Chapter Nine
The Unknown Enemy
"WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS PICK ON ME?!?!"
Irvine threw his hands up in defence as Zell took another step towards him, his voice getting even louder.
"EVERYONE TREATS ME LIKE A KID! I'M RESPONSIBLE! I'M MATURE! BUT EVERYONE MAKES FUN OF ME!!!"
"Hey, Zell," Irvine was startled by Zells outburst, "I was only kidding. Calm down, man."
Zell took another step towards Irvine, opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it and left Irvine on the deck of White SeeD ship, returning to his cabin to let out his stress on his punching bag.
Zell didn't hear the soft knock on his door, or hear it being gently opened and shut again. He pounded the punching bag again and again. All of the insults and teasing he had ever been subjected to played over and over in his head. He drew back his fist and thrust it into the centre of the punching bag. The bag ripped and the beans that filled it, spilled out over the floor of his cabin.
Zell hung his head, panting. When he raised it, he was shocked to see Ellone sitting on a chair watching him.
"How long have you been there?" Zell asked between breaths. His face reddened at the thought of Ellone having watched him pummelling the punching bag.
"Not long." she replied calmly, "What did Irvine do?"
"Oh, I guess you heard that, eh?" Zell laughed nervously, "Just teasing me. I'd had enough of it."
"Does he do it often?" Ellone said, standing.
"No more than anyone else."
"Oh."
There was an uncomfortable pause.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you." Ellone said, heading for the door.
"Oh...uh. No, you didn't. And...uh...I'm sorry too. For yelling...so loudly." Zell scratched his head, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make him sound completely stupid.
Ellone smiled, then laughed softly.
"I guess I was kinda loud." Zell said, laughing too. The door opened suddenly and Irvine walked in.
"Listen, Zell. I didn't mean for...you...to..." his voice trailed off as he saw Ellone next to Zell. "You're obviously busy. I'll leave you two alone." He left.
"Great," Zell sighed, "Any reputation that I may have had has just flown out the window. I'll never hear the end of THIS one!"
Ellone laughed again and after a while Zell did too.
Suddenly the ship shook violently. After a moment, two of the white SeeDs had joined Zell and Ellone.
"What was that!?!?" Zell demanded.
"Two battle ships have approached and are firing at us. Ellone, we must abandon the ship before it's hit."
The ship shook again. Zell ran on to the deck to find Irvine and three other white SeeDs returning fire to a small black battle ship. Zell ran to join Irvine.
"Where are these ships from?" he shouted over the noise of the fighting.
"I don't know," Irvine replied, "I don't recognise the ship designs."
"Where's the other one?"
"Behind us." Irvine levelled his rifle and fired at one of the black ships. There was a small eruption of flames where his shot hit the side of the ship but left it unscathed.
Zell ran along the side of the ship, keeping low, until he had joined some more white SeeDs holding off the second battle ship. Without warning, the ship withdrew and disappeared below their ship. Looking around frantically, Zell felt a rush of air as the battle ship brushed up against the side of the white SeeD ship. A dozen masked soldiers jumped from the battle ship onto the deck of the white SeeD ship.
Without hesitation, Zell cast an Aero spell on the group of unknown attackers, knocking them back. A few fell over the side of the white SeeD ship.
Fighting his way through the masked warriors, Zell met up with Irvine and they both headed down into the cabins where Zell had left Ellone and the two white SeeDs.
The Unknown Enemy
"WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS PICK ON ME?!?!"
Irvine threw his hands up in defence as Zell took another step towards him, his voice getting even louder.
"EVERYONE TREATS ME LIKE A KID! I'M RESPONSIBLE! I'M MATURE! BUT EVERYONE MAKES FUN OF ME!!!"
"Hey, Zell," Irvine was startled by Zells outburst, "I was only kidding. Calm down, man."
Zell took another step towards Irvine, opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it and left Irvine on the deck of White SeeD ship, returning to his cabin to let out his stress on his punching bag.
Zell didn't hear the soft knock on his door, or hear it being gently opened and shut again. He pounded the punching bag again and again. All of the insults and teasing he had ever been subjected to played over and over in his head. He drew back his fist and thrust it into the centre of the punching bag. The bag ripped and the beans that filled it, spilled out over the floor of his cabin.
Zell hung his head, panting. When he raised it, he was shocked to see Ellone sitting on a chair watching him.
"How long have you been there?" Zell asked between breaths. His face reddened at the thought of Ellone having watched him pummelling the punching bag.
"Not long." she replied calmly, "What did Irvine do?"
"Oh, I guess you heard that, eh?" Zell laughed nervously, "Just teasing me. I'd had enough of it."
"Does he do it often?" Ellone said, standing.
"No more than anyone else."
"Oh."
There was an uncomfortable pause.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you." Ellone said, heading for the door.
"Oh...uh. No, you didn't. And...uh...I'm sorry too. For yelling...so loudly." Zell scratched his head, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make him sound completely stupid.
Ellone smiled, then laughed softly.
"I guess I was kinda loud." Zell said, laughing too. The door opened suddenly and Irvine walked in.
"Listen, Zell. I didn't mean for...you...to..." his voice trailed off as he saw Ellone next to Zell. "You're obviously busy. I'll leave you two alone." He left.
"Great," Zell sighed, "Any reputation that I may have had has just flown out the window. I'll never hear the end of THIS one!"
Ellone laughed again and after a while Zell did too.
Suddenly the ship shook violently. After a moment, two of the white SeeDs had joined Zell and Ellone.
"What was that!?!?" Zell demanded.
"Two battle ships have approached and are firing at us. Ellone, we must abandon the ship before it's hit."
The ship shook again. Zell ran on to the deck to find Irvine and three other white SeeDs returning fire to a small black battle ship. Zell ran to join Irvine.
"Where are these ships from?" he shouted over the noise of the fighting.
"I don't know," Irvine replied, "I don't recognise the ship designs."
"Where's the other one?"
"Behind us." Irvine levelled his rifle and fired at one of the black ships. There was a small eruption of flames where his shot hit the side of the ship but left it unscathed.
Zell ran along the side of the ship, keeping low, until he had joined some more white SeeDs holding off the second battle ship. Without warning, the ship withdrew and disappeared below their ship. Looking around frantically, Zell felt a rush of air as the battle ship brushed up against the side of the white SeeD ship. A dozen masked soldiers jumped from the battle ship onto the deck of the white SeeD ship.
Without hesitation, Zell cast an Aero spell on the group of unknown attackers, knocking them back. A few fell over the side of the white SeeD ship.
Fighting his way through the masked warriors, Zell met up with Irvine and they both headed down into the cabins where Zell had left Ellone and the two white SeeDs.