*Note: Wow! Such wonderful reviews! I thank you all so much! We last let off with the mission, leaving Irvine with an injured leg, Seifer with a broken arm and Zell imprisoned in the cells of Galbadia territory. Brynne is somewhere.... she doesn't get injured though. That's the reason for the three men to protect her. Somehow, it worked. Selphie has been left teary-eyed in Quisty's arms. What will happen now?
Chapter 10 - The Right Choice
"Selphie?" She opened her eyes and lifted herself up from sliding further from her seat. She looked around in the darkness and noticed him stirring. She couldn't tell whether he was truly awake or just mumbling her name. Selphie stood up from her seat and carefully strolled towards the bed. She looked down and noticed him looking up.
"Hi...." she whispered, smiling.
Irvine reached up for her tiny hand and grasped it in his own. He stroked her hand with his thumb. "Is everyone else all right?"
Selphie nodded. "They're fine. They're waiting for you outside."
Irvine pulled her gently down towards the bed so Selphie would sit down. She did so, making herself comfortable beside him. With a large hand, he caressed her cheek. He could see red marks from her nose and eyes. "Were you worried about me?" She had been crying.
Selphie nodded and placed a hand on Irvine's resting on her cheek. "Yeah. I thought something horrible happened to you."
Irvine snorted. "You know me! I'm always all right." His face suddenly feel sullen. He slapped his free hand down on the soft bed. "Damn that Zell! Why did he have to be such a hero?" The Cowboy removed his hand from his girl friend's cheek.
The petite girl was startled. "A hero?" She put her hand down and looked at him.
The Cowboy nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe he made himself prisoner! Do you have any idea what they're going to do to him?"
She already knew the answer to that. Torture. That is what Zell is going through right now. A visit from the the boss will only put him through hell and the blond man will be suffered through means of getting information. Information on the code for the computer to get rid of the virus they put on the system. One SeeD, meant pain and agony for the rest of them. If Cid does not co-operate, Zell will be put down for good.
Selphie resisted the urge to cry. Zell....
"Selphie? Are you all right?" She must have noticed her swallowing in order to hold the pain, because he placed a hand on hers that have been fidgeting on her lap.
The brunette forced a smile. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're all right."
"Any word about what Cid will do on Zell's behalf?" Irvine asked, forgetting Selphie's agitation in her voice.
Selphie shook her head. "Don't have a clue."
The door to the room opened, startling both Selphie and Irvine. Seifer entered the room. He glanced at Irvine and gave him a weary smile, then at Selphie. "Selphie, Cid is asking for you and the rest of the SeeD."
Irvine got ready to stand up. "All right. I think I'm ready for any news on those Galbadian bastards!"
Selphie twisted her head towards him and placed both her hands on his shoulders. She shook her head. "No, you're not going anywhere!" she demanded. She pushed him gently back down on the bed. "Dr. Kadowaki says you need some more rest."
Seifer nodded. "Yeah. Cid told me to only fetch Selphie and not you Irvine. He figured you still need your rest."
Irvine took a deep breath and finally gave up. He laid his head down on the soft pillow and closed his eyes. "Fine. If he does need me, then I won't hesitate to get up."
Selphie nodded. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Just rest, okay?"
Irvine agreed. "Fine," he replied.
****************
He looked around. The door opened. Seifer and Selphie entered, joining the rest of the SeeDs. Seifer sat down on a chair closest to where Quistis was sitting, whereas, Selphie stood. She seems upset. He pushed his glasses higher up his nose and nodded, satisfied with the presence of the SeeDs. Irvine and Zell were the only two not present. The thought of Zell made him shiver. Matron would surely break if anything happens to any of her 'children.' He never really thought of the SeeDs as his children, but Matron loves them dearly. Especially the ones who betrayed Garden. He picked up the report given to him earlier by Xu from Galbadia Garden and stood up from his chair. He went around his desk and paused at the front.
Before he spoke, he cleared his throat. "Xu has given me a report on behalf of Zell's whereabouts. As you all know, she went to Galbadia Garden to investigate on the matter and found out that Zell is being held prison in D-District where Martine and a few of his top officers are taking refuge."
"So, are we going to bring him back, or what?" Seifer asked, giving a swift glance towards Selphie.
Cid saw the way Seifer looked at Selphie and shook his head. "No. I don't want to risk anymore SeeDs at this point. We are still at war and I need all the remaining SeeDs to stay here and keep a close eye on this Garden. As for me, Edea and I will go to Galbadia and negotiate with Martine on this situation."
Squall glanced to his right at Selphie. He saw a glint of tear from the corner of her eye and looked like she was ready to burst. Before he could decide, Selphie stepped up from the line, she, Rinoa and Squall had formed in front of the Headmaster's desk and frowned. She was clenching and unclenching her fists before she spoke up.
"What, are you saying we're just going to stay here and do nothing about it?" Selphie spoke, her voice breaking into silent whimpers.
"Selphie..." Quistis stood up, but Selphie jerked her head towards the blond woman and gave her a warning glare. Quistis sat back down.
"Yes, I think this is the best thing for us to do," Cid replied.
"NO!" Selphie screamed. More tears fell from her eyes. Cid looked at her puzzingly. He gazed at the two people beside her and the people behind her. No one said a word. "This isn't fair, Headmaster Cid! You can't just leave Zell all alone there! We have to do something!"
Cid gave her a reassuring nod. "We will, Selphie, but-"
"Then do something!" Selphie yelled, interrupting the elderly man. "We can send all the SeeDs and they could maybe team up with..." She choked. She didn't know what else to say.
Quistis looked at the back of Selphie's head. She could feel her shiver underneath all her yellow dress and felt sympathy for her. Selphie, the ever so cheery teenager, filled everyone with smiles and confidence, was now sacked in a cloth of sorrow and pain. The whole week changed her completely, turning her into a more reserved young woman. Quistis was the only person who saw the change in her. The others were still confused of her sudden personality transformation.
Selphie looked around for anyone to finish her sentence, but no one spoke. She unclenched her fists and stepped back up in the line. She glanced one more time towards Cid, then turned to leave. Everyone's heads were placed on the ground, as Cid watched Selphie disappear behind the closing door.
****************
I don't understand. Why won't they do something about this? Why won't Cid, of all people do anything about this?
These thoughts played in Selphie's mind throughout the night. She visited Irvine the second time that day and left after an hour. Dr. Kadowaki insisted that he needed another night's rest without anyone bothering him. Selphie had reluctantly nodded and stepped out of the room. She glanced at her watch and frowned. It was close to six now and Selphie's heart began to beat faster than it usually did whenever she got nervous. She could almost feel her heart pounding under her skin. She would have to do this thing tonight!
"I don't care what everyone thinks!" she mumbled to herself. "I'll go alone!" She stomped through the hallway and out the gates. She headed towards the direction where Ragnarok was resting.
****************
He wiped the shiny metal in front of him gently and carefully with the cloth and leaned back. This was his last job. When he's finished, he's going to tell Cid that he wanted to go on a vacation or better yet, quit the job for good. All his life, he's been working really hard and nothing, not even a praise from Cid gave him full confidence on staying in Garden longer than he wanted to. He felt the Ragnarok move. He stopped fidgeting with his fingers and grabbed the gun from his holster. He positioned his fingers on the trigger and turned swiftly, aiming it towards the head of a young woman. She lifted up her hands in the air as a gesture of surrender.
Nida's eyes glowed. He took a deep breath and put down the gun. "Geez, Selphie! You scared me there for a minute! What are you doing here?" He unloaded the gun and put it carefully back in its holster.
Selphie sat down on the other pilot's chair and began playing with the buttons on the console. Nida placed a hand on Selphie, stopping her from pressing the red button, which causes the Ragnarok to start its engines.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Nida yelled.
Selphie removed her weapon from its sheath as quickly as Nida could jump and gave him a threatening glare. "Do you really want to stop me, Nida?"
Nida gave her a puzzled look and removed his hands from her.
Selphie nodded. "Good. I want you to get out of here," she commanded.
He shook his head. "Sorry, Selph. I can't do that."
Selphie frowned. "All right." She closed her eyes and quickly placed a hand on his forehead. "Sleep," she whispered.
Nida's eyes became heavy. He felt something powerful forcing him to close his eyes. He yawned, stretched and collapsed on the seat he was sitting on. Satisfied, Selphie pressed the only button needed to be pushed. The Ragnarok jerked slighty and the engine began to roar loudly in her ears. She placed both her hands on the joy stick and the Ragnarok lifted itself from the ground.
****************
He stroked her dark tresses and kissed her temple. It was good resting in each other's arms. It was ten after six. Squall gently shook Rinoa to wake her up from her dreams. Rinoa opened her eyes, yawned and slowly lifted herself up from her boy friend's strong arms. Squall gave her a slight smile.
The roar of a loud engine starlted the couple from their silent reverie. Rinoa gasped and jumped to her feet. Squall almost fell off the couch, but kept his balance by holding on to the sides. He stood up quickly, ran out of the room and into the hallway. His face were a mixture of confusion and anger. He didn't know what it was, but it sounded like the engines of Ragnarok. Rinoa followed closely behind. He walked pass Seifer's dorm room, where it was suddenly opened by none other than Seifer himself. He appeared from behind the door with his shirt opened halfway, revealing his broad chest.
"What the hell was that?!" Seifer swore, zipping up his pants. He joined Squall and Rinoa by the front gate, shocked and confused as well. Squall glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. The blond man was seen with a lipstick on the corner of his mouth, his hair all disheveled and his belt buckle, unbuckled. Quistis appeared a second later, fixing her hair and straightening her blouse to its proper order. Squall couldn't help but smirk. He stared at Quistis and smiled at her. Quistis looked up and red marks appeared on her face. Seifer seemed to have noticed Squall staring at his girl friend. "Got something to say to Quisty, Squall?" He started to button up his shirt.
Squall shrugged. "Nothing. I just thought..." He was interrupted by Rinoa's squeel. Startled, Squall glanced at her to see what was wrong and she was seen pointing up in the sky. Squall glanced up and saw Ragnarok flying away. His eyes turned to narrow slits.
"Selphie!" Quistis yelled. She saw it. The yellow dress and the brown, bouncy hair could be seen from the pilot window. She glanced up at Seifer, concern marked on her face. "My God! Selphie's going to D-District prison and save Zell alone!"
Seifer's eyes glowed. He looked at Squall, who was wearing the same expression on his face. Rinoa placed a hand on her mouth, emphasizing her reaction on the news. Quistis stepped forward and stared up into the sky.
"We have to assemble a team of SeeDs and get Selphie back alive," Squall ordered calmly.
"What about Headmaster? He won't approve!"
"We'll have to follow our instincts now, Rin, not our orders," Seifer spoke, placing his hands on Quistis' shoulders. He turned his head at the dark headed girl. "Selphie and Zell are going to need our help to get out of that prison alive."
Quistis placed a hand over Seifer's gloved ones. "Is that what you want, Squall?" She turned her body around and looked at Squall.
Everyone looked at the brown haired teen. He nodded. "Yes. Selphie is our friend and so is Zell. I can't live with myself if anything happens to them."
No one said a word after that.
Note: GASP! Selphie's going alone??? Wow, that's very brave of her. But, is she doing the right thing? What about Zell? I think this chapter was short, but that's aight. I think I'm almost done too. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! Not much happened here tho, but I promise the next one will have more twists and turns! Well, not really! Anyway, please r/r!!!!!!!! THANX!!!
Chapter 10 - The Right Choice
"Selphie?" She opened her eyes and lifted herself up from sliding further from her seat. She looked around in the darkness and noticed him stirring. She couldn't tell whether he was truly awake or just mumbling her name. Selphie stood up from her seat and carefully strolled towards the bed. She looked down and noticed him looking up.
"Hi...." she whispered, smiling.
Irvine reached up for her tiny hand and grasped it in his own. He stroked her hand with his thumb. "Is everyone else all right?"
Selphie nodded. "They're fine. They're waiting for you outside."
Irvine pulled her gently down towards the bed so Selphie would sit down. She did so, making herself comfortable beside him. With a large hand, he caressed her cheek. He could see red marks from her nose and eyes. "Were you worried about me?" She had been crying.
Selphie nodded and placed a hand on Irvine's resting on her cheek. "Yeah. I thought something horrible happened to you."
Irvine snorted. "You know me! I'm always all right." His face suddenly feel sullen. He slapped his free hand down on the soft bed. "Damn that Zell! Why did he have to be such a hero?" The Cowboy removed his hand from his girl friend's cheek.
The petite girl was startled. "A hero?" She put her hand down and looked at him.
The Cowboy nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe he made himself prisoner! Do you have any idea what they're going to do to him?"
She already knew the answer to that. Torture. That is what Zell is going through right now. A visit from the the boss will only put him through hell and the blond man will be suffered through means of getting information. Information on the code for the computer to get rid of the virus they put on the system. One SeeD, meant pain and agony for the rest of them. If Cid does not co-operate, Zell will be put down for good.
Selphie resisted the urge to cry. Zell....
"Selphie? Are you all right?" She must have noticed her swallowing in order to hold the pain, because he placed a hand on hers that have been fidgeting on her lap.
The brunette forced a smile. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're all right."
"Any word about what Cid will do on Zell's behalf?" Irvine asked, forgetting Selphie's agitation in her voice.
Selphie shook her head. "Don't have a clue."
The door to the room opened, startling both Selphie and Irvine. Seifer entered the room. He glanced at Irvine and gave him a weary smile, then at Selphie. "Selphie, Cid is asking for you and the rest of the SeeD."
Irvine got ready to stand up. "All right. I think I'm ready for any news on those Galbadian bastards!"
Selphie twisted her head towards him and placed both her hands on his shoulders. She shook her head. "No, you're not going anywhere!" she demanded. She pushed him gently back down on the bed. "Dr. Kadowaki says you need some more rest."
Seifer nodded. "Yeah. Cid told me to only fetch Selphie and not you Irvine. He figured you still need your rest."
Irvine took a deep breath and finally gave up. He laid his head down on the soft pillow and closed his eyes. "Fine. If he does need me, then I won't hesitate to get up."
Selphie nodded. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Just rest, okay?"
Irvine agreed. "Fine," he replied.
****************
He looked around. The door opened. Seifer and Selphie entered, joining the rest of the SeeDs. Seifer sat down on a chair closest to where Quistis was sitting, whereas, Selphie stood. She seems upset. He pushed his glasses higher up his nose and nodded, satisfied with the presence of the SeeDs. Irvine and Zell were the only two not present. The thought of Zell made him shiver. Matron would surely break if anything happens to any of her 'children.' He never really thought of the SeeDs as his children, but Matron loves them dearly. Especially the ones who betrayed Garden. He picked up the report given to him earlier by Xu from Galbadia Garden and stood up from his chair. He went around his desk and paused at the front.
Before he spoke, he cleared his throat. "Xu has given me a report on behalf of Zell's whereabouts. As you all know, she went to Galbadia Garden to investigate on the matter and found out that Zell is being held prison in D-District where Martine and a few of his top officers are taking refuge."
"So, are we going to bring him back, or what?" Seifer asked, giving a swift glance towards Selphie.
Cid saw the way Seifer looked at Selphie and shook his head. "No. I don't want to risk anymore SeeDs at this point. We are still at war and I need all the remaining SeeDs to stay here and keep a close eye on this Garden. As for me, Edea and I will go to Galbadia and negotiate with Martine on this situation."
Squall glanced to his right at Selphie. He saw a glint of tear from the corner of her eye and looked like she was ready to burst. Before he could decide, Selphie stepped up from the line, she, Rinoa and Squall had formed in front of the Headmaster's desk and frowned. She was clenching and unclenching her fists before she spoke up.
"What, are you saying we're just going to stay here and do nothing about it?" Selphie spoke, her voice breaking into silent whimpers.
"Selphie..." Quistis stood up, but Selphie jerked her head towards the blond woman and gave her a warning glare. Quistis sat back down.
"Yes, I think this is the best thing for us to do," Cid replied.
"NO!" Selphie screamed. More tears fell from her eyes. Cid looked at her puzzingly. He gazed at the two people beside her and the people behind her. No one said a word. "This isn't fair, Headmaster Cid! You can't just leave Zell all alone there! We have to do something!"
Cid gave her a reassuring nod. "We will, Selphie, but-"
"Then do something!" Selphie yelled, interrupting the elderly man. "We can send all the SeeDs and they could maybe team up with..." She choked. She didn't know what else to say.
Quistis looked at the back of Selphie's head. She could feel her shiver underneath all her yellow dress and felt sympathy for her. Selphie, the ever so cheery teenager, filled everyone with smiles and confidence, was now sacked in a cloth of sorrow and pain. The whole week changed her completely, turning her into a more reserved young woman. Quistis was the only person who saw the change in her. The others were still confused of her sudden personality transformation.
Selphie looked around for anyone to finish her sentence, but no one spoke. She unclenched her fists and stepped back up in the line. She glanced one more time towards Cid, then turned to leave. Everyone's heads were placed on the ground, as Cid watched Selphie disappear behind the closing door.
****************
I don't understand. Why won't they do something about this? Why won't Cid, of all people do anything about this?
These thoughts played in Selphie's mind throughout the night. She visited Irvine the second time that day and left after an hour. Dr. Kadowaki insisted that he needed another night's rest without anyone bothering him. Selphie had reluctantly nodded and stepped out of the room. She glanced at her watch and frowned. It was close to six now and Selphie's heart began to beat faster than it usually did whenever she got nervous. She could almost feel her heart pounding under her skin. She would have to do this thing tonight!
"I don't care what everyone thinks!" she mumbled to herself. "I'll go alone!" She stomped through the hallway and out the gates. She headed towards the direction where Ragnarok was resting.
****************
He wiped the shiny metal in front of him gently and carefully with the cloth and leaned back. This was his last job. When he's finished, he's going to tell Cid that he wanted to go on a vacation or better yet, quit the job for good. All his life, he's been working really hard and nothing, not even a praise from Cid gave him full confidence on staying in Garden longer than he wanted to. He felt the Ragnarok move. He stopped fidgeting with his fingers and grabbed the gun from his holster. He positioned his fingers on the trigger and turned swiftly, aiming it towards the head of a young woman. She lifted up her hands in the air as a gesture of surrender.
Nida's eyes glowed. He took a deep breath and put down the gun. "Geez, Selphie! You scared me there for a minute! What are you doing here?" He unloaded the gun and put it carefully back in its holster.
Selphie sat down on the other pilot's chair and began playing with the buttons on the console. Nida placed a hand on Selphie, stopping her from pressing the red button, which causes the Ragnarok to start its engines.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Nida yelled.
Selphie removed her weapon from its sheath as quickly as Nida could jump and gave him a threatening glare. "Do you really want to stop me, Nida?"
Nida gave her a puzzled look and removed his hands from her.
Selphie nodded. "Good. I want you to get out of here," she commanded.
He shook his head. "Sorry, Selph. I can't do that."
Selphie frowned. "All right." She closed her eyes and quickly placed a hand on his forehead. "Sleep," she whispered.
Nida's eyes became heavy. He felt something powerful forcing him to close his eyes. He yawned, stretched and collapsed on the seat he was sitting on. Satisfied, Selphie pressed the only button needed to be pushed. The Ragnarok jerked slighty and the engine began to roar loudly in her ears. She placed both her hands on the joy stick and the Ragnarok lifted itself from the ground.
****************
He stroked her dark tresses and kissed her temple. It was good resting in each other's arms. It was ten after six. Squall gently shook Rinoa to wake her up from her dreams. Rinoa opened her eyes, yawned and slowly lifted herself up from her boy friend's strong arms. Squall gave her a slight smile.
The roar of a loud engine starlted the couple from their silent reverie. Rinoa gasped and jumped to her feet. Squall almost fell off the couch, but kept his balance by holding on to the sides. He stood up quickly, ran out of the room and into the hallway. His face were a mixture of confusion and anger. He didn't know what it was, but it sounded like the engines of Ragnarok. Rinoa followed closely behind. He walked pass Seifer's dorm room, where it was suddenly opened by none other than Seifer himself. He appeared from behind the door with his shirt opened halfway, revealing his broad chest.
"What the hell was that?!" Seifer swore, zipping up his pants. He joined Squall and Rinoa by the front gate, shocked and confused as well. Squall glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. The blond man was seen with a lipstick on the corner of his mouth, his hair all disheveled and his belt buckle, unbuckled. Quistis appeared a second later, fixing her hair and straightening her blouse to its proper order. Squall couldn't help but smirk. He stared at Quistis and smiled at her. Quistis looked up and red marks appeared on her face. Seifer seemed to have noticed Squall staring at his girl friend. "Got something to say to Quisty, Squall?" He started to button up his shirt.
Squall shrugged. "Nothing. I just thought..." He was interrupted by Rinoa's squeel. Startled, Squall glanced at her to see what was wrong and she was seen pointing up in the sky. Squall glanced up and saw Ragnarok flying away. His eyes turned to narrow slits.
"Selphie!" Quistis yelled. She saw it. The yellow dress and the brown, bouncy hair could be seen from the pilot window. She glanced up at Seifer, concern marked on her face. "My God! Selphie's going to D-District prison and save Zell alone!"
Seifer's eyes glowed. He looked at Squall, who was wearing the same expression on his face. Rinoa placed a hand on her mouth, emphasizing her reaction on the news. Quistis stepped forward and stared up into the sky.
"We have to assemble a team of SeeDs and get Selphie back alive," Squall ordered calmly.
"What about Headmaster? He won't approve!"
"We'll have to follow our instincts now, Rin, not our orders," Seifer spoke, placing his hands on Quistis' shoulders. He turned his head at the dark headed girl. "Selphie and Zell are going to need our help to get out of that prison alive."
Quistis placed a hand over Seifer's gloved ones. "Is that what you want, Squall?" She turned her body around and looked at Squall.
Everyone looked at the brown haired teen. He nodded. "Yes. Selphie is our friend and so is Zell. I can't live with myself if anything happens to them."
No one said a word after that.
Note: GASP! Selphie's going alone??? Wow, that's very brave of her. But, is she doing the right thing? What about Zell? I think this chapter was short, but that's aight. I think I'm almost done too. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! Not much happened here tho, but I promise the next one will have more twists and turns! Well, not really! Anyway, please r/r!!!!!!!! THANX!!!
