Things Change
Chapter 7
by Mariye
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Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.
A/N: Some people have said that Zell is too OOC. They have to realize that Zell has been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, and that something like that can cause sometimes irreparable things to a personality.
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Zell looked at the three people who were waiting on him.
"I'm sorry Squall, Rinoa." Zell walked over to Sionna.
~Sorry, I don't want to be around all of you right now because you'll probably be all emotional.~
"But Dr. Kadowaki asked that I spend time with the two assistants from the infirmary that will be helping with my case. Sionna's one of them. Plus Aeron said he'd meet up with us later. So maybe another time?"
Rinoa looked a little shocked that Zell didn't want to go with them.
~What's the big deal? Its not like we're family. Just friends.~
Squall seemed to understand though.
"Alright, maybe we can do something later on today when you get back."
~He knows. Somehow he knows why I'm going with Sionna and not them. Maybe its because there was a long period of time in his life when he was acting like I am now. Thinking too much.~
"Cool." Zell looked once more at the teary-eyed Rinoa and his understanding friend, then turned away.
Sionna nodded to Rinoa and Squall and started walking away, with Zell following her.
"Perhaps you would have been happier with them." Sionna said as she ran her hand along the wall. "Don't think you're obligated to come with me just because you believe I need the company."
"Maybe I'm coming with you to get some answers."
"Then you're talking to the wrong person. I probably would have no answers to the questions you have." Sionna turned and looked at Zell. She stopped in her tracks.
"And, if this is all just about giving you an answer to some small idiotic question, then just ask it now so that I can go about my day as I had planned before and you can just go on that trip with your friends."
"I thought you would enjoy company." Sionna walked over to a single occupancy room and opened the door.
"If I wanted company," She opened her door. "I can assure you I would have no trouble finding a companion. You saw a few of the members of my posse when I was leaving the cafe. I just was planning on being alone."
"So where are we going?"
"I'm probably going to go to the coast. I'm not so sure where you're gonna go though. But, if you want, we can split a car." She walked in and pulled a bag off her desk, then walked back out. She pulled her door shut.
~Man, her attitude is worse than mine.~
"So what's with you?"
She turned and looked at him.
"So we're starting twenty questions now. What's with me... hmmm..." She started to walk back out.
"Well?"
"Oh, just your basic hard luck Garden story. Poor little orphan. Bounced from home to home. Ended up here. Now this place is the only home I have. Of course, an orphan in Garden isn't all that rare. Don't remember much of my life before I came here." Sionna spun around and faced Zell, and started walking backwards.
"But who knows? Maybe once I was a princess in Centra who was going to rule the whole country, maybe even the whole world, until the evil sorceress killed my family."
"I meant what's with the attitude."
Sionna turned back around and walked forward.
"Its something my brother taught me. If someone treats you badly, then give as good as you get. Kinda like Karma. You treat me bad pretty much everytime you see me, so I decided to return the favor."
Zell walked a little faster to keep up with her.
"So I don't get a little reprieve because of the cancer?"
"Only if it were brain cancer and affected your judgement and personality. But actually, I figured you'd enjoy being treated like a normal person more than being treated like a china doll." She turned the corner and walked into the main hall. Zell followed.
"So if you don't like me then why even put up with me at all?"
"Because its my job. I'm part of the infirmary volunteer committee. Just like if I were a part of the disciplinary committee I'd probably dedicate my time to helping the group get revenge on you." Sionna walked up to the computer terminal outside the garage and started typing in her request for a car. "Is a regular junker okay?"
"Sure. So what's up with that Aeron guy?"
"What do you mean?"
"He seems weird."
"He's normal compared to you." Sionna grabbed the keys that the machine fed out to her and walked into the garage.
"Yo, I drive." Zell tried to grab them away from her. She pulled them out of his reach.
"Too bad." She walked towards an old jeep in the corner. She unlocked her door and climbed in, throwing her bag in the back.
"Why do you always have to be so difficult?"
"It runs in the family." She gave him a look like he should understand what that meant.
~What's the big deal? So her parents were mules. So what?~
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
Sionna put on the radio and popped in a CD she had with her.
"You should know. I mean come on. My family name's famous in Garden. And during the whole Second Sorceress's War everyone was watching me like a hawk."
"I was a little busy helping to save the world during the Sorceress War..."
"Oh yes, I forgot all about that." Sionna sped away from Garden. "So where you want me to drop you off?"
"I'll just kind of hang out with you. I still have some questions."
"More? Come on now, don't you know enough?"
"Just one."
Sionna pulled the car over to the side by the beach. She turned and looked at him.
"On one condition."
"What?"
~Great, now I'm making a deal with a devil.~
"This is it for questions and you leave me alone when we get out."
Zell looked at her and then looked down.
~Thank you Hyne, I get answers and rid of her for the rest of the day. Maybe things are looking up.~
"Agreed." Zell stuck out his hand hoping to shake on it. Sionna stared at his hand, then ignored it, instead reaching for her bag in the backseat. She opened her door and started to get out, when she turned around.
"Alright, ask."
"Why is Seifer afraid of you?"
"I honestly can't believe you don't know." She got out completely and slammed the door behind her. Zell got out of the car and followed her.
"Yeah yeah, I'm an idiot, now tell me! Its killing me!" Zell looked at her dead on, and saw her eyes flash.
"Fine. Its not killing me, the cancer is. You know what I mean though."
Sionna looked right at him.
"Fine. Seifer is afraid of me because..."
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Oops, time's up. Tune in next time to find out why Seifer is afraid of Sionna........