Things Change
Chapter 14
"Kite"
by Mariye
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Disclaimer: I don't own the U2 song here or FF8... Suki? Chaosgirl? Allora? Zellybaby? What are YOU all doing here?
Suki: We're here to say quit yanking us around.
Allora: You're killing us ya know.
I'm just writing a story.
Chaosgirl: But all these cliffhangers and questions. Of course, I always have the right answers to them but still. Oh, by the way, Seifer, if you're reading, thanks again for stealing her disk and sending it to me.
Listen, I just want to write the second to last chapter.
Zellybaby: Oop, its 15 chapters again. Man, just decide how long it will be already.
Hey, you want me to drag the Library Girl Libby back in?
Suki and Zellybaby: NOOOO! Zell is ours!
[Zellybaby looks at Suki.]
Zellybaby: Seifer is yours. Zell is mine.
Suki: Sorry.
Allora: Listen, we're just here to say stop teasing us with questions and tricks and write the end.
Fine. Oh, also, I just want to say that Chapters 1-14 all take place over a 3 day period. Chapter 15 will be set about a year in the future.
Now all of you shoo! Or I won't finish this chapter!
[Suki, Allora, Zellybaby, and Chaosgirl run off.]
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Zell clasped the handle of his duffel bag and stood at the front gates of Garden. He looked around.
~Where is everyone? They promised they'd come say goodbye to me.~
He started pacing back and forth.
~And so far the whole plan isn't working at all. Geez, who'd have thought it would be so hard to draw an Almasy out of her shell? She is worse than Seifer.~
"Zell! We're here!" Selphie ran up and hugged him, with Irvine, Squall, Quistis, Rinoa, and the posse in tow.
~The D.C? Huh, I didn't know Seifer was going to come.~
"Listen Chicken-Wuss, I know we've all had some hard times, but the whole posse wanted to come and wish you well before you head off."
"Thanks. So, everyone is here?"
"Yes, I brought everyone you asked." Squall said. "So what's the meaning of all this?"
"Yes, you said to us that your treatments would all take place in the Garden." Quistis said, folding her arms across her chest.
"I figured it would be too hard. Look how many mood swings and attitude changes I've had in the past 2 days. Its just best for all of us if I have my treatments in Dollet, and return when I'm in remission."
"You know we'd understand man." Irvine said.
"Its too hard for all of you to handle this. Like when Quistis and I were talking in the infirmary I realised something. All of you are being forced to go through changes and all this grief and worry when you don't have to. Plus with my mood swings I can be the awesome Zell you all know, but the next second I can be a heinous freak like Seifer."
"Watch it, ya know. Don't insult him."
"Leave it Raijin. He's injured. We'll get revenge when he's well again." Seifer pounded his fist in his hand.
"You should have at least let us throw you a party or something." Rinoa said softly.
"What, a going away party? Why? I'm not leaving. Sure I'm gonna be in Dollet for a while, but I'm not truely gonna be gone. And I'll be back soon." Zell shifted his bag.
"So this is it. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Seifer, well, once I'm gone you can let all of them in on that plan I was trying to pull off. See ya all later." Zell turned and and walked down the road.
~So off I go. It really will be for the best.~
"Plan?"
Zell heard the group talking in the distance.
"Yeah, I'll tell all of you when we're inside. He's trying to get someone to admit something. Plus there's something else you need to know to... but it will cost you."
Zell smiled as he continued down the road.
~So now its all gonna change. Go from one life to the next. Even if it will only be for a few months, maybe a year...~ He watched the road as he walked.
~No big deal. And Ma said she'd consider coming when I mentioned going away for treatment. So I won't be alone.~
He heard a rustling from some nearby bushes and stopped.
~Did I junction Ifrit and Diablos?~ He searched his mind and found his two guardians peacefully sleeping. ~At least this time I'm prepared.~
"Diablos!" Zell called out.
"Wait!" He saw a young woman stumble out. "Stop!"
"Sionna. What a surprise. Didn't think you'd notice I was even gone."
Zell shook his head.
~So she took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker. Now to phase two...~
"Where are you going?" She walked up to him, and pushed him back. Zell glared at her.
"You know I had no trouble beating you up before."
"Shut up! Where the hell are you going?" She announced again.
"Away." Zell walked past. "Now if you excuse me, I have to be going. I don't want to miss my ship."
"But what about your treatment?" She was walking alongside him now.
"What, Garden is the only place in the world now where someone can be treated for cancer?"
"What about your friends? Your family? Have you thought about them?"
She stepped in front of him.
"My friends have the Ragnarok and can come visit at any time. My Ma is most likely going to come with me. Besides, so far no one has voiced any objections. Its not like anyone has honestly asked me, 'Zell, please, we need you here, stay.'" He pushed past her.
"You know that this can be taken as a sign of giving up."
"Or a sign of taking charge and responsibility of my life." He walked to the top of the hill.
"You should be careful walking on roads. A car could come out of nowhere and run you down." She said, walking after him.
"I've lived here as long as I remember. A car isn't gonna run me over. Besides, I'm just your patient. You said you didn't care about me."
"But that doesn't mean I don't feel some responsibility for you." Sionna grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the small sidewalk alongside the road. They both stopped.
"So its okay for you to touch people, but people can't touch you." He shook his head. "If you truely want to be antisocial and alone, you can't allow yourself to have any contact."
"Zell, as an aid assigned to your case I have to say that I believe it would be in your best interest if you stayed." She walked in front of him to block his path.
~Its starting to work. If I keep this up a little longer, maybe she'll cave...~
"Well, you're not on my case anymore, now are you?"
A car sped by.
"See, if you had stayed on the road, he would have run you down." He pushed past her and started walking down the hill.
"No he wouldn't. I would have heard the car coming."
The two were getting closer to the outskirts of Balamb, near the small parks where old people come to sit and children often played. They walked past three little girls jumping rope.
"Zell. Quit being a stubborn fool and stay. If you leave, you're only proving you're a Chicken-Wuss."
"Eh, Chicken-Wuss, Pig-Wuss, whatever. It doesn't really bother me any more." He kept walking.
~Why did she stop? Great, just what I need. Seifer was right. He said this would never work.~
"Fine..." She stopped and whispered something. He turned around.
"Yo, what was that? I couldn't really hear you."
"I need you here." Sionna fell to her knees. "I'm begging, okay? Happy? Stay."
"Why?" Zell turned and watched her, slightly smiling.
"Because I need someone to talk to. Some one else who is going through a hard time, like I did. Seifer tries to forget what happened. He tries to deny it. Right now you're facing something that is attacking you from the inside and you are helpless to stop it. When I was little, I was helpless to stop the father and mother from beating me." She looked down at the ground.
"You don't need a psychologist in your medical group. You have friends and family to talk to and help you through this. You don't need me. But I need you. I don't want to be alone in a crowd anymore. I want someone to talk to, who will understand what I'm going through."
He walked over to her and was kneeling down on the ground next to her.
"Zell, please stay here. Don't let me be alone again..."
~I didn't expect all this... I just wanted her to admit I was her friend. To admit that she can care about people, even though she's been hurt and thinks she can't~
"I will. I swear I will."
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Zell and Sionna both jumped to their feet and turned around. Two of the jump roping girls were running past them. An old man was walking away from the cry.
"What's happening sir?" Sionna asked him.
"Some kind of monster's attacking a little girl."
"We have to help her." Zell said, throwing down his duffel and taking off his backpack.
"Listen, you go into town and call Garden, tell them what's happening. I'll go see what I can do." Sionna ran off.
"Wait! Do you have a GF junctioned or anything?!?!" Zell cursed silently.
~It would have been better if I'd went. I have Ifrit and Diablo with me... I hope she has Nike with her...~ He ran towards the gas station.
"Hey Joe, listen. We have a monster outside. Call Garden for me. Say Zell told you to call. Tell Squall to send a squad out here pronto!"
"Hey Zell! Sure! Right away!" The attendant ran off into the office.
"Thanks!" Zell turned and ran back towards the park.
~Please let it just have been some gell eyes or a bomb that wandered out of the Fire Cavern...~
He felt his stomach drop when he say an arm lying out from behind a tree.
~Oh please Hyne no...~
As he got closer, he saw it was a little girl.
"Honey, are you alright?" He knelt down next to her. She was unconcious, but she was breathing.
~I need to get her to safety, but where's Sionna?~
He looked around.
A huge foot dropped down next to him.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?!"
"Zell! Its a T-Rexar!"
"Just run for it! You can't take it down by yourself!"
"Get the girl out of here! Hurry! I can handle this!" He watched as she threw three daggers at the beast. Two bounced off his scales, but the third lodged itself in the monster's eye. It screamed out and pain and it's tail lashed out, knocking down the tree next to Zell. He grabbed the child and jumped out of the way.
"Go!"
"I'll be back!" Zell ran back towards the town.
A huge cluster of people were standing outside the entrance, trying to watch and see what was going on.
"Here! Somebody take her." Zell was holding the little girl out in front of him.
~Dammit why isn't anyone doing anything!~
"Somebody TAKE HER! I need to go back there!"
The hotel owner's wife slowly stepped forward. He practically tossed the girl into her arms as he turned and ran back to the scene.
~Please Hyne don't let me be too late!~
He ran through the trees and jumped over the fallen one. The T-Rexar was in a clearing now, and Sionna stood right in front of him.
"I'm back just like I..."
Zell stopped midsentence. He saw that Sionna was hunched over in pain, and had wounds all over her arms. He side was soaked in blood.
"FINAL RHAPSODY!"
A huge column of light shot out of the ground. Flames started to surround it. The pillar expanded and seemed to pulse with life. A voice could be heard softly singing from within.
"Time to say goodbye..."
The pillar suddenly stopped pulsing and shot out at the T-Rexar, vaporizing it.
Sionna collapsed to the ground.
"Sionna!"
Zell ran over and sat down next to her.
"Are you alright? Say something."
"Something... something is about to give. I can feel it coming... I think I know what it means..."
~She's in shock... she's delirious...~
"I'm not afraid to die..."
"Sionna, don't talk like that."
She closed her eyes.
"...I'm not afraid to live...."
"Sionna. Listen, you can't die. I need you here too. I need a psychologist on my side. We all need you. Stay with me. Come on..."
"Zell, hardness... it sets in... you need some protection... the thinner the skin..." Her voice started to get softer.
She opened her eyes and looked at Zell.
"I want you to know that you don't need me anymore. I want you to know.... you don't need anyone... anything at all...." Sionna closed her eyes again.
Don't wanna see you cry… I know this is not goodbye…. I know this is not goodbye……………."
Her chest rose, then fell one last time.
~Oh shit..~ Zell looked around.
"Is anybody here? I need help! Please!"
He frantically searched through his pockets. He pulled out potions and eye drops, even a Rune Amulet...
~Come on... I know I have to have one here...~
He looked up and saw a SeeD car heading towards them. As he felt through his pockets, he suddenly found the smooth feather.
~YES! A Phoenix Down! I just hope its not too late...~
He gently laid the feather on her forehead...
~Please let this work...~
Something is about to give
I can feel it coming
I think I know what it means
I'm not afraid to die
I'm not afraid to live
And when I'm flat on my back
I hope to feel like I did
'Cause hardness, it sets it
You need some protection
The thinner the skin
I want you to know
That you don't need me anymore
I want you to know
You don't need anyone, anything at all
Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to know what it is will break you
I don't know which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't wanna see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye
In summer I can taste the salt in the sea
There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze
I wonder what's gonna happen to you
You wonder what's happened to me
...
Don't wanna see you cry
I know this is not goodbye
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Well, that's it for 14. Next, Chapter 15. The last one...
(Its really more of an epilogue...)
(The song Kite is by U2 and its on their new album.
Its a really cool song!
Course I like Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of)
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Well, that's it for 14. Next, Chapter 15. The last one...
(Its really more of an epilogue...)