CHAPTER 3



The wake was over now. Everybody had paid their respects before going to the funeral, and they were leaving the wake. They saw some Estharians entering when they were leaving.







Zell woke up at 4:00 in the morning. He couldn't sleep any longer, remembering going underwater and trying to save Squall and Laguna. The thought that he tried to save their lives, but he was too late, and the thought that he held their dead bodies in his arms. It made him shudder.

Zell stood up and walked out onto the balcony of the house. He knew that he would talk Irvine into moving into the house. They could not let it go to waste, and it would be in Squall's memory.

As Zell shut the doors to the balcony, he heard a car being started in the garage. Zell looked over the balcony and saw Irvine starting to drive out. He started slowly, but then he floored the car.

Zell was fast, and as he heard the engine rev itself up, he jumped off of the balcony onto the hood of the car.

The windshield cracked slightly. He hit the hood hard and his elbow was bleeding badly. He looked through the windshield and saw Irvine, crying, and his eyes bloodshot. Irvine was also sweating like he had never sweat before.

Zell also saw Irvine clench his teeth as Irvine headed toward the small cliff that overlooked the ocean. Irvine drove straight over the edge. Zell and the car had forty feet to go before they hit the ocean surface.





Rinoa had slept peacefully so far that night. She had been dreaming of Squall, and she was content with the dreams she had. She had one nightmare though, in the middle of the night. She saw Laguna and Squall in their car drive through the guardrail and into the bay, and then the setting changed to the south coast of the continent where Galbadia and Dollet were located. She saw Irvine and Zell go over the cliff and plummet toward the ocean.

Rinoa woke up with a start. She sat up quickly and had a terrible feeling in her gut.





Zell was thrown off of the hood. He did his best not to flail as he fell, but it was hard. He knew this was his almost certain doom.

Irvine's car was falling fast than Zell. The car went hood first into the ocean.

Water smashed through the glass windshield as Irvine went under. He had gone crazy, and he knew he couldn't live wondering what other people thought and handle his own grief.

The glass went straight into Irvine's face and chest, the water splashing him in the face.

Zell had gone underwater making him as strait as possible. He shot down under the water like a missile. He opened his eyes and swam to the car. He saw blood flowing from the window, and he knew Irvine had a slim chance of living.

Zell opened the car door. He pulled the unconscious Irvine out of the driver's seat, after unbuckling the seat belt though. Zell couldn't imagine what Irvine would be like if he hadn't buckled up.

Zell held Irvine in his hands as he tried to kick toward the surface. Zell's legs and lungs could not take the immense effort it took to swim to the surface.

He knew there were only two options left, sink to the bottom and drown with Irvine and the car, or leave Irvine and swim to the surface.

Zell felt his body surge with body heat and blood. He felt an incredible amount of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He already let Laguna and Squall die; he could not let Irvine die the same way.

Zell did make it to the surface, with Irvine still in his arms. He swam to the coast underneath the cliff and laid Irvine's body down on the sand. Zell performed CPR he learned from the cops there the day of Squall's death.

Nothing happened.

Blood slowly leaked out of Irvine's face from the shattered glass. Zell could not believe he would probably lose another friend at his hands tonight.

Zell pushed down on Irvine's chest when suddenly Irvine spit up a load of water onto himself. Irvine's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly and knocked Zell away.

Irvine just sat there in the sand for a little while. Zell had not spoken to him.

"What happened?" Irvine asked Zell.

"You nearly killed us both by driving off of the cliff," Zell replied.

"No, I mean after that. The light."

"Light? Irvine are you okay?"

"Yeah. But I clearly remember a bright white light."

"Irvine, you were here with me the whole time."

"I saw Squall too."

Zell sat there wondering if Irvine was half asleep, or if he was remembering a dream, or he had really died and Zell brought him back to life.

"Irvine," Zell said slowly.

"Yeah?"

"We need to get you to a hospital."

Irvine felt his face and quickly agreed.

"We have no car though," Zell blurted.

Irvine looked down at his feet. It was his own fault and he knew he deserved to die.

"Just leave me here," Irvine said slowly.

"Hell no."

"Yes, I nearly killed us both, and I wanted to end it all."

"Yeah, but you don't know what you are missing. We are all going to see Squall again someday anyways. But not yet, no not yet."

Irvine and Zell walked along the bottom of the cliff to Timber, the closest city. Zell would make sure that Irvine would get to a hospital.





Rinoa had gotten the call from Zell at 7:00 sharp. She remembered her dream and she was horrified about her revelation, she immediately told Quistis and Selphie about it.

"Is Irvine okay?" Selphie said, her eyes watering.

"Yeah, he's fine," Rinoa said. "He claim he died and Zell brought him back to life, but the doctors aren't sure what really happened."

"Well I'm glad everybody is okay," Quistis added.

"I want to go see him," Selphie said.

Quistis and Rinoa agreed, they all left for Balamb Port and they took a boat ride to Timber.





Selphie ran into Irvine's room. Zell was sitting over in the corner flipping through the T.V. channels.

Selphie ran strait to Irvine, who was laying down, and hugged him. Rinoa and Quistis came in right behind her.

"Irvine!" Selphie yelled in delight. "I'm so glad you are okay!"

"Irvine, why would you ever do such a thing to yourself?" Quistis asked.

"I just couldn't live with myself," replied.

"Than live with me," Selphie blurted.

Irvine seemed confused for a minute, but then he got the hint.

He did his best to sit up, and he said, "Selphie Tilmitt, would you marry me?"

Selphie nodded quickly and replied, "Of course Irvy,"

Selphie's eyes were watering, but they leaned toward one another and they kissed. Zell, Rinoa, and Quistis just sat and watched happily.

"Well, Irvine, do you want us to stay?" Rinoa asked.

"You can go back to Balamb if you want, after all, Quistis is the new headmaster," Irvine replied.

"I was lucky," Quistis said.

"Quistis, in Squall's will, he wrote that he wanted Balamb Garden to belong to you," Irvine spoke.

Quistis smiled and turned to leave, "I'll see you soon Irvine."

Rinoa, Selphie, and Zell stayed for a little while longer, and the group left at the end of the day. They headed back to Balamb.





Zell went into the library to talk to the girl librarian there. He had this thing for her, but he was too nervous to ask her out. He entered, but he didn't see her at the desk. He went into the back section of the library and he found Seifer there.

"Seifer?" Zell said surprised.

"What is it Dincht?" Seifer snapped back.

"What are you doing back here?"

"Reading, you got a problem with that?"

"No, I just never knew you liked to read."

"Well, ever since Fujin and Raijin left, I have spent all my time to myself."

"What do you do by yourself? Don't you get lonely?"

"Sometimes, but I always went to Squall to get assignments and help around the Garden with."

"No wonder you were so crushed by his death."

"Don't bring it up, please."

"Okay, but you really do miss him a lot don't you?"

"I said to shut up!"

Seifer stood up and swung his Gunblade almost wanting to intentionally hurt Zell. Zell jumped back, avoiding the swing.

"Calm down man!" Zell said.

"Then leave me alone!" Seifer shouted back.

The girl that Zell had a thing for walked by and said, "I'm sorry you two, but you are creating too much of a disturbance in the library, please leave at once."

Zell knew that he blew all chances with her, and all he could do now was leave. He turned around and Seifer walked out behind him.

Seifer had always really hated Zell, so on the way out of the library; Seifer put his Gunblade through Zell's back, creating a whole mess of trouble…





(Okay, the ending was a little twisted, but I had to create some kind of problem, and I didn't want to spoil Seifer's rep for being a mean person. I knew I had to do something with him, and I had to do something with Zell. I made it end peacefully with Irvine and Selphie, and Rinoa was doing better on her own, and I made it work out for Quistis by her being promoted to Headmaster. But it was just Zell and Seifer I had to do something with. If you have any tips or comments Puh-lease write a review, I REALLY wanna know what you think. Seeya lata ^_^. OH AND BY THE WAY, AFTER IRVINE GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, THEY ALL WENT TO THE FUNERAL. FO LAGUNA THE ESTHARIANS HAD A GUN SALUTE, AND FOR SQUALL THEY HAD A NORMAL FUNERAL. DO NOT THINK THAT THERE WAS NO FUNERAL. Thanx.)