Tour de Force
by Soul Hunter
Part 6
"You disobeyed my orders." the raspy voice reverberates from the comm console. Magyar Motumba feels a knot in his stomach. But the longer he peers into the shadowy figure, the more he resolves to project an unfazed look.
"Orders? Orders?!?" he returns scornfully. "Look, whoever you are, I don't care how high and mighty you think you are or how much you're paying me to do this job. No one orders Magyar Motumba around. Nobody!"
A brief silence permeates before the incognito figure responded to Motumba.
"You think I'm high and might. You think I'm paying you a lot of money for this job. Good. But you're forgetting one more detail."
"Yeah?" Motumba sneers back. "What is it?"
"You're forgetting who constructed that base that's been keeping your lame excuse for an army from freezing like worthless icicles."
"Awww, you mean this little underground headquarters that you gave us? You want it back? Sure, I can give it back to you. I think it's too freakin' dated anyway."
The shadow chortles.
"On the contrary, I would be glad for you and your people to stay there, if you wish."
"Oh, okay." Motumba quips, relinquishing his hostile demeanor. "Maybe I can still live with this dump for now."
"That's right." the mysterious client responds. "For the next five seconds... and counting."
Selphie bellows a sigh. It's been a long time since she last saw these snow-covered terrains comprising Bika Snowfields. She remembers her old home, Trabia Garden, and wonders what her old schoolmates are doing at this very moment. She feels a tempting urge to ask Zell if they can drop by, but the requisites of their mission takes precedence in her mind. Gradually, the white snow thins, giving way to the thick green of Grandidi Forest.
Zell notices her prolonged silence. Finally deciphering the controls for the autopilot, he enters the coordinates of Esthar Airstation before relinquishing control of the aircraft, then turns to his comrade.
"You're thinking about Trabia Garden, aren't you?" he thoughtfully asks.
Selphie turns a sweet smile toward him. "Yeah..."
Her eyes are replete with meaning. And though Zell doesn't exactly know how to describe it, he can't avoid feeling warm all over as his own vision basks in the tender hue of those emerald pupils.
"You wanna swing by there and say hello to everyone?"
Selphie's smile widens. "I'd love to, but we're on a timetable here. Let's just take this thing to Esthar and get done with it."
"Okay." he complies. "Maybe we can pay them a visit after this... Just the two of us..."
Bowing her head, the Trabian lass tries to hide the immense thrill she felt upon hearing her comrade's sugary remark. Yet she quickly extinguishes the thought. What will she tell Josie if the latter asks why she's Zell, and not Irvine.
Another quiet stretch transpires, before Zell opts to break the ice anew.
"Selphie..."
"Yes, Zell?"
"What..." he gropes, trying to find the right question to ask. "What do you think happened back there?"
"Well, like what you said, I don't know. How about you? You still clueless?" she responds with a question of her own prior to interrupting herself. "But before you answer, please try not to be a jerk this time. I don't want us to end up fighting again."
"Sorry." he apologizes. "Anyway, to answer your question... I... I still don't know."
"Really...?"
"But..." Zell intermits. "I do know that when it happened, I didn't stop it because... I don't want to."
Selphie throws an even more meaningful look towards her teammate while he continues.
"I guess... I guess I want it to happen..." his voice fades slightly. "I can't think of any other way to explain it."
"Then don't." She snaps back. "It's not like we intended for this thing to come down. It just happened. And there's nothing we can do about it because it's done."
Another stretch of silence, broken this time by a pondering Selphie.
"Strange, isn't it?" she starts. "We've been like, teammates for a pretty long while now. You're one of my very first friends when I first came to Balamb Garden. And that's what I've always thought of you, even though you can be a real jerk sometimes." Zell lets out a snicker while Selphie goes on.
"Then we met Irvine, and because of him we found out that we've been together way longer than that. We've practically known each other all our lives... and yet..."
She dallies. Zell waits intently for her to continue.
"And yet... after all this time, I never expected to see you in this light." Selphie echoes her profound thought. "I've known you all this time as my friend. But now... now I... it's like I'm starting to know you all over again... from a different point of view. Just wondering, do you feel the same way for me?"
The martial artist smiles again, nodding to the Trabian lass sincerely in confirming her thoughtful question. He then stares at her, locking his eyes upon her own. Here they are right now, wondering with much amazement how two people who had always treated each other in a way that practically falls short of how siblings would, could actually find themselves seriously considering a totally different and whole new regard for each other.
Pondering deeply, they ask themselves: how could this come to pass? Why did they find themselves suddenly fueled with this strange emotion now mightily urging them to venture unto unknown frontiers? Why are they all of the sudden feeling this way for each other? Could it be possible that they have always regarded each other in this light, but never knew it before due to less than conducive circumstances? Has this feeling always been there, hidden by a false cloak of indifference, and merely waiting for the right time to powerfully release its unstoppable onslaught to subjugate their helpless hearts?
Their helpless hearts... they tug relentlessly. Tearing sounds echo from the gloves coming off Zell's hands. He reaches out to Selphie, tenderly holding her hand and in the same manner, pulling her close to him. Longing lips press against each other once more, in one intoxicating moment that rendered them completely unaware of the outside world. As they kiss, they become one; two solitary beings revelling in the warmth of each other's touch. When their lips parted, moans of frustration echo, followed by sweet, deeply moving smiles.
"This is freaky..." Selphie whispers.
"What, the kiss?" Zell asks softly.
"No..." she returns. "That was... very nice. What I mean by freaky is... gosh, I'm kissing you...!"
"Nope..." he quips. "I'm kissing you..."
Their lips once again meet. This time, the kiss was hungrier, longer, much more intense. They are thus trapped in the imprisoning passion of a deep and powerful yearning to be one with the other. His arms eagerly wrap around her back; her fingers dig deeply into his shoulders.
The navigator console beeps loudly to herald the approach to Esthar Airstation.
"Damn..." Zell echoes while relinquishing his hold of her. Selphie whines, frustrated by the interruption. Neverthless, they prudently gather themselves in preparation for their arrival.
"So what do we do now?" the martial artist voices out. "I mean, this is something we can give a try if not for..."
"Iris and Irvine?" She interrupts. Zell tosses a concurring glance at her.
"Well... I really don't know." she answers, her voice reeking of regret. "I hope you won't take this the wrong way but... Irvine is still my boyfriend..."
He feels a pinch deep inside his chest. However, Zell opts once more for the prudent way, as he himself agrees to the fact that one night can hardly offset the solid foundation laid down by a year-long relationship. Besides, he thinks, if Selphie feels that she still loves Irvine even after everything that's happened during the last 48 hours, he can certainly admit to himself that his feelings for Iris cannot be erased just like that.
But still, there is this new, and admittedly strong feelings they now apparently have for each other. Consequently, Selphie and Zell recognizes the complicated situation they have just allowed to prevail.
"What a mess..." he blurts out, to which Selphie retorts in agreement.
"Yeah..."
Not long after, the wide, elevated landing port of the Airstation starts to become visible. Zell lets out a resounding groan, sluggishly moving forward to deactivate the autopilot before taking hold of the control stick. Selphie turns to him again with a sad smile.
"You don't suppose we can, like, not see each other for three months..."
"And after that, meet on the top of some tall building if we still feel this way?" Zell continues. "Heh, I've seen that movie too, you know..."
Selphie chuckles, then falls back to a melancholic state. Soon afterwards, the VY-1 bomber finally touches down on the reinforced landing port, where they were met by three important-looking Estharian military officials. Climbing down quietly from the aircraft, the two SeeDs briefly conferred with the officers while taking note of the presence of the Ragnarok. Selphie retreats, not knowing whether to be pleased or not with the possibility of Irvine being present in Esthar.
Soon after, Zell and Selphie heard voices calling their names. Emerging from the open elevator were Irvine and Squall, who happened to be in Esthar as part of a SeeD contingent carrying on an escort operation for the Winhill governor currently attending a summit in the city's Presidential Palace. Selphie hesitates for a second, but nevertheless runs to Irvine just the same.
Looking on at the pair, Zell deliberates on how to react to this compromising situation. Fortunately for him, he was spared from the dilemma when Squall approached him.
"Good job. We heard about it from the central dispatcher." the SeeD leader begins.
"Yeah, thanks..." Zell returns, throwing a brief glance at Selphie and Irvine. "But we failed to capture a prisoner for questioning. We can always go back, though. I know where the terrorists' base is."
"Go back?" Squall quizzically retorts. "Go back to what?"
Zell becomes puzzled with Squall's question. "What do you mean?"
"We received confirmation that the terrorist base blew up right after you left." Squall answers. "I even thought you and Selphie were the ones who set up the explosion."
"What? We never did such a thing. We had no time to do that."
"Really? Strange..."
"Did anyone survive the explosion?" the martial artist asks back, mildly surprised when Squall replied negatively.
"Nope, no one survived."
A bizzare incident, Zell ponders deeply. Recalling the time he and Selphie spent in running around the base while trying to locate the hangar, he doesn't remember the interior operations as being exceptionally intrinsic to warrant the use of a sophisticated and conceivably delicate power source. Whatever caused an explosion of that magnitude has to be the work of a saboteur. But he knows very little, if any, background information surrounding this particular task that can serve as lead to point to any foul play. A disgruntled henchman, perhaps?
He then spawns a question in mind regarding Squall's and Irvine's presence in Esthar. "By the way, what are you two doing here? Don't tell me you were waiting for us."
"Hardly." the SeeD leader retorts. "We just happen to be here as escorts for Governor Markkon. There's a summit about to start two days from now."
"Really? About what?"
"Not sure. But Laguna... err... President Loire said they need to discuss what they're going to do with Timber now that Galbadia is about to grant its independence."
"Cool!" Zell blurts out. "I bet Rinoa's feeling pretty pumped up with all this?"
"I'll say. She's actually among the delegates attending the summit."
"Really? How did that happen?"
"Well," Squall beams. "She's representing the Forest Owls. Watts is also there, together with Madam Ferrin Soxa of the Forest Fox."
"Oh okay. What about Zone?"
"He can't make it." the SeeD commander replies with a grin. "Indigestion."
"Why am I not surprised?" Zell remarks with rolling eyes.
Squall then opts to close the conversation upon observing Zell's apparent exhaustion. "Come on, let's talk about that later. You and Selphie need to rest, looks like the two of you went through hell."
Zell didn't answer. In a way, he thought, it may as well be sweet hell... depending on how this terrible conflict will be resolved.
- end of part 6 -