*
Zell groaned at the racks of suits in the clothes store, he had promised Selphie that he wouldn't show her up at the dance tonight and that he would buy something halfway decent. For a guy that had lived in jeans or his SeeD uniform for most of his life he didn't have much experience in chosing good clothes. Fortunately Badier did, he had been telling Zell about the different customs that excisited between Trabia and Balamb, so far as he could see, the main difference was Trabia partied way more than Balamb. Apart from the ball that welcomed home Trabia's new SeeDs and the garden festival, Trabia had five extra holidays, it amazed him that they got any work done at all. Badier had shown Selphie to a string of shops she was likely to spend all day in looking for a new dress and then he had literally pulled a reluctant Zell across the road. Badier pulled out three suits and shoved Zell into a changing room.
Zell tried on the first and looked at Badier questioningly, had he really expected him to agree to wearing a baby blue suit. 'Okay so maybe blue isn't your colour.' He said. Zell shrugged and changed again, when he came back out Badier stared at him. 'You look so... so... nice.' He finished lamely.
'Yeah well I feel like a dork. I'll try the final one and if that fails, I'm wearing my damn uniform.' Badier smiled, he had chosen the worst suits in the shops for a reason, to make Zell chose this one, it was the same colour and cut as his SeeD uniform with the added bonus that it classed as 'formal' attire. Badier grinned as Zell came out of the changing room and nodded at him. Zell sighed. 'Okay, it looks alright, I'll take it... or whatever.' Badier smirked as Zell went to change out of his purchase. Am I good or what? he thought to himself.
*
Selphie smiled as she headed into the pub where she said she'd meet the boys, she enjoyed shopping but she missed not having Rinoa there to guide her. Rinoa was her fashion guru. When she reached the pub the lads had obviously been waiting there for a while, both had made themselves comfortable and had more than a few drinks judging by the glasses on the table. Zell grinned at her lopsidedly and waved her over.
'You're late.' He said and noticed her bags. 'What ya been buying?' She shook her head.
'You'll find out later. What about you did you finally get something that isn't jeans?' He raised his eyebrows at her.
'You ain't telling me then I ain't telling you.'
'Look guys the concert is gonna be starting up in half an hour.' Badier said. 'I'm under strict instructions to get you there on time by hook or by crook.' Selphie smiled and gave Zell a hand so he could drag himself out of the chair from where he was entrenched.
'Okay get us there already. I need to get changed first.' Zell groaned as the three of them headed out the door.
*
'Man! I can't believe you lot are insane enough to have an outdoor concert. It's fifty below out there.' Zell said to Badier as they waited for Selphie. The guy shrugged.
'I guess you have to have lived here for a while before you get aclimatised. Besides it's two degrees outside, it's plenty warm enough, we aren't even getting snow tonight.' Badier winked at Zell as he slipped into his leather jacket. Zell grinned and Selphie came out of her room. Both men stared.
'Wow Selphie I didn't think you could even get into that dress anymore.' She was wearing a version of her little yellow dress she had worn all those years ago. Badier glanced across at him.
'Smooth chat up line you have there mate.' He said and Zell went red. 'You look fantastic Miss Tilmet.' Badier said. 'Shall we go?'
Selphie giggled and danced around impatiently from foot to foot.
*
The musicians were nearly set up by the time they reached the stage, Roo had found them a small patch by the stage and was waiting there for them. 'Finally!' She gasped when they arrived. 'You know how many people I've turned away from setting up camp here?' She giggled and bounced around excitedly.
'Ya'see Selphie, what did I tell you?' Zell asked with a grin. 'All you Trabians are totally bonkers.' Selphie tickled him in the ribs and he shied away from her, she was feeling like a kid again. It had been such a long time since she had attended the Trabia winter festival and she had forgotten what a marvellous time she had always had. They looked up as Delta came onto the stage.
'I'd like to thank you all for the massive turnout we have had here tonight and I hope as many of you will turn up for the dance later this evening.' The cheers were deafening. She grinned and waited for them to stop. 'Well you know the drill guys, have fun, be careful and turn up to class on time tomorrow.' At that she got a few boo's but they were good natured and she waved them off. 'Please welcome the first band of the evening.' Selphie screamed along with the roar of the crowd as the first group wandered onto stage. The cheering got louder as they began to play, this concert had always gotten her completely buzzed when she had first arrived in Trabia when she was little. The music was good, the people were great and she felt completely giddy.
Selphie looked up into Zell's face and smiled, he was obviously enjoying himself, which was good, his blue eyes had lit up and his head was nodded along to the music. It was at that moment Selphie noticed the humming, it reverberated around inside her head like a tuneful bumblebee. She smiled when she realised where it was coming from. *Enjoying yourself?* She asked Bahumat and the dragon laughed, she visualised him curled up warm and safe bopping his head to the music, not unlike Zell.
*It has been many years since I heard music* The dragon told her. *You do not mind that I listen?*
*Nah go ahead knock yourself out.* The dragon looked at her slightly oddly. *I meant feel free to enjoy yourself.* Bahumat smiled and nodded at her. It was one of the few times that a GF had made itself known to her while it was residing in her mind, she figured she was far more approachable than any of the others in the group, when a GF had first talked to Rinoa the girl had thrown a fit. Selphie smiled, being aware of the concert and of the GF hightened the sound of the music and made her feel slightly protected, having the knowledge that she was junctioned at any particular time gave her a cosy feeling. Thinking about cosy feelings she was aware that her yellow dress had probably not been the best way to go, it was freezing out here, she had gotten too used to Balamb's weather. She slid her arm round Zell's waist for warmth, he looked down at her a little surprised and hugged her. He looked back at the stage and then back at her when she began shivering.
'You cold?' He asked her when she nodded he rolled his eyes and gave her his jacket. Delta jogged down to meet them from behind the stage and grinned at them. 'This concert is great.' Selphie said to her. 'Just how long did it take to organise?' She asked.
'Oh the Festival commitee did most of the hard work, they are really into the whole partying scene.' Selphie sighed.
'I wish Balamb was, I'm the only active member of the garden festival commitee.' Delta stared at her in surprise. 'Nobody else seems to want to do any work.' She looked at Zell pointedly. He went bright red.
'I helped you with it the year before last, and Quistis got her students to help you last year.' He protested.
'My hero.' She said sardonically. Selphie grinned and turned her attention back to the music. Band after band tried their hand on stage and the crowd loved everyone, Selphie was being swept along by the good feelings all around her so when Bahumat stopped humming suddenly she was brought quickly back down to earth. She looked around slightly in confusion and saw a young man pushing through the crowd to the side of the stage, he locked eyes with Selphie. 'Hey what's going on over there?' She asked Delta stepping away from Zell to get a better look, the headmaster turned and let out a huge sigh.
'It's Rathi, he's the biggest pain in the arse this close to the north pole.' She said and turned to the pair of them. 'Just so you know before he gets here, he has a big problem with Balamb Garden and it's strictures over Trabia... well you'll find out.' Badier growled.
'I'm getting sick and tired of that guy interferring.' He said and made a move to intercept him. Zell put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
'Wait we have to take everybodies veiw point back to Squall, we can't just avoid them.' Badier frowned at him and then subsided. They all watched Rathi make his way through the crowd, they were all looking at him expectantly when he eventually arrived. He glanced at Delta.
'Is this them?' He asked her and she rolled her eyes just before she nodded. 'I have something to say to you.'
'You mean you have something to rant about.' Badier said with a grim look on his face. Rathi turned to him and frowned.
'Man, you know me better than that.' He said. Badier shrugged.
'I thought I did, I thought you had more sense, what is this little display gonna get you? To be honest Rathi you can believe whatever the hell you like, you can believe that Balamb is made of cheese for all I care, these people are here to make our students as good as the ones at their garden and that is all there is to it.' Badier's voice sounded slightly rabid and Rathi stared at him in alarm.
'Our students are as good as theirs...' Rathi began.
'They aren't, we all know it. You have to look at the results they recieve on their tests there just to know that.' Rathi was backing away slightly with wide eyes.
*Something isn't right here.* Bahumat told her, Selphie nodded quietly. She was waiting for a full blown arguement to erupt and Bahumat began to edge around inside her head. *This is wrong, they feel wrong. I was not awake in you before, now I see* Selphie grabbed hold of her head to try and stop Bahumat richocheting around inside it.
'Woah Selphie are you okay?' Zell asked her. Everything around her had stopped but Bahumat was using her eyes and looking from Badier to Rathi over and over again. She hadn't known that the GF's had the ability to use her body in this way. It wasn't right. Her head felt as though it was being pulled in one way then the other, Bahumat was panicing inside her, the GF was actually trembling in utter terror. *Please Bahumat, you're hurting me!* She cried out to him.
The dragon just kept on repeating *They aren't right, they aren't right* and then he began to scream and Selphie was felt he was trying to burst her eardrums from the inside. She groaned and her knees gave out on her, she would have fallen if Zell hadn't grabbed hold of her. Then Bahumat seemed to lose conciousness and let her go. Selphie was left staring up at Zell who was looking at her in something akin to fear.
'What happened?' He asked her and she shook her head. She glanced across at Badier and Rathi who were staring at her in bewilderment.
'Take me home.' She whispered to him. He frowned at the urgency in her voice and nodded.
'Sorry guys going to have to take a raincheck, Selphie gets terrible migraines sometimes, we'll see you later okay.' He tried to help Selphie up but when he realised that her legs were shaking so badly he just scooped her up and started carrying her across the field back towards Trabia. When they were clear of the crowd he looked down into her face. 'Okay care to tell me what really did happen?' Selphie looked at him... he really was worried.
'Bahumat... I don't know, did something. Badier and Rathi frightened him half to death.' Zell looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
'Are we talking about the same big purple dragon that's bigger than your average house?' Selphie swallowed and nodded. 'He was scared by those two jokers?' She looked at him and nodded again. He didn't question her again and she knew that at least one person would always believe her. 'I think we'd better talk to Edea in that case, if anyone knows what is likely to freak out a GF she is.' Selphie nodded and tried to find Bahumat to reassure him, where ever he was hiding, he wasn't going to show himself to her.