Abrupt endings
**I really appreciate all the reviews and stuff – so keep 'em coming! I'm sorry for killing Quistis but without that I don't really have a story do I?! Lol, enjoy the story!**
It was touching upon dusk now. Selphie and Zell were piloting Garden towards Esthar – it was a long, arduous journey and was likely to take them a few more nights.
His head was swimming. The moonlight refracted off the glass windows and running water in the polished halls of Balamb Garden, making his head feel light, yet heavy and painful. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and drank more of the clear, intoxicating liquid. He knew it was wrong – but did anything really matter anymore? He was viewing the world through a red, honeyed haze; the sheen penetrated his eyes and pupils, making them dilate. He was breathing heavily now. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it.
Most of the events that had happened that morning were hazy now, washed away with the wine, but one thing stuck out; Quistis had killed herself. And they wouldn't know the truth until they found Squall and asked him what the hell had happened. Irvine's feet were crossing over eachother now, but he paid no attention. The halls were deserted; nobody would see him. He leered at the stone gargoyle sitting by the lucid fountain. It had no right to look so melancholy. It had no idea what true melancholy was.
All the pieces of his life were falling away around him. Who was he, really? The liquid became more alluring, more intoxicating, with every sip. It welled over him, quenching his thirst. He was forgetting everything, everybody. Even the halls were becoming blurred around him, dancing…he swayed slightly to one side, and then the other, and then righted himself. The floor tilted crazily beneath his feet. He felt light, free, dizzy, bubble-headed. Even the misery and despair was beginning to leave him – he felt crazy, amazing, able to do anything…
He felt superhuman light-headedness possess him. He felt almost like floating, dancing, flying….and in those few seconds, he started to really believe he could…
He was turning into one of the narrow marbled aisles branching off the deserted corridor. He wasn't sure which one. After all, weren't they all the same? He sipped a little more of the cool, metallic liquid, letting it engrave an icy trajectory in the back of his gullet. He swayed into the dimly lit room at the end of the corridor and stopped.
The rows of books sharpened, blurred, and returned to their original state in front of his hallucinating eyes. There was a shape – a perfectly formed one – kneeling on the floor in front of one of the mahogany, gold-trimmed bookshelves. He hardly knew what he was doing or why, but within a few seconds he had knelt down beside her. She lifted her face to him and smiled, pushing back the sleek curtains of black hair that framed her face. Her high cheekbones complemented her eyes – striking, piercing, violet-blue eyes, fringed by dark, long, thick lashes. She was smiling uncertainly, nervously, shyly, but inside her heart was doing a double-take. The cowboy himself – she had never thought he would notice her, just a library girl at Garden…
Irvine suddenly felt as though he was floating away, away from his body. The inebriation of it all was making him lose control of his actions – but it felt good, so good…to be free. Not to have to worry about any of them, not Zell, not Seifer, not any of them. Not Quisty. He was even forgetting who they were. He was living for the moment and it felt wonderful. Incredible.
The girl kneeling in front of him turned her head away
demurely. In fact, she was a little apprehensive – he seemed a little tipsy to
her. But then, another voice inside her told her, "This is your chance, your
big chance. So, he's a little drunk. Big deal. Have a little fun!"
Before she even had a chance to look back into his face again, he had tugged off his ponytail ring, letting the chestnut hair fall silently to his shoulders. She watched him, wordlessly. Did he – really want to –
She stood up and a light sparkled in her eyes. Irvine found himself laughing – a high pitched laugh. Anything could happen now. He didn't even know what he was doing. He clasped her hand in his and led her in a pirouette. She giggled as he pulled her to him in a fast – paced disco-style dance. "Isn't it wild?" He whispered into her ear. Intoxicating fumes emanated from his words, but she didn't care. She was in the arms of the handsome cowboy she'd always wanted. "Doesn't it make you feel free?" He continued.
Before she had time to think over what she was doing, she was clasping his face in her hands, kissing the warm, sensitive mouth, tasting the alcohol. It made her feel light-headed. Irvine pulled away from the kiss, his eyes glazed yet alive.
Wordlessly, he drew her roughly to his side and led her to his dormitory.
He remembered no more after that.
The ragged, terrified breathing filled his mind and soul. It was agony to listen to.
"Let her go!" He screamed unreservedly. He tried to move towards her but found that he couldn't. The icicle shivered at Rinoa's throat and fell still.
"Let the process start." Hissed Ultimecia to the hollow, trailing minion that had once been Ellone. A thin, vaporous mist began to rise and curl, licking the floor and springing up around Rinoa. Ellone drifted slowly, ominously towards Rinoa and clasped a heavy steel bracelet tightly around one of her slender wrists. Beads of sweat broke out on Rinoa's pale forehead. Her damp hair was falling into her petrified eyes. A small cluster of electric blue sparks, miniature lightnings, was beginning to sparkle and crackle around the handcuff. Rinoa winced and cried out on pain. Squall wrenched and strained at the invisible force that was holding him back, but it was too strong for him. Worst of all was the cold, calculating expression on Ultimecia's face as she watched Rinoa's face contort in pain.
"Squall!" She was gasping, but her words were worn to shreds. "I love you…"
Those words sounded so final, so horrible…
"Angel! Don't give up!"
But Rinoa was past words, her eyes hollow, horrified glassy marbles, her whole slender frame trembling…
Squall instinctively felt for his ring. He always held it when he was scared, or despairing. But when he needed it most, it failed him. His ring was no longer around his neck. Its cool warmth could not reassure him now. He tried to visualise it, holding it in his mind. The inscription, Griever. The small etching of the legendary GF they had defeated. And the tiny words, engraved in gold, just visible beneath the etching…
Something was telling Squall the words were important, but he didn't know why…what were they? What were they?
Rinoa's cries were becoming more and more audible in the background. His heart felt as if it was going to split in two with the horror of it all. And then it came to him. He was breathless, hopeful, as he half sobbed, half gasped the words…
"Fithos Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec…"
The world suddenly went silent around him. The electric charges stopped.
A hollow rumbling filled the air.
And then, with an enormous explosion of rocks, sparks, and hot ashes, the earth began to split and shake brutally beneath them…he was falling, and falling, and he couldn't seem to stop falling…he felt someone warm, someone alive brush against him, beside him, and he grasped the trembling white hand, felt the fabric of the blue dress…darkness, intermittently lit up with flashes of red, destructive light, a deep ravine, and a horrendous, harsh scream from somewhere deep below, or above, they were the same thing…
They were together, but where were they going?
"You can manage, Zell?"
It had been a long, long night of navigations and stars, and finally they were on a straight course to Esthar City. Selphie was tired and fatigued, but she tried not to show it. Irvine would make her feel better. He always did.
"Sure thing, Sefie. You go down and see how the others are getting on. Tell them we're bound for Odine's Lab."
"Sure…"
Selphie raked a slim hand through her shiny, bouncy brown hair as she descended from the bridge and headed down the marble corridors towards Irvine's dormitory. She was so excited; he would be so excited when she told him! She couldn't wait. Something was finally going right in her life. And she had a person to share it with…
She knocked coyly on the door of Irvine's dormitory. "Irv?"
She pushed open the door, trying her best to look coy and alluring. "I…"
She stopped in her tracks, rooted to the spot. The room smelt strongly of alcohol. The sharp stench stung her nostrils and made her eyes water. But that wasn't the worst.
The white sheets of the bed were rumpled. Bare, creamy skin, bronzed skin…Irvine lay, face down underneath the sheets, his bronzed arms around – around the girl from the library. The girl had her head in the crook of his neck, her lips resting on his shoulder blade. Her arms were protectively wrapped around him. The morning sun flooded the room, making them look pure and loving. It should have been a beautiful image. But to her, it was nothing but dirty.
"Irvine?" The tears pricked her eyes as she realised, with a
bitter, sinking feeling that they must have spent the night together. How could
he – she'd thought he was the one…the one…she was supposed to marry him! And he'd
taken her love, and her trust, and shattered it into a million pieces before her
very eyes. She had been in love – no, she still was. Whatever happened, she
couldn't stop loving him. But right now
all she was feeling was hurt and sorrow. Wasn't she good enough? The girl in the
bed was beautiful – much more beautiful than her, she realised. How could she have
ever thought that Irvine would really want her?
Trembling, the tears
partly blurring her vision, she advanced towards the bed, trying her hardest not
to wake him. She didn't know how she would face him if he woke up. She reached out
a slim hand towards his golden brown one, and slid her engagement ring onto his
fourth finger. She would no longer be needing it.
Unable to fight the
howl of misery that was building up inside her at the horror and shock of it all
any longer, she turned and fled the room.
Dr. Kadowaki looked
up as the small brunette dashed into the infirmary, looking dishevelled, discomposed.
She was obviously upset because of Quistis, Dr. Kadowaki assumed, smiling encouragingly
at her.
"Ah, Selphie! How's
he do…"
"No time for that."
Selphie answered shortly. She sat down on the chair next to the window. The cool
breeze played on her cheek. In her mind there was a burning certainty that she should
do what she was about to do, but in her mind, she was pleading, praying for Irvine
to come and stop her before she did it…
"Selphie? Is everything
all right? Do you need advice on your…"
"Don't make this any
harder…" Selphie whispered, half to herself. She gathered up all her resolve, and
wiped the tears fiercely from her eyes before raising her head determinedly to stare
the doctor straight in the eyes.
"Do you know a good
place I could go to for an abortion?"
How was it? If you've
read this far you must have an opinion, so please review!!! No continue unless I
get enough reviews…