Irvine saw the mansion in the distance and felt his heart speed up. He knew that was where
Selphie was. All night he had traveled around his former home, Galbadia, in search of Seifer's
realm. It was tucked away out of sight, most likely on purpose, which made it so hard to find it
from the Ragnarok. But yet here he was watching silently as he loaded his gun. "I'll give the
bastard what he deserves."
He broke into a brisk walk, which ended up a hurried jog as he neared the house. Pretty soon
he would rescue her and take her home once again. In a few minutes he would see that face he
loved so much.
He was out of breath by the time he reached the door step. "Where is everyone?" He had
expected guards to be waiting but he found none. They could be hiding of course but in the
desert-like territory there really was no where to hide. He wiped the beads of sweat from his
brow as he turned the handle of the door and stepped inside.
It was quiet . . . too quiet. He drew his gun instantly, but it wasn't fast enough. As he whipped
around to shoot whatever presence was there, he was hit over the head with a blunt object.
He crumbled to the floor.
Raijin stood over the cowboy. "What should we do with him? Seifer won't be happy he's
here, ya know?"
"BASEMENT" Fujin replied simply. Raijin nodded as he began to drag the cowboy.
"Ugh. He's heavier then he looks ya know?" Fujin's response was to kick him in the shin.
"WIMP."
***
When Irvine woke up, his head was throbbing. "Where am I?"
It took his eyes a long time to adjust to the dimly lit room. It was a cellar of some sort that was
obvious by the grey cement that surrounded him. To the left of him he saw a stone staircase.
He went to get up but soon realized he was tied down to the chair he was seated in. He
struggled to get himself free, but try as he might he was stuck. He bowed his head in defeat.
"I'm sorry Selphie. I'm sorry for failing you."
***
Squall's worry was almost showing through his cool exterior as he walked around the 1st floor
of Garden. Not only was Selphie gone, but they had woken up this morning to find Irvine gone
as well. It was obvious the sharp shooter had gone to save his girlfriend.
Rinoa who was walking behind Squall sensed her boyfriend's concern. "Don't worry Squall.
I'm sure Irvine will be all right. I mean, Seifer's not that bad of a guy."
Squall whipped around. "Not a bad guy? When he was here at Garden, he was a menace to
everyone. He left, causing even more trouble and helped in killing and injuring hundreds of
innocent people. He's kidnaped you and now he's got Selphie." He shook his head. "Not a
bad guy? How could you say that?"
Rinoa looked down. "I'm sorry Squall. It's just when he was with the sorceress he couldn't
control what he did. I mean yeah he was mean but he would never hurt anyone."
Squall sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Well we still have to consider the possibility
that he will. Especially since he has Selphie and probably Irvine now."
"I guess you're right. Do you want me to gather everyone?"
"That would be great."
She kissed his cheek. "Alright see you in a little while."
He nodded as she left and walked toward the cafeteria. He was definitely going to need a large
intake of coffee to keep him going.
***
Selphie ran her hand along the walls of the hallway. This would be the last time she walked
around this house. She knew it was best that she was leaving and yet she felt a pang of
sadness.
She walked to the kitchen and smiled as she remembered the meal they had shared earlier. She
had only stayed here for a short time but already she felt a closeness to the place. As she
turned to her left, she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. Her curiosity arose. "Seifer
won't mind if I look around."
Immediately after opening the door she realized she was in some kind of basement. The musky
smell and slight dampness gave that away. As she descended the stairs, a figure came into
view. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the brim of the hat she knew so well. "Irvine?"
Irvine squinted into the darkness. He had sworn he had heard her voice . . . he grinned as she
came into view. She was dressed oddly, but still he knew the petite girl right away.
"Irvine what are you doing down here?" Her voice held a tint of fear.
"Don't be scared. I've only been here a little while. I came to rescue you and the two freaks
caught me. Could you untie me?"
Selphie nodded numbly as she untied the ropes. The gunman stood up, stretching his aching
limbs. After that he took Selphie in his arms in one fluid motion and hugged her. "I missed you
so much."
She felt tears spring to her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if it was because she didn't want to
leave or she did. But she pulled him away. "We have to get out of here."
Irvine turned to Selphie. "They didn't hurt you did they?"
She smiled. "Nope. Seifer was just drunk. He didn't know what he was doing."
"I'm still going to make him regret what he did for the rest of his life." Selphie winced at that
but didn't say anything. What could she say?
As they reached the top of the stairs the door flung open. Fujin stood at the top. "Where do
you think you're going?"
Irvine went to draw his gun but realized it was gone. He glared. "We're going home."
Fujin gave a slight grin. "I don't think so." In one swift motion she pushed Selphie. The girl
tried to regain her balance but she wasn't quick enough. She felt herself falling backward.
Irvine watched as everything seem to go into slow motion. He reached his hand but his effort
was lost as he watched Selphie's tiny figure descend back down the stairs. She reached the
bottom with a thud, her body not moving. Irvine immediately ran to her, hoping that she was
alright. Her breathing was ragged and her body motionless. A trickle of blood ran down the
side of her face. It was obvious she needed to get to a hospital and quick.
For the first time since the incident Irvine turned to Fujin who was watching in slight horror. It
was a rash thing what she had done. She backed up as Irvine advanced on her. His voice was
low and menacing. "You just wait til I get my hands on you." She opened the door, closed it,
and locked it in a flash. She pressed her back to the door and slowly slid down, feeling her
body deflating. What would Seifer do if he found out?
He wouldn't find out. She knew Raijin hadn't told him that they had captured Irvine. So she
could just tell him Selphie left on her own. It made sense didn't it?
She stood back up. She had to go tell Raijin of her plan before he could spoil it.
***
A little bit of a twist. Well this story is coming to a close. The next chapter might be the last.
I hope you enjoy reading this! And PLEASE review!
Selphie was. All night he had traveled around his former home, Galbadia, in search of Seifer's
realm. It was tucked away out of sight, most likely on purpose, which made it so hard to find it
from the Ragnarok. But yet here he was watching silently as he loaded his gun. "I'll give the
bastard what he deserves."
He broke into a brisk walk, which ended up a hurried jog as he neared the house. Pretty soon
he would rescue her and take her home once again. In a few minutes he would see that face he
loved so much.
He was out of breath by the time he reached the door step. "Where is everyone?" He had
expected guards to be waiting but he found none. They could be hiding of course but in the
desert-like territory there really was no where to hide. He wiped the beads of sweat from his
brow as he turned the handle of the door and stepped inside.
It was quiet . . . too quiet. He drew his gun instantly, but it wasn't fast enough. As he whipped
around to shoot whatever presence was there, he was hit over the head with a blunt object.
He crumbled to the floor.
Raijin stood over the cowboy. "What should we do with him? Seifer won't be happy he's
here, ya know?"
"BASEMENT" Fujin replied simply. Raijin nodded as he began to drag the cowboy.
"Ugh. He's heavier then he looks ya know?" Fujin's response was to kick him in the shin.
"WIMP."
***
When Irvine woke up, his head was throbbing. "Where am I?"
It took his eyes a long time to adjust to the dimly lit room. It was a cellar of some sort that was
obvious by the grey cement that surrounded him. To the left of him he saw a stone staircase.
He went to get up but soon realized he was tied down to the chair he was seated in. He
struggled to get himself free, but try as he might he was stuck. He bowed his head in defeat.
"I'm sorry Selphie. I'm sorry for failing you."
***
Squall's worry was almost showing through his cool exterior as he walked around the 1st floor
of Garden. Not only was Selphie gone, but they had woken up this morning to find Irvine gone
as well. It was obvious the sharp shooter had gone to save his girlfriend.
Rinoa who was walking behind Squall sensed her boyfriend's concern. "Don't worry Squall.
I'm sure Irvine will be all right. I mean, Seifer's not that bad of a guy."
Squall whipped around. "Not a bad guy? When he was here at Garden, he was a menace to
everyone. He left, causing even more trouble and helped in killing and injuring hundreds of
innocent people. He's kidnaped you and now he's got Selphie." He shook his head. "Not a
bad guy? How could you say that?"
Rinoa looked down. "I'm sorry Squall. It's just when he was with the sorceress he couldn't
control what he did. I mean yeah he was mean but he would never hurt anyone."
Squall sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Well we still have to consider the possibility
that he will. Especially since he has Selphie and probably Irvine now."
"I guess you're right. Do you want me to gather everyone?"
"That would be great."
She kissed his cheek. "Alright see you in a little while."
He nodded as she left and walked toward the cafeteria. He was definitely going to need a large
intake of coffee to keep him going.
***
Selphie ran her hand along the walls of the hallway. This would be the last time she walked
around this house. She knew it was best that she was leaving and yet she felt a pang of
sadness.
She walked to the kitchen and smiled as she remembered the meal they had shared earlier. She
had only stayed here for a short time but already she felt a closeness to the place. As she
turned to her left, she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. Her curiosity arose. "Seifer
won't mind if I look around."
Immediately after opening the door she realized she was in some kind of basement. The musky
smell and slight dampness gave that away. As she descended the stairs, a figure came into
view. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the brim of the hat she knew so well. "Irvine?"
Irvine squinted into the darkness. He had sworn he had heard her voice . . . he grinned as she
came into view. She was dressed oddly, but still he knew the petite girl right away.
"Irvine what are you doing down here?" Her voice held a tint of fear.
"Don't be scared. I've only been here a little while. I came to rescue you and the two freaks
caught me. Could you untie me?"
Selphie nodded numbly as she untied the ropes. The gunman stood up, stretching his aching
limbs. After that he took Selphie in his arms in one fluid motion and hugged her. "I missed you
so much."
She felt tears spring to her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if it was because she didn't want to
leave or she did. But she pulled him away. "We have to get out of here."
Irvine turned to Selphie. "They didn't hurt you did they?"
She smiled. "Nope. Seifer was just drunk. He didn't know what he was doing."
"I'm still going to make him regret what he did for the rest of his life." Selphie winced at that
but didn't say anything. What could she say?
As they reached the top of the stairs the door flung open. Fujin stood at the top. "Where do
you think you're going?"
Irvine went to draw his gun but realized it was gone. He glared. "We're going home."
Fujin gave a slight grin. "I don't think so." In one swift motion she pushed Selphie. The girl
tried to regain her balance but she wasn't quick enough. She felt herself falling backward.
Irvine watched as everything seem to go into slow motion. He reached his hand but his effort
was lost as he watched Selphie's tiny figure descend back down the stairs. She reached the
bottom with a thud, her body not moving. Irvine immediately ran to her, hoping that she was
alright. Her breathing was ragged and her body motionless. A trickle of blood ran down the
side of her face. It was obvious she needed to get to a hospital and quick.
For the first time since the incident Irvine turned to Fujin who was watching in slight horror. It
was a rash thing what she had done. She backed up as Irvine advanced on her. His voice was
low and menacing. "You just wait til I get my hands on you." She opened the door, closed it,
and locked it in a flash. She pressed her back to the door and slowly slid down, feeling her
body deflating. What would Seifer do if he found out?
He wouldn't find out. She knew Raijin hadn't told him that they had captured Irvine. So she
could just tell him Selphie left on her own. It made sense didn't it?
She stood back up. She had to go tell Raijin of her plan before he could spoil it.
***
A little bit of a twist. Well this story is coming to a close. The next chapter might be the last.
I hope you enjoy reading this! And PLEASE review!
