Zell walked away from the room, trying to find Rinoa. He didn't care about
anything except Rinoa. The tears still fell from his eyes. He found her
in the hall that went to her room, she hadn't even reached her room. She
sat on her knees, weeping. Zell stood there and worked back the tears.
"Rinoa…" Zell whispered. Her gaze shifted to Zell, that hateful look still in her eyes. She stood shakily to her feet.
"Don't you dare…dare…talk to me." Rinoa said between sobs. "I can't believe you."
"Rinoa, I didn't know. Don't you think I'm hurt. He was my best friend." Zell said empathetically.
Rinoa stomped her foot. "I hate you! This is all your fault!" she screamed. Rinoa ran at him and pounded her fists into his chest. She started crying again and stopped hitting him. She wrapped her arms around him and cried on his chest. She occasionally mumbled about how much she hated him and it was his fault.
Each of Rinoa's sobs killed Zell. He asked himself again, (Why?)
Zell wrapped his arms around Rinoa in a Sympathetic embrace. Their was an incredible loneliness in their embrace.
Zell was ready to stand there for as long as Rinoa needed, until he felt her weaken in his grip. He lifted the emotionally-drained girl into his arms and carried her to her room. She was too weak to struggle. He set her on her bed.
As Zell left the room, he looked into her eyes. That same look of hate was in her eyes…along with a look of longing, but for what he couldn't tell. He assumed love and closed the door as she closed her eyes.
Zell ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit.
* * *
Zell entered the training center, he was glad none of his friends were there. He didn't want to talk to any of them. He looked for a monster, a grat, anything.
"Where are you! Come out and fight!" Zell roared in a hurt tone.
"Zell, they're not stupid. They can tell something's wrong. They're hiding."
Zell turned around to find Quistis, apparently just over a fit of crying by the way her face looked. (No. I don't wanna talk to you) Zell thought.
There was an awkward silence.
"How is she?" Quistis quietly asked. Zell frowned at her. She could see the tears welling up in his eyes.
"She hates me. We never even truly got to become friends. Squall was our link. Now that he's gone, the way we truly feel about each other comes out." Zell said on the verge of tears.
"Zell, that's not true." Quistis comforted.
"You weren't there, you didn't see the hate on her face." Zell whispered.
Quistis hugged Zell, "In an hour meet in Cid's office, Seifer is getting Rinoa."
Zell nodded in response.
Zell sat there for an hour trying not to think of what else could go wrong.
* * *
As Zell entered Cid's office, he saw Selphie, Quistis, Irvine and Seifer surrounding Rinoa. They were trying to console her. Zell sat in a chair where he wouldn't have to look at Rinoa. They all took their seats. The six seats were arranged in 2 rows of 3. Rinoa sat in the back row with Selphie on her left and Quistis on her right. Zell sat on the left with Irvine to his right and Seifer to Irvine's right.
Cid entered the office and went to stand in front of the 6 of them. Edea cried in the background.
"As you all know, being a SeeD is dangerous. We asked you all to write a will before you joined. I have here, the will of the kind and silent leader of the SeeD's, Squall Leonhart. Seifer, come here." Cid said.
Seifer stood up and walked up to Cid.
"Squall wanted you to have Lionheart." Cid said quietly. Seifer took the gunblade without a word and sat down.
"Irvine." Cid called. Irvine stepped forward and took the box of gunblade bullets, he could use them precisely in Exeter.
"Selphie." Selphie took Squall's jacket. She started to sob.
"Quistis." Quistis' tears flowed freely as she took the picture of when Squall and her were at the beach, hugging. Quistis started to weep.
"Rinoa." Rinoa slowly stood and walked to Cid. Cid whispered "Squall had given his most treasured possession to you already, but he wanted you to have this." Cid handed Rinoa a ring. It was the ring she had found in Squall's room, Laguna had given it to him. She had fallen in love with the ring. She slipped it on her right ring finger. It shone beautifully, yet subtly. She felt the tears nip at her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I still can't believe it." Rinoa cried.
"What are you talking about?!? You have every right to be sad." Irvine consoled. No one noticed Zell had walked up to Cid.
"Zell, he wanted you to have his necklace and this letter." Cid handed him an envelope. He slipped on the necklace and silently vowed to never take it off. He opened the envelope carefully as if it were very fragile. Inside was a note.
-Zell, I'm sorry. If you're reading this, I've failed. My most important job, I've failed. It's sad to think of all the time we spent together, you and I, I miss it. Going fishing, taking walks, seeing Esthar. Zell, I know it's asking a lot but I want you to take over my most important task. Protect Rinoa. Please, I'm pleading with you. For our friendship, take care of her. Thank you Zell.
- Squall Leonhart
Zell tucked the note into his jacket. (Anything for our friendship) Zell thought. The crowd started moving outside of the room. As they left the room they went their separate ways. Rinoa shivered as if she were freezing. She turned around and saw Zell standing against the wall. She looked away.
"You wanna go for a walk." Zell asked casually. Rinoa sadly nodded.
Zell followed Rinoa, trailing behind by a step.
"Zell…" Rinoa started. Zell stopped and looked at her. "Thank you." she finished.
"For what?" Zell asked.
"For letting me blame you and vent my frustration towards you." She whispered. Zell nodded. In the open breezeway, it was chilly. Rinoa shivered again, rubbing her own arms.
Zell took off his jacket and handed it to her, leaving on his black muscle shirt. She smiled softly. She slipped on the jacket.
"Zell…I'm scared. What's gonna happen to me without Squall? I need reassuring. From anyone or anything. I need company." Rinoa said anxiously.
Zell remembered the note in his jacket that was now close to Rinoa's heart.
Rinoa looked at Zell, searching those oceans of azure. Searching for a companion. Zell smiled weakly. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'll be your company." Zell said softly.
"You will? Thank you so much Zell. I really need a friend. I need…" Rinoa smiled as she spoke, tears shining in her eyes.
Rinoa threw her arms around Zell, Zell slowly returned the embrace. It felt warm. It was comforting. Rinoa was no longer cold. With her arms still around him, she looked into his eyes, searching again. She loved the sapphire orbs. Zell also searched the raven-haired girl's hazel eyes. Rinoa found what she had been searching for, a companion, a trustworthy friend and…
Zell no longer saw hate in her eyes, he saw relief and fatigue and the longing he had seen, he understood now.
Rinoa rested her head on Zell's shoulder, he breathed in the wonderful scent of her hair. A Lilac field or maybe Plumeria or even Hyacinths.
She drew closer to his body, to that reassuring warmth.
"I need…Someone to hold." Rinoa silently said.
"Rinoa…" Zell whispered. Her gaze shifted to Zell, that hateful look still in her eyes. She stood shakily to her feet.
"Don't you dare…dare…talk to me." Rinoa said between sobs. "I can't believe you."
"Rinoa, I didn't know. Don't you think I'm hurt. He was my best friend." Zell said empathetically.
Rinoa stomped her foot. "I hate you! This is all your fault!" she screamed. Rinoa ran at him and pounded her fists into his chest. She started crying again and stopped hitting him. She wrapped her arms around him and cried on his chest. She occasionally mumbled about how much she hated him and it was his fault.
Each of Rinoa's sobs killed Zell. He asked himself again, (Why?)
Zell wrapped his arms around Rinoa in a Sympathetic embrace. Their was an incredible loneliness in their embrace.
Zell was ready to stand there for as long as Rinoa needed, until he felt her weaken in his grip. He lifted the emotionally-drained girl into his arms and carried her to her room. She was too weak to struggle. He set her on her bed.
As Zell left the room, he looked into her eyes. That same look of hate was in her eyes…along with a look of longing, but for what he couldn't tell. He assumed love and closed the door as she closed her eyes.
Zell ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit.
* * *
Zell entered the training center, he was glad none of his friends were there. He didn't want to talk to any of them. He looked for a monster, a grat, anything.
"Where are you! Come out and fight!" Zell roared in a hurt tone.
"Zell, they're not stupid. They can tell something's wrong. They're hiding."
Zell turned around to find Quistis, apparently just over a fit of crying by the way her face looked. (No. I don't wanna talk to you) Zell thought.
There was an awkward silence.
"How is she?" Quistis quietly asked. Zell frowned at her. She could see the tears welling up in his eyes.
"She hates me. We never even truly got to become friends. Squall was our link. Now that he's gone, the way we truly feel about each other comes out." Zell said on the verge of tears.
"Zell, that's not true." Quistis comforted.
"You weren't there, you didn't see the hate on her face." Zell whispered.
Quistis hugged Zell, "In an hour meet in Cid's office, Seifer is getting Rinoa."
Zell nodded in response.
Zell sat there for an hour trying not to think of what else could go wrong.
* * *
As Zell entered Cid's office, he saw Selphie, Quistis, Irvine and Seifer surrounding Rinoa. They were trying to console her. Zell sat in a chair where he wouldn't have to look at Rinoa. They all took their seats. The six seats were arranged in 2 rows of 3. Rinoa sat in the back row with Selphie on her left and Quistis on her right. Zell sat on the left with Irvine to his right and Seifer to Irvine's right.
Cid entered the office and went to stand in front of the 6 of them. Edea cried in the background.
"As you all know, being a SeeD is dangerous. We asked you all to write a will before you joined. I have here, the will of the kind and silent leader of the SeeD's, Squall Leonhart. Seifer, come here." Cid said.
Seifer stood up and walked up to Cid.
"Squall wanted you to have Lionheart." Cid said quietly. Seifer took the gunblade without a word and sat down.
"Irvine." Cid called. Irvine stepped forward and took the box of gunblade bullets, he could use them precisely in Exeter.
"Selphie." Selphie took Squall's jacket. She started to sob.
"Quistis." Quistis' tears flowed freely as she took the picture of when Squall and her were at the beach, hugging. Quistis started to weep.
"Rinoa." Rinoa slowly stood and walked to Cid. Cid whispered "Squall had given his most treasured possession to you already, but he wanted you to have this." Cid handed Rinoa a ring. It was the ring she had found in Squall's room, Laguna had given it to him. She had fallen in love with the ring. She slipped it on her right ring finger. It shone beautifully, yet subtly. She felt the tears nip at her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I still can't believe it." Rinoa cried.
"What are you talking about?!? You have every right to be sad." Irvine consoled. No one noticed Zell had walked up to Cid.
"Zell, he wanted you to have his necklace and this letter." Cid handed him an envelope. He slipped on the necklace and silently vowed to never take it off. He opened the envelope carefully as if it were very fragile. Inside was a note.
-Zell, I'm sorry. If you're reading this, I've failed. My most important job, I've failed. It's sad to think of all the time we spent together, you and I, I miss it. Going fishing, taking walks, seeing Esthar. Zell, I know it's asking a lot but I want you to take over my most important task. Protect Rinoa. Please, I'm pleading with you. For our friendship, take care of her. Thank you Zell.
- Squall Leonhart
Zell tucked the note into his jacket. (Anything for our friendship) Zell thought. The crowd started moving outside of the room. As they left the room they went their separate ways. Rinoa shivered as if she were freezing. She turned around and saw Zell standing against the wall. She looked away.
"You wanna go for a walk." Zell asked casually. Rinoa sadly nodded.
Zell followed Rinoa, trailing behind by a step.
"Zell…" Rinoa started. Zell stopped and looked at her. "Thank you." she finished.
"For what?" Zell asked.
"For letting me blame you and vent my frustration towards you." She whispered. Zell nodded. In the open breezeway, it was chilly. Rinoa shivered again, rubbing her own arms.
Zell took off his jacket and handed it to her, leaving on his black muscle shirt. She smiled softly. She slipped on the jacket.
"Zell…I'm scared. What's gonna happen to me without Squall? I need reassuring. From anyone or anything. I need company." Rinoa said anxiously.
Zell remembered the note in his jacket that was now close to Rinoa's heart.
Rinoa looked at Zell, searching those oceans of azure. Searching for a companion. Zell smiled weakly. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'll be your company." Zell said softly.
"You will? Thank you so much Zell. I really need a friend. I need…" Rinoa smiled as she spoke, tears shining in her eyes.
Rinoa threw her arms around Zell, Zell slowly returned the embrace. It felt warm. It was comforting. Rinoa was no longer cold. With her arms still around him, she looked into his eyes, searching again. She loved the sapphire orbs. Zell also searched the raven-haired girl's hazel eyes. Rinoa found what she had been searching for, a companion, a trustworthy friend and…
Zell no longer saw hate in her eyes, he saw relief and fatigue and the longing he had seen, he understood now.
Rinoa rested her head on Zell's shoulder, he breathed in the wonderful scent of her hair. A Lilac field or maybe Plumeria or even Hyacinths.
She drew closer to his body, to that reassuring warmth.
"I need…Someone to hold." Rinoa silently said.