Chapter Five: The Awakening
Ceres opened her eyes and groaned. Her side hurt like hell. She blinked several times,
trying to grow accustomed to the light.
"Ceres?" asked a small voice. She turned her head to see Zell sitting beside her. He
looked worn out.
"Zell?" she replied, her voice weak and tiny, "What happened? Where am I?"
Zell smiled weakly and stroked her hair, "Shh.. It's okay. You're safe now. You're going
to be OK."
"How long have I been here?" she asked curiously, "I felt like I've slept a thousand years
plus."
Zell laughed quietly, "A month, hun."
She struggled until she was sitting up, facing him, "And how long have you been here with me?"
He looked down at the floor, "Ever since I found you in the Training Centre..."
Ceres' mouth dropped open, "Haven't you been to bed or anything????"
"I've been sleeping on this chair, Selphie or Squall usually bring me food.."
"Oh god, Zell... I'm so sorry," Ceres whispered.
"NO!" He shouted, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't be, it's all my fault, I shouldn't of
upset you like that. I shoulda been there to protect you."
"Protect me?!" Ceres asked incredibly, "Zell Dincht, I don't need ANYONE to protect me. I'm a
big girl!"
"I'm sorry.." he replied quietly.
Ceres reached over and hugged him tightly, the pain shooting through her left side. "No,
don't be.. I'm sorry.."
Zell tilted his head to the side, and studied Ceres for a few moments. "It'll take you a while to
recover, you know? You should be careful from now on."
Ceres made a face. "Me? Careful?" she laughed, "You know me, I'm always careful.
Zell looked up at her and brushed the hair out of her face, smiling.
She grinned back at him, and then suddenly became aware of how close they were. All of her
holdbacks, all of her fears, had vanished. She drew her mouth closer and closer to his.....
**********************
Selphie sat in the cafeteria, eating her lunch for the day. She stared blankly at the wall.
"What are you up to, Selphie?" A voice asked, shaking Selphie from her thoughts. She looked up
to see Quistis standing before her.
Selphie moved over, allowing Quistis to sit down beside her. "Just worried 'bout Zell and Ceres,
that's all..."
Quistis was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, but, they'll be okay. I'm sure Ceres will
snap out of it any minute now. She's a tough one."
Selphie sighed, "Yeah, but Zell.. he really needs to get some sleep.. he hasn't left her side
ever since he found her in the Training Centre..."
Quistis looked at the students around them, "I know... I'm sure Ceres will make sure that he
sleeps when she wakes up.. she'll probably be pissed that he thought of her before himself
anyways.."
"Well, either way.. I just hope she wakes up soon. She was hurt pretty bad by that T-Rex..."
"The doctor said she'd be just fine. She's just worn out.." Quistis replied, still staring at the
world around her.
"Aren't we all?" Selphie muttered to herself. "Aren't we all?"
~Sowwy for hanging you like that! ^.~ I guess you'll just have to wait until Chapter Six:
Poppies is up. Tee-hee.
Ceres opened her eyes and groaned. Her side hurt like hell. She blinked several times,
trying to grow accustomed to the light.
"Ceres?" asked a small voice. She turned her head to see Zell sitting beside her. He
looked worn out.
"Zell?" she replied, her voice weak and tiny, "What happened? Where am I?"
Zell smiled weakly and stroked her hair, "Shh.. It's okay. You're safe now. You're going
to be OK."
"How long have I been here?" she asked curiously, "I felt like I've slept a thousand years
plus."
Zell laughed quietly, "A month, hun."
She struggled until she was sitting up, facing him, "And how long have you been here with me?"
He looked down at the floor, "Ever since I found you in the Training Centre..."
Ceres' mouth dropped open, "Haven't you been to bed or anything????"
"I've been sleeping on this chair, Selphie or Squall usually bring me food.."
"Oh god, Zell... I'm so sorry," Ceres whispered.
"NO!" He shouted, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't be, it's all my fault, I shouldn't of
upset you like that. I shoulda been there to protect you."
"Protect me?!" Ceres asked incredibly, "Zell Dincht, I don't need ANYONE to protect me. I'm a
big girl!"
"I'm sorry.." he replied quietly.
Ceres reached over and hugged him tightly, the pain shooting through her left side. "No,
don't be.. I'm sorry.."
Zell tilted his head to the side, and studied Ceres for a few moments. "It'll take you a while to
recover, you know? You should be careful from now on."
Ceres made a face. "Me? Careful?" she laughed, "You know me, I'm always careful.
Zell looked up at her and brushed the hair out of her face, smiling.
She grinned back at him, and then suddenly became aware of how close they were. All of her
holdbacks, all of her fears, had vanished. She drew her mouth closer and closer to his.....
**********************
Selphie sat in the cafeteria, eating her lunch for the day. She stared blankly at the wall.
"What are you up to, Selphie?" A voice asked, shaking Selphie from her thoughts. She looked up
to see Quistis standing before her.
Selphie moved over, allowing Quistis to sit down beside her. "Just worried 'bout Zell and Ceres,
that's all..."
Quistis was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, but, they'll be okay. I'm sure Ceres will
snap out of it any minute now. She's a tough one."
Selphie sighed, "Yeah, but Zell.. he really needs to get some sleep.. he hasn't left her side
ever since he found her in the Training Centre..."
Quistis looked at the students around them, "I know... I'm sure Ceres will make sure that he
sleeps when she wakes up.. she'll probably be pissed that he thought of her before himself
anyways.."
"Well, either way.. I just hope she wakes up soon. She was hurt pretty bad by that T-Rex..."
"The doctor said she'd be just fine. She's just worn out.." Quistis replied, still staring at the
world around her.
"Aren't we all?" Selphie muttered to herself. "Aren't we all?"
~Sowwy for hanging you like that! ^.~ I guess you'll just have to wait until Chapter Six:
Poppies is up. Tee-hee.
