Remember
Alone, unknown, wanting something
a sound, a voice
something new
A revelation sweeps
the steps
and I laugh
because I knew it was coming.
Chapter Three: Angelo and Leviathan
May
Squall walked into the room for the third time that day. He wanted her to wake up. He stood in the doorway, just staring at her. She might know what had happened to Ellone. And besides, she was pretty cool.
Selphie, the only other in the room, had been sitting by Rinoa's bedside. She yawned."I'm gonna take a nap, Squally..." She said, sleepily. He nodded and took her place by the bed. After a while he stood up and walked to the center of the room, looking around.
Rinoa's tiny eyelids fluttered open. She peered around the room, remembering where she was and what had happened. She spotted Squall, and tested herself. Sitting up, she was fine, nothing hurt. She jumped up "You saved me!" she cried. Squall turned. "Ohh! I knew someone would come, I just knew it!" She threw her arms around him and swung herself, laughing with glee.He hugged her back a moment before setting her down."I need to know what happened to Sis."
***********************************************************************
Rinoa looked at her mother, unconcious on the bed. Her father had said she wasn't going to survive. She leaned over and kissed her mother's forehead tearfully. "I love you, Mommy."
***********************************************************************
Out in the woods, Nida curled up in Zells lap. Rinoa sat placently on a rock, Quistis and Xu on either side. Fujin lay her head on Seifer's knee, a leg draped over Raijin's own. She grinned, She owned these boys, in a way. Selphie bounced around the clearing for a bit, finally settling down next to Irvine, letting his arm encircle her. Squall paced, then turned to Rinoa. "Look..." he said softly "I'm sorry you lost your mom, but we need to know what happened to Sis. Your dad said he didn't see her at all when he first saw the Snowlion. You have to talk. Please."
Rinoa whimpered softly, and Xu placed an arm around her, casting an icy glare at Squall. Rinoa nuzzled Xu gently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Squall sighed, exasperated, and threw up his hands,turning from the group. "I just want to know what happened to my sister!"
**********************************************************************
Squall slipped into bed, pulling the covers up around him. He listened to Raijin begin to snore and Zell whimper softly from a nightmare. Sometime in the night Irvine and Seifer got up and came back with drinks of water, offering him a sip when they saw he was awake. Squall tossed and turned long after the water was gone and everyone was asleep.Then she came.
Rinoa was silent as cats paws and he only noticed someone was there when his bed creaked from her tiny weight. He turned over in surprise, sitting up.
She waved her arms "Shh! Squall, its *mee*!"
He let a sound escape that was a cross between a sigh and a groan. "Whatsa matter?" he asked "Can't sleep or somthin'?"
She nodded slowly "And...something *else*...." He looked at her questioningly, throwing back the comforter for her to crawl inside.She snuggled up to him with a content sigh.
"Elle's safe. I *swear* I watched her soar."
***********************************************************************
Ellone peered around the deck of the ship. It was a nice ship. She pet the dog at her feet gently, bending down to whisper in its ear "Griever, sweet boy, you'll have to go to her and protect her now. I've got others to protect me. She needs *someone*." She took the dog behind the cabins, nodding at it. She watched as it changed into a huge black lion, standing on two feet. She smiled. "Now soar." The lion sped off on air back towards the orphanage she loved.
***
(A/N : It was purposely done that Rin and Elle used the same word; 'Soar'. Fact is, Ellone escaped on Griever, only Rinoa couldn't see him. He wasn't her GF. And, yes, Rin's sleeping with Squall X_x;; They're little kids! If you had a big-brother-type-person and you couldn't sleep, and your parents were....half dead, or, not there, where would *you* go? See?Thank you!!!)
***
***********************************************************************
Zell looked at the scruffy dog inspectingly. "Hmmm..." Selphie threw her arms around it at once. Seifer sneered at it, and when it didn't run he laughed, bending down and petting it. The dog let itself be subjected to this, until Rinoa and Squall rose sleepily together and entered the main room. Irvine whispered in Quistis's ear, causing the blonde to shout "They *slept* together!?!?!?"
Squall blushed "She..ahh...couldn't sleep..." he said softly. Rinoa shrugged it off and looked at the dog for a split second until it ran out of Selphie's grasp and nuzzled her gently. She giggled and smiled "I think he likes me..." She said with a laugh. Xu grinned "That means *you* get to name him, 'lil angel." Xu had taken Rin on as a sort of daughter, and called her pet names like this often. Rinoa thought for a second, small brows wrinkling. She gasped as a sort of revelation swept over her tiny five year old body. "Angel.." she murmured "Angel..oh...Angel-oh..Angelo!" The syllables mixed in her mouth and when they emerged everyone there was inclined to agree. Angelo was his name.
***********************************************************************
Fujin's birthday was uneventful. Nida scraped his knee, and Raijin got sick on cake. Angelo was a perfect gentleman, however, and brought Fujin some flowers from the flower feild on the side of the house.
(( A/N: Fujin's B-Day was May 28th, my birthday! Yay!))
***********************************************************************
Zell's mouth watered as the hotdog was placed before him. "Thanks Matwon!" he mumbled, barely remembering his manners in the face of food. He stuffed the large dog down his throat, his huge bites leaving Quistis and Selphie in awe. "Z-z-zell!" Nida stuttered "You're going to choke yourself!" Zell licked his fingers and made smacking noises, grinning because he was finished. "Will I really?" He crooned, rising from the seat. Nida followed him out of the room, shocked.
***********************************************************************
"So whaddaya want to do today, guys?" asked Selphie, busting into the boy's room. Raijin's arm flailed from beneath Irvine and the little cowboy whined softly "Seifer! Gerrroff!" Seifer grimaced and pushed Zell "Can't! Chickenwuss is perched on my chest" Zell began to cry "It's not my fault! Nida and Squall..." Nida rolled off and unburied Zell and Irvine "I'm sorry!" he cried, hugging Zell. "I got an idea..." said Irvine "Lets go out 'sploring again!"
***********************************************************************
Nida wrapped his arm around a still sniffling Zell. "Hey!" cried Rinoa, Angelo on her heels. "There's a lake up here!" "Hear that, Zell?" Said Nida sweetly "We can go swimming." Zell cheered a bit. "You're the best, Nida." Nida grinned "Naw.." He blushed a bit. "Hey! lets go!" He grabbed Zells hand and started running to the large lake.
Zell, now much happier, plunged in "Cannonball!!!!" he cried, although he didn't make much of a splash. Selphie splashed Quistis, who laughed and pounced, dragging both under. Fujin watched quietly for a minute,as Raijin leaned over and peered in. With a malicious grin, Fujin raised her leg and booted him in. Irvine and Seifer began laughing hysterically. Squall sat on a rock, snickering quietly. Xu rolled her eyes and lay out on another rock, Rinoa hopping around nearby.
Zell climbed out and began poking around."W-w-what's this?" Zell's voice sounded. Nida splashed over. "What's what?" Zell held out a smooth, circular rock with an 'S' on it. The 'S' had sort of a head and tail, and it was a blue-green color. Squall stood and walked over. "It's not an M-stone..." he said quietly. Zell turned and looked at the lake for a minute. "Get out for a second every-buddy..." He said slowly, Quistis pulled Selphie out and Raijin climbed out hurriedly. Nida crouched behind Zell "Whatcha gonna do, Zelly?" Zell didn't answer, but reached down and immersed the stone in the water.
Suddenly, a column of water rose a few feet from Zell. It began about the size of a T-Rexaur bone, any of the children could have wrapped their hands around it. Then it grew, taller, thicker. All the kids moved away and huddled together, except for Zell and Nida, the former keeping the stone immersed and the latter wrapping his arms supportingly around Zell.The column rose, breaking off from the water and spattering the children with wet. It curled and writhed, seeming to grow fins and a head, its new-formed tail flailing. Zell's mouth dropped. "It's a GF like Shiva!" He cried, although no one understood how he had come to that conclusion, for all he knew it was a monster that they would have a tough time running away from. Somehow, when Zell named it a GF everyone believed him. A voice was heard,and they all realized it was the thing, the GF.
"I am Leviathan! You have been chosen, young master, and I am yours!" Zell bowed shortly, utter joy in his eyes.
***********************************************************************