*Disclaimer- All FF characters are the sole and exclusive property of Square, not me
The darkness is turned to a vibrant red by the sunlight reaching Selphie's eyelid's through the fog. Slowly, gently she stirs, squeezing her eyelid's shut, not daring to open them, and rolling over on to her other side. Strangely, her bed is wet, itchy, and smells slightly of urea. The last factor rouses her from half-sleep to fully-dazed, she opens her eyes and rises slowly. She looks around to find that she is alone, save for a bloody apparition. Selphie lets out a blood-curling scream, quicker then the eye can see, the phantasm leaps to its feet , in its hand a…pinwheel?
Selphie stops screaming long enough to realize that the ghost is standing, very menacingly and totally un-ghostlike. It as her eyes adjust to the fog, it becomes apparent that it is a woman, who, while not a ghost, is as pale as if she had just seen one, hair included . Recognition fails her, even as she stares into the blood-red eye, until it occurs to her that she is staring into an eye, it's twin replaced by a patch.
Just then, a blonde youth comes crashing through the trees, fists raised, the sun gleaming off the metallic studs in his gloves. The intricate tattoo around his left eye leaving no question who he is.
"Zell, it's Fujin!", Zell looks at the diminutive brunette, looking every bit the little girl with a monster under her bed, then over to the slim, toned, battle-primed albino, still crouched with chokram in hand. He let's one fist fall to his side as he smoothes his hair back with the other .
"Uh Selph, thanks, but we've met", at this, Fujin begins to chuckle softly as lays her weapon back down. Zell catches her gaze, then Selphie's sheepish, bashful look, He falls over backwards, doubled up in laughter.
"Is everything, ya know, all right, you know?", the deeply tanned teen, a night and day contrast to his twin, appears over the edge of the cliff, not even out of breath from the forty foot climb
"AFFIRMATIVE", Fujin answers as Zell struggles to breathe between guffaws.
"Fine Raijin, just woke up a little spooked", Selphie replies, speaking more to the ground than any one around , too embarrassed to meet anyone's eyes.
"oh, well ok, ya know, so long as you're alright, ya know"
"All right, enough games, people, we're delaying serious business", everyone turns, a little surprised at the seriousness that show on Zell's face, "Breakfast" he says with the look of determination that he reserved for food. While religious about training and exercise, his diet was a cardinal sin, somewhere between gluttony and fornication. "Raijin, you and Fujin watch the camp, Selphie , could you come with me and help me pick up the fire wood I dropped rushing over for the 'emergency' introduction", Selphie, who had stood sullenly to go with Zell, looks up at him like a bull at a matador. Raijin intercedes just in time, catching the fireball of red-faced fury around the waist and lifting her off the ground inches out of reach of the once more hysterical youth.
"Clam down, ya know, don't kill him"
"AFFIRMATIVE. WOOD…FIRST", Selphie stops swinging, clearly out of breath
"Ouch, that hurts, that's really low, Fu"
"FUJIN!", She retorts through clenched teeth
"Uh right, Fujin it is", Zell responds, as he quickly backs away toward the woods, pulling along a now calm Selphie, "Selphie, how about we go get that… whoa!!", Zell's left foot sinks into a dip in the ground , and he falls backwards on to his rump. Everyone turns towards the thump, Raijin goes back to arranging stone around the fire pit he just dug, while Selphie stands in shook, with her hands over her mouth. Fujin quietly chuckles as Zell gets up, Wiping the dampness of morning dew from his baggy black denim overall shorts.
"WEIRDO", Fujin speaks, mostly to herself as Zell and Selphie have disappeared.
"Who do ya mean, ya know?"
"BOTH", Fujin shakes her head, smiling as she goes back to cleaning the fish. Raijin quietly notes the smile, then turns his attention back to a beautiful white stone with black specks.
* * *
"The door buzzer sounds as I'm brushing my teeth, "Just a minute", I hear Irvine shout over the clatter of the pans he's cleaning . He opens the front door as I come out into the bedroom and go to put on a pair of old pair of Irvine's boots, wondering how the man manages to do everything in them, almost knee-high as they are.
"Well now, if this isn't a pleasant surprise, though I should have known it was only a matter of time before my charms got to ya."
"Actually Kinneas, as charming as you think you are, I'm here to see Squall, Rinoa side he might be here.", Quistis, or rather acting Headmistress Quistis, The title given her while Cid and Matron are off on a second honeymoon of sorts. What she didn't know was that the title could become permanent, since Cid was considering retirement.
"Ms. Trepe, I'm staggered, that you would want a man two weeks from the pent.. I mean alter, when you have a wild stallion right here, free for you."
"Free, huh, does Charmaine know this."
"Who?"
"Charmaine, the new physics instructor, You went out with last night, honestly, if you're going to sleep with her, you should at least get her name", tactfully, Irvine doesn't even bother to argue the point.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but in your presence, all other's are forgotten"
"Irvine, please stop, I'm lactose-intolerant"
"Ouch, and I thought I was the sharp-shooter"
"Ah Squall, there you are", unable to bear the insanity any longer, I had step out the bedroom with one boot only half-laced. "Are you aware that you fiancée's moping around your apartment with eyes as red as the Ragnorok." I start to speak, but Quistis raises one hand and shakes her head. "Please don't explain, my days full enough, but here's a clue for the clueless, promise me that before you screw up worse you'll go apologize, alright?", I nod silently
"Good, now on to business, why are we over Trabia"
"I'd tell you, but then I would have to explain about Rinoa."
"Fair enough, is your speech ready", Thinking about the speech, I felt the single sweat drop form and fall.
"Aahh, yeah, sure, all done"
"Good, I can't afford any mistakes to day."
"Quistis is everything okay, you're not exactly your usual self"
"How's that cowboy?"
"It's just you usually don't sweat the details", Quistis eyes glaze over for so brief a moment that I almost miss it.
"Oh, just stress I guess"
"Oh now that's a shame, Why don't you come into the bedroom and let me teach you about the magic of my fingers, I'll message your stress away in no time."
"No Thanks, I want no part of your bedroom; and, for the record, I don't like quick", Irvine stands, uncharacteristically at a lost for words, While I close my eye and try to shake yet another scarring image from my mind. "See you later boys", Quistis turns to walk out the door, "And Irvine, please, remember her name is Char – maine, I don't need anymore staff leaving over your heartbreaking.", She says over her shoulder as she walks out.
"Squall, I tell ya, there is something about a woman with a whip, and she's a schoolmarm to boot."
"Headmistress"
"However you slice it, I still want detention.", Irvine shivers, a smile on his face. He walks back into the kitchen, whistling. I shake my head and open the door, heading back to keep my promise to Quistis, and trying not to thing about the ceremony tonight.