I am doing this one. But yeah I am so sorry for this chapter taking so long, actually I had it done about four or five days ago, but it was "EXAM" week. So yeah I had to do way too much studying, and I didn't have enough time to post this up, not to mention having to go to work-YUK! Well I thank everyone for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this one, if there are still ppl reading this. So remember enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW, it gives some writers the will to go on (Q-n-P is friggin awesome!)
A King and His Knight Part V "Alas, brave Knight, no, brave Prince, the final battle is vastly approaching and soon our campaign will come to an end." Zell373 placed a warm hand on Prince Q-n-P's shoulder, as he smiled down at him. "I pray thee will make the final charge with me, when the time comes." Still gazing down upon the young soul, King Zell373 couldn't help but ruffle up the hair of Prince Q-n-P until it resembled that of his own misaligned hairstyle. Looking down upon the sporadic hairdo of the Prince, Zell373 let out a deep full-hearted laugh.
A/N II: Well you know I figured since Q-n-P and I have a pretty good mini sage going on I must as well give it a title and a spot on the page.(Q-n-P, if you can think of a different title by all means, I think this one could use some spicing up, if you know what I mean) Anyways, seirously Q-n-P, you are truly awesome and I am very tha nkful to have you read and review my work. Actually it is our work, because without all your friggin awesome reviews, this sotry might have never gotten this far! THANKS!! Booyah!
