Warm Eyes

Useless chapter name I know...but I can't think of a better one, can you? Sorry for slow updates, just started showing FF8 to my boyfriend so getting back into it. Been obsessed with Crisis Core and video making as of late you see. :)

The group boarded the train in silence, and Squall used his keycard immediately. Selphie giggled to herself, smiling up at him.

Selphie: Hee! You caught on!

Selphie strutted through the door, catching fragments of the others conversation as the door slid shut behind her.
The train was still stationary, and she watched the students stood outside the train converse, deliberating whether or not to pay the 3000 gil fare to go shopping in the city. The city.

Selphie grinned. She'd never been before, well, unless you count Laguna's dream. Maybe they'd find time to go shopping...she could do with a new dress, or maybe just something to patch up the one she was already wearing. She looked down at it and frowned. It could do with some dolling up. Maybe some feathers or something, a bow, make herself look real pretty and decadent, like that sorceress. That sorceress...the one they were heading to kill.

Selphie sighed. Here she was bumbling to herself about bows and dresses and shopping sprees, when they were about to embark on a second assassination attempt - on their second mission!
How had she managed to get involved in a career path that involved constant war and murder?
Was she a murderer? Could she become one? Selphie looked down sadly.

Ding Dong!

A cold voice began announcing on the tannoy; "This train, bound for Deling City, will be departing shortly."

The train started up, and Selphie smiled a little.

Maybe she was better off thinking about bows and dresses anyways, if she kept on thinking so deeply about every little thing, then she wouldn't be Selphie anymore. No...she laughed, she'd be Squall.

The door slid open, and in walked Irvine. Selphie glanced at him, hoping he was heading for the SeeD carriage. No. He stopped and stood next to her.

Irvine: I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for a beautiful view.

Selphie raised an eyebrow, expecting more of a cheesy chat up line from the cowboy than the one he'd just delivered.

Irvine: And you are one hell of a view.

Selphie rolled her eyes and edged a little away from her.

Squall walked through the door, and Selphie turned towards him, wishing he'd come over, and not go into the SeeD room. The sound of the automatic door shutting was interrupted by it opening again, and Selphie was sure she caught a spike of blond hair in the corner of her eye. Her thoughts were interrupted by Irvine, who had placed his hand on hers.

Irvine: Selphie...We're destined to be together!
Selphie: Y-Yeah right...!

She pulled away, freaked out, but also slightly flattered. She heard muttering through the corridor, angry muttering at that, and sighed.

Irvine: A sigh of love?
Selphie: N-No...

Squall walked up, causing Irvine to make his excuses and leave. Selphie contorted her face, confused. She felt close to Irvine, having just met him...it was strange, this whole experience had been strange. Who was this guy? Seriously?! He seemed to know her alot more than she knew him...

Selphie: My heart's pounding...What is this I'm feeling?
Squall: It's an important mission. Get used to handling pressure while you still can.

Selphie sighed as Squall walked away. Thanks Squall. She began to follow him, but stopped near the could hear the others talking, Quistis scolding Irvine. Irvine's reply was long and angst-ridden, Selphie almost found herself laughing at this pathetic little tale.

Irvine: No one understands me...Sharpshooters are loners by nature...We hone our instincts, pour our whole being into a single bullet. The pressure of the moment...An instant of tension...That's what...I have to face alone...It's not easy. So like...Just do me a favour, and let me be! You get my drift?

Through the small cabin door window, Selphie watched as Zell punched the train floor, causing such a rumble that she flew back, hitting the floor. "Owww" she cried, sitting on the floor, pouting. As an announcement was made on the tannoy, the others filled out of the entrance cabin and through the passage way, into the SeeD room. Quistis stopped to pick her up, and Selphie remained in the hallway, tenderly rubbing her sore back.

Zell was last to walk past, storming behind Irvine who was engrossed in conversation with Rinoa.
He almost walked through Selphie, if it wasn't for her amazing dodging skills...Well...her extreme luck on this one occasion.
Selphie considered her awful coordination and luck - characteristics that had ended up with her flying into someone and landing on her backside many a time, and wondered why on this one occasion that she actually wanted to bump into someone, it hadn't worked.

Despite her "bad luck", Zell stopped and turned to her anyway.

Zell: Hey, you okay Selphie?

Selphie looked up, having been lost in her own world. She smiled at him, and winked.

Selphie: Sure, Zelly-kins. You okay? Have you cheered up from earlier?
Zell: As cheered up as I can be with that idiot on our team.
Selphie: Ohhh, noowwww, don't be like that Zell!

Zell looked hurt, and crossed over to her position by the window. They both fell silent for a moment, watching the landscape through the glass. It was Autumn now, so the sky was already dark at 5pm. Even so, as they passed into the Deling area, the sky seemed to turn a particularly dark shade. The green of the grass lost it's lush and full texture, and seemed to pale and fade as they grew closer to their destination.

Deling City could be seen in the distance, a huge, grey city, illuminated in false light. City street lamps, and celebration decorations conjured a strong, golden glow across the town, and the tallest building, Deling's presidential palace reflected the silver moon's glow. Despite it's almost decadent atmosphere, the feeling that grew inside Selphie as the train neared was not one of excitement, or celebration, it was one of fear and depression. The glow was almost ominous to her, and she turned to Zell, finding in his eyes that he too shared that feeling.

But in his eyes she also felt warmth. It was strange, such a watery, ocean blue colour could conjure up such a feeling of warmth. Blue is always such a cold colour, Selphie considered, but I guess not all blues.

What about the Balamb sea? She wondered, that was always so warm - especially on a sunny day. She never really got the whole "colours and warmth" idea anyway. The warmest place in the world, the place she found the most comfort in, was her home in Trabia. A big, white, snowy mountain. Can't get much colder than snow, she concluded. Deling City couldn't even compare.

Zell: I...I think we'll be okay this time.

Selphie blinked, she hadn't expected Zell to speak and interrupt her thoughts. She smiled at him.

Selphie: Yeah...I think your prescence will be enough for me anyway, we'll do fine on this mission. It's just up to Irvine whether or not we pull it off.
Zell: I don't trust him. I can see us having to get involved ourselves.
Selphie: Well, we'll have to trust him. If we don't trust him then he's hardly going to trust himself! Imagine if I hadn't trusted you up on that train the other day? I wouldn't have been able to continue, the mission would have been a failure and we'd probably have been caught, or collided with another train. So we have to trust in each other! Even if we're all new to each other!
Zell: I guess, but...we aren't new to each other Selphie.
Selphie: We just met the other day!

Zell sighed.

Zell: Yeah...but, doesn't it seem like longer?
Selphie: It seems like forever.

Selphie smiled at him. It was true. It felt like she'd known him since she was a small child.

Selphie: Hey, Zell, what was your upbringing like? What was your mother like?
Zell: Well...My Ma, she was always a little strict ya know? But...it was all in my best interests. I mean, she did everything for me, absolutely everything, and when I wanted something...I mean, I'd have to work a little for it, but she got me everything she could. When I decided I wanted to be like my gramp, man...she marched me straight to the Garden and demanded to see Headmaster Cid.
Selphie: Hahah that's one dedicated mother!
Zell: Yeah...I always remember, she said that day; "Zell, if you want something you have to go get it! One day you won't have me to slap on my apron and go sort out your life, it's going to be all you, and you're gonna have to get on with it - grasp life by the throat and squeeze it til there's no breath left!"

Selphie laughed, and recoiled a little.

Selphie: That's kinda...violent?
Zell: That's my ma for you! Guess I got all my spunk from her!

He punched the air and Selphie giggled.

Selphie: I don't know about that, I think you've got all the energy in the world all bundled up in that goofball hair of yours! Maybe that's where you keep it! Maybe when you gel your hair, you're really applying oil, so you can go faster...!

Selphie's mind raced, maybe he even ran on fuel! Maybe hotdogs were his fuel! That's why he always got so dejected whenever he didn't have them! She was thinking so rapidly she didn't notice Zell guffawing at her for a long while.

Zell: Selphie, I don't know what you're thinking but you look cute while doing it!

Selphie suddenly felt very aware of herself. She realised her pursed lips, flared nostrils and wide eyes, and covered her face with her hands. She began to giggle softly into her palms, and Zell laughed with her.

Maybe Deling City might be fun after all.

Dire ending I know, R&R, be nice please and I might make another :)