A/N: Wow, already chapter 4. I'm on a roll! I just want to give a quick thank you to all those who have left me reviews, and those who will leave a review. Nothing boosts my ego like you guys. ::sniffle:: Group hug!!
The rowboat was old and rusty, and somehow Seifer just knew it was going to spring a leak. Thank you, Balamb high quality.
Seifer groaned and tossed the three bags into the tiny boat. Where the hell were Quistis and Zell? The sun already went down.
'That's it,' he thought. 'Two more seconds and I'm leaving without them.'
At this moment, a very pissed off looking blonde woman pushed a slightly shorter, but well-built man towards Seifer. Zell's face was stuffed with hotdogs, and had two more in each hand.
"Took you long enough," Seifer grumbled.
"Well, Zell decided that it was impossible to take an hour long boat ride without consuming 15 hotdogs first," Quistis frowned, still angry. "Oh my, is that what we have to *ride* in? It looks like it could sink on the spot."
Seifer smirked, and executed a sarcastic bow.
"Ladies first."
*~*~* Twenty Minutes Later*~*~*
"C'mon, everybody now! Row row row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Quistis and Seifer were at either end of the rowboat, each with a set of oars. Zell sat in the middle. 5 minutes earlier he had become very bored and, much to Quistis and Seifer's chagrin, suggested a sing along.
"Tch! Quistis, you're not going to let him talk to me like that, are you?"
She sighed and momentarily released an oar to rub at her temples.
"Please...both of you, be quiet," she commanded softly.
Zell grumbled, Seifer didn't really give a damn. He wanted silence too, so he could think.
"Quistis...?" Zell asked. She let out a deep breath, trying not to yell.
"Yes, Zell? What is it?"
"Are you sure we should be doing this? We were stationed in Balamb to gather info. Cid and Squall never said anything about chasing mystery men in black to who knows where. How do we even know he's involved in this mission at all?"
"I just have a gut feeling Zell, and I don't normally question those. Besides, we did nothing in Balamb. The only thing the occupants knew was that they were scared. Oh, did you find out anything from your mother? I forgot to ask before, since you were too busy with a hot dog." Quistis' voice was monotonic. Seifer snickered silently, causing a flush to rise up Zell's neck.
"No, Ma doesn't know anything. She told me 'go find that big, tall man that always says ya know, he might know something.' Sounds like Raijin."
"Definitely," Quistis agreed.
"Hey, come on people. What could Raijin know about producing poisonous fish, or whatever? What could Raijin know about *anything*?"
"Seifer, I realize Raijin is your friend, but that doesn't give him special rights. We're not saying that he is behind this, but you must keep an open mind."
"Fine, but I'm telling you, it's not him...hey, stop rowing."
"Huh? Why?"
"My oar is caught on something, it's too dark to see what. Either of you have a flashlight?"
"I do!" Zell announced.
"Well get it out!" Seifer snapped.
Zell opened his bag, and felt around in it for a few moments until he victoriously pulled out the flashlight. He handed it to Seifer, who turned it on and examined the caught oar.
"Holy Hyne..." he whispered.
"What is it?" Quistis asked.
Seifer looked up, and despite the darkness, the pair's eyes locked. Quistis could just make out a tinge of sadness in Seifer's emerald eyes.
"...It's a body..."
*~*~*
The Master Fisherman had had a long day. The fish were biting like mad, and he had just called it a day 20 minutes ago. He had cleaned up the last of his equipment and was stretching when a small rowboat pulled up.
A slim blonde woman climbed onto the docks first. He vaguely remembered seeing her around town before. She didn't notice the fisherman.
The two men in the boat carefully carried something out, dropping it gently on the dock. The taller of the men walked to the woman and whispered something, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at whatever it was they brought on land. She shook her head and shrugged, crossed her arms.
The shorter man walked up to the two now. Him, the Master Fisherman could hear.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA DO?!"
He noticed the woman put a finger to her lips and the tall man smack the shorter one on the back of the head. This is when the fisherman decided to make his presence known.
"Excuse me, young folks, is there something I can help you with?"
Seifer and Zell exchanged slightly fearful glances. Quistis maintained her composure and stepped forward. She forced a smile.
"Pardon us, sir... my husband and I," she threaded an arm through Seifer's "are on our honeymoon. My brother," she gestured towards Zell "and I are terribly close, and he wanted to see me all the way here before leaving. However, our wedding night is ruined, because our boat bumped into this...cadaver...on our way here. We felt we couldn't just leave it there, bobbing in the ocean, so we dragged it aboard in hopes it could be sent somewhere, for a proper burial."
The fisherman bought every word. He gave a sad, sympathetic smile.
"Yes, bodies have been washing up more and more often lately, I'm afraid. Nobody knows why...I'm so sorry that this happened to you, and on a wedding night to boot! Let me make it up to you."
"Oh yeah? How?" Seifer asked, interested.
"I'll talk to the hotel owner and see you have the finest honeymoon suite there is, for free! Your brother can have his own room, too, of course."
Quistis' eyes widened.
"No...that's really not necessary..." she tried to begin.
"Nonsense! It's the least I can do. I'll go find someone to...take this poor guy away...you kids go wait for me at the hotel." He ran off without waiting for a response.
Seifer grinned at Quistis as she frowned at him.
"Hey, that's what you get for lying. Come along, *brother in law* and my dear little *wife*..."
He took each one by an arm, and dragged them towards the hotel.
The rowboat was old and rusty, and somehow Seifer just knew it was going to spring a leak. Thank you, Balamb high quality.
Seifer groaned and tossed the three bags into the tiny boat. Where the hell were Quistis and Zell? The sun already went down.
'That's it,' he thought. 'Two more seconds and I'm leaving without them.'
At this moment, a very pissed off looking blonde woman pushed a slightly shorter, but well-built man towards Seifer. Zell's face was stuffed with hotdogs, and had two more in each hand.
"Took you long enough," Seifer grumbled.
"Well, Zell decided that it was impossible to take an hour long boat ride without consuming 15 hotdogs first," Quistis frowned, still angry. "Oh my, is that what we have to *ride* in? It looks like it could sink on the spot."
Seifer smirked, and executed a sarcastic bow.
"Ladies first."
*~*~* Twenty Minutes Later*~*~*
"C'mon, everybody now! Row row row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Quistis and Seifer were at either end of the rowboat, each with a set of oars. Zell sat in the middle. 5 minutes earlier he had become very bored and, much to Quistis and Seifer's chagrin, suggested a sing along.
"Tch! Quistis, you're not going to let him talk to me like that, are you?"
She sighed and momentarily released an oar to rub at her temples.
"Please...both of you, be quiet," she commanded softly.
Zell grumbled, Seifer didn't really give a damn. He wanted silence too, so he could think.
"Quistis...?" Zell asked. She let out a deep breath, trying not to yell.
"Yes, Zell? What is it?"
"Are you sure we should be doing this? We were stationed in Balamb to gather info. Cid and Squall never said anything about chasing mystery men in black to who knows where. How do we even know he's involved in this mission at all?"
"I just have a gut feeling Zell, and I don't normally question those. Besides, we did nothing in Balamb. The only thing the occupants knew was that they were scared. Oh, did you find out anything from your mother? I forgot to ask before, since you were too busy with a hot dog." Quistis' voice was monotonic. Seifer snickered silently, causing a flush to rise up Zell's neck.
"No, Ma doesn't know anything. She told me 'go find that big, tall man that always says ya know, he might know something.' Sounds like Raijin."
"Definitely," Quistis agreed.
"Hey, come on people. What could Raijin know about producing poisonous fish, or whatever? What could Raijin know about *anything*?"
"Seifer, I realize Raijin is your friend, but that doesn't give him special rights. We're not saying that he is behind this, but you must keep an open mind."
"Fine, but I'm telling you, it's not him...hey, stop rowing."
"Huh? Why?"
"My oar is caught on something, it's too dark to see what. Either of you have a flashlight?"
"I do!" Zell announced.
"Well get it out!" Seifer snapped.
Zell opened his bag, and felt around in it for a few moments until he victoriously pulled out the flashlight. He handed it to Seifer, who turned it on and examined the caught oar.
"Holy Hyne..." he whispered.
"What is it?" Quistis asked.
Seifer looked up, and despite the darkness, the pair's eyes locked. Quistis could just make out a tinge of sadness in Seifer's emerald eyes.
"...It's a body..."
*~*~*
The Master Fisherman had had a long day. The fish were biting like mad, and he had just called it a day 20 minutes ago. He had cleaned up the last of his equipment and was stretching when a small rowboat pulled up.
A slim blonde woman climbed onto the docks first. He vaguely remembered seeing her around town before. She didn't notice the fisherman.
The two men in the boat carefully carried something out, dropping it gently on the dock. The taller of the men walked to the woman and whispered something, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at whatever it was they brought on land. She shook her head and shrugged, crossed her arms.
The shorter man walked up to the two now. Him, the Master Fisherman could hear.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA DO?!"
He noticed the woman put a finger to her lips and the tall man smack the shorter one on the back of the head. This is when the fisherman decided to make his presence known.
"Excuse me, young folks, is there something I can help you with?"
Seifer and Zell exchanged slightly fearful glances. Quistis maintained her composure and stepped forward. She forced a smile.
"Pardon us, sir... my husband and I," she threaded an arm through Seifer's "are on our honeymoon. My brother," she gestured towards Zell "and I are terribly close, and he wanted to see me all the way here before leaving. However, our wedding night is ruined, because our boat bumped into this...cadaver...on our way here. We felt we couldn't just leave it there, bobbing in the ocean, so we dragged it aboard in hopes it could be sent somewhere, for a proper burial."
The fisherman bought every word. He gave a sad, sympathetic smile.
"Yes, bodies have been washing up more and more often lately, I'm afraid. Nobody knows why...I'm so sorry that this happened to you, and on a wedding night to boot! Let me make it up to you."
"Oh yeah? How?" Seifer asked, interested.
"I'll talk to the hotel owner and see you have the finest honeymoon suite there is, for free! Your brother can have his own room, too, of course."
Quistis' eyes widened.
"No...that's really not necessary..." she tried to begin.
"Nonsense! It's the least I can do. I'll go find someone to...take this poor guy away...you kids go wait for me at the hotel." He ran off without waiting for a response.
Seifer grinned at Quistis as she frowned at him.
"Hey, that's what you get for lying. Come along, *brother in law* and my dear little *wife*..."
He took each one by an arm, and dragged them towards the hotel.