Why? How could this happen to her? Everything was right. She lost it all
in one sentence. Why?
"Rinoa…Squall is…dead." Zell whispered. Nothing could have hit Rinoa harder. Her jaw opened and Zell could see the hurt in her eyes. She ran off to Dr. Kadowaki's office.
Zell looked at the ground and remembered everyone's faces as he walked into Kadowaki's office. They all looked terribly sad. Zell could tell Selphie was battling against tears and when she saw Zell's face, she lost her her battle and fell to her knees crying. Quistis openly wept on Seifer's shoulder. Irvine got down and tried to comfort Selphie, but utterly failed. Even Seifer looked glum.
Zell made the mistake of asking "What's wrong?"
"Irvine, you're not helping Selphie. Take Quistis please." Seifer told Irvine.
When Quistis was off his shoulder, Seifer walked over to Zell.
"Zell, I'm gonna be straightforward." Zell nervously swallowed. "Zell, Squall is dead."
Zell's eyes dilated. He breathed raggedly and offbeat.
"No…It can't be." Zell cried.
Seifer relayed the story to Zell quietly.
"Squall had been on a mission to Dollet. Some screw-off kid had been playing around with a gun, a little target practice. He killed Squall and 10 other innocents. He's being held in Galbadia."
Zell's face sunk even lower as a thought crossed his mind.
"Where's Rinoa?" Zell asked piteously.
Seifer winced at her name.
"That's the other thing. We took a vote and…it was unanimous."
Zell's face sunk and his heart did even more.
"A vote about what?" Zell said fearing the answer.
"You'll have to tell Rinoa." Seifer whispered in a barely audible voice. "You were Squall's best friend, it's your responsibility."
Now Quistis couldn't control her sobs, she broke down. She fell to her knees next to Selphie. They hugged each other, crying.
"Please…no. Squall's gone, I couldn't bear telling her." Zell pleaded.
Seifer patted Zell on the shoulder. Selphie stood up, still crying. She wrapped her arms around Zell in a sympathetic embrace. He could feel her tears on his jacket. That's when it hit him like someone had just punched him in the gut, all the air rushed from his lungs. Selphie let go of him and ran to Irvine, who was stifling a tear. Seifer held Quistis, his face emotionless except for the frown that danced on his lips. He pressed his lips to Quistis' delicate forehead.
Zell felt a stinging in his eyes as he looked around the room. He couldn't breathe. (Why,) Zell thought (Why, to the sweetest of all girls…Rinoa.) Zell felt a tear sting his cheek. His best friend, they had made it through everything together. Everything. Squall had finally opened up with Rinoa, then this. Squall constantly talked of Rinoa, like she was the most valuable thing on the planet. Of course, to him, she was. Zell and him had planned to go on a trip to FH to go fishing. They had done so much together.
Zell looked around the room one last time. Tears soaked his cheeks. He sighed, nodded and left the room to find Rinoa.
* * *
All of that lead up to this moment.
"Rinoa…Squall is…dead." Zell whispered.
"Oh…God." Rinoa said barely breathing. Rinoa ran as hard as she could to reach the infirmary. She flew into the room. Rinoa stared at Dr. Kadowaki. Dr. Kadowaki quietly nodded.
Then the impossible happened. A tear fell from Seifer's eyes. It was because he looked into Rinoa's. He saw the hurt in her eyes and saw the exact moment when realization hit her. She was already crying inside. Zell appeared at the doorway as the tears began to flood from Rinoa's eyes. She turned and looked at Zell in hate. She pushed past him.
Zell's heart was drowning in his own locked-away tears. That look from Rinoa opened the floodgates. Everyone stopped crying almost instantly and looked at Zell. They knew what had passed between Zell and Rinoa. They forgot about their own pain and looked at Zell.
"Oh…my…God." Selphie started crying again, only this time for Zell.
Quistis kissed Zell on the cheek. Crying, she said "You did the right thing, Zell."
Quistis watched Zell's eyes as he cried. It looked like his azure eyes were emptying the ocean he keep within them, like he was losing a piece of his soul. Quistis became hysterical when she saw Zell like that, Seifer ran to her side. Holding her in his arms, as she cried on his chest, Seifer looked at Zell.
Through his tears Zell said, "Great, now I've lost my best friend and the person closest to him, I broke her heart."
"Rinoa…Squall is…dead." Zell whispered. Nothing could have hit Rinoa harder. Her jaw opened and Zell could see the hurt in her eyes. She ran off to Dr. Kadowaki's office.
Zell looked at the ground and remembered everyone's faces as he walked into Kadowaki's office. They all looked terribly sad. Zell could tell Selphie was battling against tears and when she saw Zell's face, she lost her her battle and fell to her knees crying. Quistis openly wept on Seifer's shoulder. Irvine got down and tried to comfort Selphie, but utterly failed. Even Seifer looked glum.
Zell made the mistake of asking "What's wrong?"
"Irvine, you're not helping Selphie. Take Quistis please." Seifer told Irvine.
When Quistis was off his shoulder, Seifer walked over to Zell.
"Zell, I'm gonna be straightforward." Zell nervously swallowed. "Zell, Squall is dead."
Zell's eyes dilated. He breathed raggedly and offbeat.
"No…It can't be." Zell cried.
Seifer relayed the story to Zell quietly.
"Squall had been on a mission to Dollet. Some screw-off kid had been playing around with a gun, a little target practice. He killed Squall and 10 other innocents. He's being held in Galbadia."
Zell's face sunk even lower as a thought crossed his mind.
"Where's Rinoa?" Zell asked piteously.
Seifer winced at her name.
"That's the other thing. We took a vote and…it was unanimous."
Zell's face sunk and his heart did even more.
"A vote about what?" Zell said fearing the answer.
"You'll have to tell Rinoa." Seifer whispered in a barely audible voice. "You were Squall's best friend, it's your responsibility."
Now Quistis couldn't control her sobs, she broke down. She fell to her knees next to Selphie. They hugged each other, crying.
"Please…no. Squall's gone, I couldn't bear telling her." Zell pleaded.
Seifer patted Zell on the shoulder. Selphie stood up, still crying. She wrapped her arms around Zell in a sympathetic embrace. He could feel her tears on his jacket. That's when it hit him like someone had just punched him in the gut, all the air rushed from his lungs. Selphie let go of him and ran to Irvine, who was stifling a tear. Seifer held Quistis, his face emotionless except for the frown that danced on his lips. He pressed his lips to Quistis' delicate forehead.
Zell felt a stinging in his eyes as he looked around the room. He couldn't breathe. (Why,) Zell thought (Why, to the sweetest of all girls…Rinoa.) Zell felt a tear sting his cheek. His best friend, they had made it through everything together. Everything. Squall had finally opened up with Rinoa, then this. Squall constantly talked of Rinoa, like she was the most valuable thing on the planet. Of course, to him, she was. Zell and him had planned to go on a trip to FH to go fishing. They had done so much together.
Zell looked around the room one last time. Tears soaked his cheeks. He sighed, nodded and left the room to find Rinoa.
* * *
All of that lead up to this moment.
"Rinoa…Squall is…dead." Zell whispered.
"Oh…God." Rinoa said barely breathing. Rinoa ran as hard as she could to reach the infirmary. She flew into the room. Rinoa stared at Dr. Kadowaki. Dr. Kadowaki quietly nodded.
Then the impossible happened. A tear fell from Seifer's eyes. It was because he looked into Rinoa's. He saw the hurt in her eyes and saw the exact moment when realization hit her. She was already crying inside. Zell appeared at the doorway as the tears began to flood from Rinoa's eyes. She turned and looked at Zell in hate. She pushed past him.
Zell's heart was drowning in his own locked-away tears. That look from Rinoa opened the floodgates. Everyone stopped crying almost instantly and looked at Zell. They knew what had passed between Zell and Rinoa. They forgot about their own pain and looked at Zell.
"Oh…my…God." Selphie started crying again, only this time for Zell.
Quistis kissed Zell on the cheek. Crying, she said "You did the right thing, Zell."
Quistis watched Zell's eyes as he cried. It looked like his azure eyes were emptying the ocean he keep within them, like he was losing a piece of his soul. Quistis became hysterical when she saw Zell like that, Seifer ran to her side. Holding her in his arms, as she cried on his chest, Seifer looked at Zell.
Through his tears Zell said, "Great, now I've lost my best friend and the person closest to him, I broke her heart."