Chapter Two: Catching Up
I'm always swimming
Against the flow off the tide
Kissing the life
Into something
That's already died
I've been drowning
Forever
I'll let go
I'll dive into
The river and flow
"Flow"- Transister
Ceres took a cigarette out of her pack, and lit it, inhaling deeply. "So...." she said ackwardly, "What do you want to know?" After a moment, Irvine spoke up, "Why didn't you come back?"
Ceres sighed. It had been three years since she had walked out of Balamb Garden. "It's really difficult to explain," she began, "I wandered around for a long time, moving from place to place, trying to find somewhere that I belonged. And, when I came here, it was just like I was meant to be here. The people here needed me. I felt wanted... I felt like I finally had a purpose in life.. I thought about visiting you guys so many times. Or calling you. Hell, I've even picked up the phone and dialed the number, but I always got scared and hung up. I mean, I had been away for so long, I felt like I had no right to just come barging back into your lives, you understand, no?"
Everyone slowly nodded. "You were wanted at Balamb," Zell answered, his voice quivering slightly, "We needed you, we loved you." Ceres sighed, and walked over to the window, crossing her arms, "I knew that, hun. Everything was just confusing. I didn't know who I was, or what I was supposed to do. I always felt like an outcast, like someone looking in. I never felt at home..."
Selphie came up beside her and put her arm around her, "You were never a stranger," she said softly, "You're one of us, no matter what. You'll always have a home with us, you know that." Ceres nodded, biting her lip. "About a week after everything calmed down, I started having nightmares about Rinoa. She was all bloodied and she was crying, asking me, "Why did you kill me? Why? Why? Why?" I thought I was going insane. And, everyday, I would look at every one of you, and be reminded of what happened. It was just too much, I felt so guilty..."
"We all felt guilty..." Squall whispered, his eyes filling with pain, "But, we didn't run away from our problems." Ceres whirled around and glared at Squall, "I didn't know how to handle it!" she cried. She flopped down on the floor, and rocked back and forth, "I felt as though if I stayed there any longer, I would do something to myself that I would of regretted, and I didn't want that to happen. So I did the only thing that I could think of at the time, I left.. I'm sorry for hurting you all... Maybe you guys should go now. Go back to the Garden, and just pretend this never happened, okay? Pretend like you still don't know where I'm at or what happened. Maybe it'll be better for all of us that way...."
Zell sat down beside her, and rested his head on her shoulder, "No, hun. We're not going to leave. At least, I'm not going to leave. I'm going to help you get through this, even if it takes me the rest of my life. I promise you. Remember? I told you I'd be waiting. And I still am, if only you'll let us help you.." Ceres looked down at the floor, "But, it's my problem... It would be unfair of me to ask for you guys to help me with it.."
"No.." Irvine said slowly, "It's our problem too, because you're our friend and we love you dearly, and if you're hurting, then so are we, no matter what." The others nodded in agreement. Ceres looked up at everyone, her eyes full of tears, "Do you really mean that?" "Of course we do," Quistis replied, "We mean it with all of our hearts..."
Ceres nodded. "Okay..then.. tomorrow we'll return to Balamb...together.. But, for now, let's just get some sleep, 'kay?" "Okay." the others responded. "Um. There's four bedrooms here, so..." "Don't worry," Seifer said quickly, "Me and Selphie will share a bed." "Me and Quistis will too," Squall replied. "I'll just sleep in the empty bed." Irvine said sadly, wishing Xu was there with them. Ceres nodded, "There's just down the hall. The first one on the right is mine, but the other ones are empty. There's blankets and pillows in there already." They all said their goodnights and left Zell and Ceres alone.
"I'll sleep on the couch...." Zell said quietly. Ceres shook her head, "No, please. Don't.. I need you.. Please.. Stay with me.." Ceres took her hand, and offered Zell a weak smile. He put his hand up to her cheek, and she grabbed it. They sat there, holding hands for several minutes.
Ceres looked over at Zell whose eyes were closed. She smiled to herself in the darkness and scooted over to him, resting her head on his chest. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat. 'It sounds like magic.' she thought to herself. Ceres closed her eyes, and drifted off to the magic. Zell stroked her hair, looking down at the angel who slept near him.
**********************************************************************************
"What do you want us to do?" a very impatient Kiros asked. "I don't know!" Laguna cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "........." Ward rolled his eyes. "Well, you better think of something." Kiros replied. "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm........." Laguna said, scratching his head, "Well, we could just wait for them to attack.."
"Vait just a moment." Dr. Odine said, walking in, "I do not think zat would be a very good zidea." "Oh? Do you have a better plan?" Laguna asked, curiously. "As a matter o' fact, ves, ves I do. I veel that ve should zuprise attack za enemy. Zo zat they will no be expecting it. If zey are caught off-guard, zen we have a better chance of defeating zem."
Launga blinked, "Uh... Did anyone understand a word he just said?" Kiros sighed, "He said that we should plan a suprise attack on Galbadia, and catch them off-guard." "Oh...right!" Laguna said, smiling, "I think that's a great idea! Ward, get the leader of the attacks in here, now!" "........" Ward replied, heading off to fetch the leader.
"What's going on, Uncle Laguna?" Ellone asked, walking in. "Ahhhh, just the stupid war." Laguna replied, hugging Ellone tightly, "How are ya, kiddo?" "I'm doing really good Uncle Laguna, thanks," Ellone answered, laughing.
"Well now," Laguna said as Ward returned with the leader, "Let's get down to buisness, shall we?"
*************************************************************************************
Somewhere dark and unknown, a creature stirred. The slimy being sat up and looked around at his surroundings. He had just overheard a conversation between the president of Galbadia and a general. "Ahhh.." he said, smiling cruelly to himself, "I see I've come awake at the perfect time. This time, things will NOT go wrong.." The creature laughed to himself, the terrifying sound sending all of the animals of the forest running. "Ahahahahahahahahahahaha."
~Eep! Strange evil creatures coming back to life? Ceres actually being nice to Irvine? What's going on here? Stay tuned in for the next chapter in this bizzare series entitled, "Chapter Three: Back at Home *Gives everyone a lollipop* Much Love, Zell ~
I'm always swimming
Against the flow off the tide
Kissing the life
Into something
That's already died
I've been drowning
Forever
I'll let go
I'll dive into
The river and flow
"Flow"- Transister
Ceres took a cigarette out of her pack, and lit it, inhaling deeply. "So...." she said ackwardly, "What do you want to know?" After a moment, Irvine spoke up, "Why didn't you come back?"
Ceres sighed. It had been three years since she had walked out of Balamb Garden. "It's really difficult to explain," she began, "I wandered around for a long time, moving from place to place, trying to find somewhere that I belonged. And, when I came here, it was just like I was meant to be here. The people here needed me. I felt wanted... I felt like I finally had a purpose in life.. I thought about visiting you guys so many times. Or calling you. Hell, I've even picked up the phone and dialed the number, but I always got scared and hung up. I mean, I had been away for so long, I felt like I had no right to just come barging back into your lives, you understand, no?"
Everyone slowly nodded. "You were wanted at Balamb," Zell answered, his voice quivering slightly, "We needed you, we loved you." Ceres sighed, and walked over to the window, crossing her arms, "I knew that, hun. Everything was just confusing. I didn't know who I was, or what I was supposed to do. I always felt like an outcast, like someone looking in. I never felt at home..."
Selphie came up beside her and put her arm around her, "You were never a stranger," she said softly, "You're one of us, no matter what. You'll always have a home with us, you know that." Ceres nodded, biting her lip. "About a week after everything calmed down, I started having nightmares about Rinoa. She was all bloodied and she was crying, asking me, "Why did you kill me? Why? Why? Why?" I thought I was going insane. And, everyday, I would look at every one of you, and be reminded of what happened. It was just too much, I felt so guilty..."
"We all felt guilty..." Squall whispered, his eyes filling with pain, "But, we didn't run away from our problems." Ceres whirled around and glared at Squall, "I didn't know how to handle it!" she cried. She flopped down on the floor, and rocked back and forth, "I felt as though if I stayed there any longer, I would do something to myself that I would of regretted, and I didn't want that to happen. So I did the only thing that I could think of at the time, I left.. I'm sorry for hurting you all... Maybe you guys should go now. Go back to the Garden, and just pretend this never happened, okay? Pretend like you still don't know where I'm at or what happened. Maybe it'll be better for all of us that way...."
Zell sat down beside her, and rested his head on her shoulder, "No, hun. We're not going to leave. At least, I'm not going to leave. I'm going to help you get through this, even if it takes me the rest of my life. I promise you. Remember? I told you I'd be waiting. And I still am, if only you'll let us help you.." Ceres looked down at the floor, "But, it's my problem... It would be unfair of me to ask for you guys to help me with it.."
"No.." Irvine said slowly, "It's our problem too, because you're our friend and we love you dearly, and if you're hurting, then so are we, no matter what." The others nodded in agreement. Ceres looked up at everyone, her eyes full of tears, "Do you really mean that?" "Of course we do," Quistis replied, "We mean it with all of our hearts..."
Ceres nodded. "Okay..then.. tomorrow we'll return to Balamb...together.. But, for now, let's just get some sleep, 'kay?" "Okay." the others responded. "Um. There's four bedrooms here, so..." "Don't worry," Seifer said quickly, "Me and Selphie will share a bed." "Me and Quistis will too," Squall replied. "I'll just sleep in the empty bed." Irvine said sadly, wishing Xu was there with them. Ceres nodded, "There's just down the hall. The first one on the right is mine, but the other ones are empty. There's blankets and pillows in there already." They all said their goodnights and left Zell and Ceres alone.
"I'll sleep on the couch...." Zell said quietly. Ceres shook her head, "No, please. Don't.. I need you.. Please.. Stay with me.." Ceres took her hand, and offered Zell a weak smile. He put his hand up to her cheek, and she grabbed it. They sat there, holding hands for several minutes.
Ceres looked over at Zell whose eyes were closed. She smiled to herself in the darkness and scooted over to him, resting her head on his chest. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat. 'It sounds like magic.' she thought to herself. Ceres closed her eyes, and drifted off to the magic. Zell stroked her hair, looking down at the angel who slept near him.
**********************************************************************************
"What do you want us to do?" a very impatient Kiros asked. "I don't know!" Laguna cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "........." Ward rolled his eyes. "Well, you better think of something." Kiros replied. "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm........." Laguna said, scratching his head, "Well, we could just wait for them to attack.."
"Vait just a moment." Dr. Odine said, walking in, "I do not think zat would be a very good zidea." "Oh? Do you have a better plan?" Laguna asked, curiously. "As a matter o' fact, ves, ves I do. I veel that ve should zuprise attack za enemy. Zo zat they will no be expecting it. If zey are caught off-guard, zen we have a better chance of defeating zem."
Launga blinked, "Uh... Did anyone understand a word he just said?" Kiros sighed, "He said that we should plan a suprise attack on Galbadia, and catch them off-guard." "Oh...right!" Laguna said, smiling, "I think that's a great idea! Ward, get the leader of the attacks in here, now!" "........" Ward replied, heading off to fetch the leader.
"What's going on, Uncle Laguna?" Ellone asked, walking in. "Ahhhh, just the stupid war." Laguna replied, hugging Ellone tightly, "How are ya, kiddo?" "I'm doing really good Uncle Laguna, thanks," Ellone answered, laughing.
"Well now," Laguna said as Ward returned with the leader, "Let's get down to buisness, shall we?"
*************************************************************************************
Somewhere dark and unknown, a creature stirred. The slimy being sat up and looked around at his surroundings. He had just overheard a conversation between the president of Galbadia and a general. "Ahhh.." he said, smiling cruelly to himself, "I see I've come awake at the perfect time. This time, things will NOT go wrong.." The creature laughed to himself, the terrifying sound sending all of the animals of the forest running. "Ahahahahahahahahahahaha."
~Eep! Strange evil creatures coming back to life? Ceres actually being nice to Irvine? What's going on here? Stay tuned in for the next chapter in this bizzare series entitled, "Chapter Three: Back at Home *Gives everyone a lollipop* Much Love, Zell ~
