**usual disclaimers apply**
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE
by Yumemi
~Chapter 26~
"What have I gotten myself into?" Zell murmured to himself as he waited
outside of Sakura's room, dressed in a white shirt, loose pants his
black-and-red rubber shoes, and a red cap. He had asked Sakura for a
date yesterday, just like he and Rinoa had planned. "That girl is
really a love-nerd." He murmured once again. It was still quite early,
6:00 am, but Zell had a lot of places he wanted Sakura to see.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long." Sakura's sweet voice shook
him out of his thoughts. She appeared in her doorway, dressed in a
simple pink, sleeveless dress, a black choker with a Sakura flower
pendant and white shoes. Her hair wasn't arranged much, just a red
ribbon lace tied to her hair on the left side.
Zell was awestruck. He had never seen Sakura so beautiful. "N-n-no,
it's just fine! Y-you look dazzling." He said.
Sakura blushed. "Thank you."
"Shall we?" Zell asked, offering his hand like a gentleman.
Sakura smiled and took his hand. They walked together towards the
Ragnarok. "Are you sure we can take this?"
"No worries. I already asked permission." Zell told her, which was
true. It was hard to convince Squall but with Rinoa there, he was
cornered.
Zell took Sakura to places he'd visited before and Sakura hadn't.
First, they headed for Winhill, which Sakura thought was absolutely
wonderful; then they headed for Timber. He told her that it was where
Rinoa often "comes home to". There they met Zone and Watts, which he
gladly introduced to her. Next, they headed for Deling City. Zell now
tells the fact that Rinoa was born here, her parents being a general
and a famous pianist-turned-singer. After that, the Galbaldia Garden
(it was a _very_ short trip.); then, the newly-built Trabia Garden (here
he told Sakura that it had been blown to bits before and this was where
Selphie had come from.); then they visited the Shumi Tribe, and this
was where he told Sakura about Laguna's history; they also visited that
place where Laguna and Kiros had been hired to act in a movie but ended
up fighting a Ruby Dragon; then they visited the undersea lab, to the
place where they had acquired the GF Eden (it got a little dirty there,
but Sakura said she didn't mind); then they once again visited Esthar,
covering every inch of the whole city; and then they went to the Lunatic
Pandora lab, Tear's Point (where Zell tells Sakura about the Lunatic
Pandora, which was now totally destroyed so that it won't cause trouble
again) and the Lunar Gate, where Zell tells Sakura about his own
experience going there (Zell told Sakura, "maybe I'll take you to the
Lunar Lab someday. If it could be allowed, that is." "That'd be
wonderful!" Sakura replied.). Then, they parked the Ragnarok by the
Salt Plains (he showed that to Sakura too.) and walked the once-used
train track until they were in the middle most part.
It was already sunset when they headed there, and the sun looked
beautiful.
"Wow. I've never experienced so many jet lags in such a small amount
of time!" Sakura said after drinking up the water they had packed with
them.
"Well, I could say that this date is a failure. It became more of a
school field trip to me." Zell said, grabbing his own water and drinking.
Sakura looked at him, her emerald green eyes clearly seen in the
fading light. "NO! Not at all! I really enjoyed myself! It was the best
date I've ever had!" she told him.
Zell looked at her. "Really?" he asked.
Sakura nodded. "Now, why don't we just eat our picnic and enjoy the
view? It's really wonderful. I think that this is the second most
wonderful place that I've ever been to! I used to watch the sunset with
Syaoran before..." she said, her voice somber.
"Sayoran?" Zell asked.
"He was... by fiancée." She answered.
Zell looked down, and then looked at her again. "Was?"
Sakura nodded. "Was. He, um, h-he..." she began to sob, "he was ...
k-k-killed..."
Zell's face became that of worry and concern. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't
have asked." He came closed to her and embraced her, comforting her
though her tears.
"Thank you Zell." She said, smiling up and him and wiping her tears.
Zell smiled. "Hey, what are friends for?" he told her, and that
statement almost hurt him. "Now, let's forget all our worries and watch
the sunset! The view's not stayin' there for long y'know."
Sakura smiled and as they watched the sunset, they ate their picnic
and talked about better things. Deep inside though, Sakura was still
thinking about Syaoran. But there was also a strange nagging feeling
inside her, something new and unexpected. She looked at Zell as he
happily watched the fading sunset, looked at her, smiled and offered
his hotdog. He had such sparkling blue eyes. *am I stating to fall for
him?* she asked herself.
They arrived back at the Garden about eight o'clock in the evening.
Most of the people were in their rooms early so there were only a few
people who had witnessed their happy arrival.
Zell then escorted Sakura to her room and there, they said their
good-byes.
"That was really wonderful Zell. Really wonderful." She told him,
smiling.
Zell blushed lightly. It was good for him that the lights were already
dim. "R-really? I'm glad you enjoyed it."
All of a sudden, Sakura gave Zell a kiss on the cheek. "Good night
Zell," she said to the still-surprised-Zell, "sweet dreams. Thanks
again." At that, Sakura gently closed her door.
Zell, who was still too stunned to recover, to a few moments of
steadying breath and speechlessly went back to his room, happy as a
lark.
"This is bad." Saehri whispered as she silently watched everything
that had occurred. "This is really bad."
___________________________________________________________________
to be continued...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE
by Yumemi
~Chapter 26~
"What have I gotten myself into?" Zell murmured to himself as he waited
outside of Sakura's room, dressed in a white shirt, loose pants his
black-and-red rubber shoes, and a red cap. He had asked Sakura for a
date yesterday, just like he and Rinoa had planned. "That girl is
really a love-nerd." He murmured once again. It was still quite early,
6:00 am, but Zell had a lot of places he wanted Sakura to see.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long." Sakura's sweet voice shook
him out of his thoughts. She appeared in her doorway, dressed in a
simple pink, sleeveless dress, a black choker with a Sakura flower
pendant and white shoes. Her hair wasn't arranged much, just a red
ribbon lace tied to her hair on the left side.
Zell was awestruck. He had never seen Sakura so beautiful. "N-n-no,
it's just fine! Y-you look dazzling." He said.
Sakura blushed. "Thank you."
"Shall we?" Zell asked, offering his hand like a gentleman.
Sakura smiled and took his hand. They walked together towards the
Ragnarok. "Are you sure we can take this?"
"No worries. I already asked permission." Zell told her, which was
true. It was hard to convince Squall but with Rinoa there, he was
cornered.
Zell took Sakura to places he'd visited before and Sakura hadn't.
First, they headed for Winhill, which Sakura thought was absolutely
wonderful; then they headed for Timber. He told her that it was where
Rinoa often "comes home to". There they met Zone and Watts, which he
gladly introduced to her. Next, they headed for Deling City. Zell now
tells the fact that Rinoa was born here, her parents being a general
and a famous pianist-turned-singer. After that, the Galbaldia Garden
(it was a _very_ short trip.); then, the newly-built Trabia Garden (here
he told Sakura that it had been blown to bits before and this was where
Selphie had come from.); then they visited the Shumi Tribe, and this
was where he told Sakura about Laguna's history; they also visited that
place where Laguna and Kiros had been hired to act in a movie but ended
up fighting a Ruby Dragon; then they visited the undersea lab, to the
place where they had acquired the GF Eden (it got a little dirty there,
but Sakura said she didn't mind); then they once again visited Esthar,
covering every inch of the whole city; and then they went to the Lunatic
Pandora lab, Tear's Point (where Zell tells Sakura about the Lunatic
Pandora, which was now totally destroyed so that it won't cause trouble
again) and the Lunar Gate, where Zell tells Sakura about his own
experience going there (Zell told Sakura, "maybe I'll take you to the
Lunar Lab someday. If it could be allowed, that is." "That'd be
wonderful!" Sakura replied.). Then, they parked the Ragnarok by the
Salt Plains (he showed that to Sakura too.) and walked the once-used
train track until they were in the middle most part.
It was already sunset when they headed there, and the sun looked
beautiful.
"Wow. I've never experienced so many jet lags in such a small amount
of time!" Sakura said after drinking up the water they had packed with
them.
"Well, I could say that this date is a failure. It became more of a
school field trip to me." Zell said, grabbing his own water and drinking.
Sakura looked at him, her emerald green eyes clearly seen in the
fading light. "NO! Not at all! I really enjoyed myself! It was the best
date I've ever had!" she told him.
Zell looked at her. "Really?" he asked.
Sakura nodded. "Now, why don't we just eat our picnic and enjoy the
view? It's really wonderful. I think that this is the second most
wonderful place that I've ever been to! I used to watch the sunset with
Syaoran before..." she said, her voice somber.
"Sayoran?" Zell asked.
"He was... by fiancée." She answered.
Zell looked down, and then looked at her again. "Was?"
Sakura nodded. "Was. He, um, h-he..." she began to sob, "he was ...
k-k-killed..."
Zell's face became that of worry and concern. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't
have asked." He came closed to her and embraced her, comforting her
though her tears.
"Thank you Zell." She said, smiling up and him and wiping her tears.
Zell smiled. "Hey, what are friends for?" he told her, and that
statement almost hurt him. "Now, let's forget all our worries and watch
the sunset! The view's not stayin' there for long y'know."
Sakura smiled and as they watched the sunset, they ate their picnic
and talked about better things. Deep inside though, Sakura was still
thinking about Syaoran. But there was also a strange nagging feeling
inside her, something new and unexpected. She looked at Zell as he
happily watched the fading sunset, looked at her, smiled and offered
his hotdog. He had such sparkling blue eyes. *am I stating to fall for
him?* she asked herself.
They arrived back at the Garden about eight o'clock in the evening.
Most of the people were in their rooms early so there were only a few
people who had witnessed their happy arrival.
Zell then escorted Sakura to her room and there, they said their
good-byes.
"That was really wonderful Zell. Really wonderful." She told him,
smiling.
Zell blushed lightly. It was good for him that the lights were already
dim. "R-really? I'm glad you enjoyed it."
All of a sudden, Sakura gave Zell a kiss on the cheek. "Good night
Zell," she said to the still-surprised-Zell, "sweet dreams. Thanks
again." At that, Sakura gently closed her door.
Zell, who was still too stunned to recover, to a few moments of
steadying breath and speechlessly went back to his room, happy as a
lark.
"This is bad." Saehri whispered as she silently watched everything
that had occurred. "This is really bad."
___________________________________________________________________
to be continued...
