Disclaimer:
Hehe Squaresofts and Capcoms story and characters I can't take any honors for it (Damn!)
Authors note:
Alrighty the third chapter, hope you enjoy it.
And please R&R as I stated in earlier note I can't make the story better if I don't know what I must improve
***
Zell opened his left eye and looked at the sunrays beaming in his face, he groaned and rolled over on his stomach. Twitching and turning for a half an hour Zell finally went up out of bed when he realized that he wasn't going to get any more sleep.
When he placed his feet in the floor scratching his belly he suddenly felt very ill.
A disturbing noise rose from his throat and he rushed towards the toilet with his hand covering his mouth, spending a couple of minutes vomiting it all came back to him in flash.
He had been drinking last night not the usual one drink instead he had consumed a whole bottle of vodka. That can't be right! I never drink that much pondering the thought he came to the conclusion that he wouldn't come to any conclusion, the main reason being the hideous headache he had achieved from last nights fiasco.
He unsteadily rose to his feet and went over too bathtub. Maybe a bath will help me get over this hangover he noticed that he wasn't thinking as he should, still there was something that he had forgotten something that was important. It was that something that had been his reason for getting so drunk yesterday.
He couldn't remember, well maybe it would come back to him after he had had his bath.
Zell started whistling on ABBAs "Take a Chance on me" and sank down the bathtub and wished the fog over his mind would clear soon.
***
Squall woke in an instant, his nerves tensed and his neck stiffened as it always would before an oncoming onslaught. He looked around in his tidy and perfectly military strict room.
He wasn't able to pinpoint any enemies so he forced his muscles and nerves to relax.
I wish Rinoa was here He blushed, she was here. He looked at his Life with her long brown hair and her perfect heart shaped face, sleeping in the couch so calm and tranquil.
Last night she had been so upset that something had happened to Quistis that she asked if she could sleep in his room as Selphie was watching over her long blond friend.
Quietly he rose from his bed and tipped on his toes towards her. As he got close to Rinoa he feel to his knees and bent over her body so he was face to face with his angel.
A strange calm came over him and he wondered if that was going to last, a smile crept on his face. "I know you are there Squall" he jerked back a little and realized ha had no pants nor any other clothes than his underwear.
He quickly raced for his pants in the other end of the room. He had only reached halfway when Rinoa turned around and opened her eyes. The brown eyes were like endless ponds that Squall could drown in. She smiled when she saw that he was blushing. "What's the matter Squallie" His face went even more Red then she thought possible.
"Whatever" Squall turned his face and drew up his pants and buttoned it.
There was a moments pause and when Squall turned around he saw Rinoa right before his eyes strapped in a blanket and hair wonderful long hair in disarray coming in full speed and throwing herself in his embrace.
"I want to feel your arms around me Squall." She said with a muffled voice that came from his chest.
Squall nodded absently stroking her hair he noticed that she smelled like flowers,
the same flowers that he had seen and smelled when Rinoa had found him after Ultimecias death.
Thinking of it made him shiver and shake uncontrollable, he held Rinoa closer to him and suddenly realized what he was doing.
He wasn't sure but he thought that he heard her ribs cracking what a buffoon he was.
He was just about to say "Sorry" when Rinoa lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.
Two slender hands were placed on his face and he saw anxiety in her face.
"What's the matter Squall" she said a bit worried and her hands holding his head so he couldn't turn around, she had become very good at predicting what he was going to do.
He sighed as he understood that he wasn't going to go anywhere until he had answered, so he gathered all he courage all his strength to say something that instead of saying he easily would fought a hundred Omega weapons or a thousand Ultimecias.
He took a deep breath "I would die if lost you Rinoa" he placed a finger on her mouth pleading her to be silent "When I was alone in time compression and I couldn't find you…"
His hands was shaking "I thought to myself that if I can't find her then there's no use going on" his voice was faltering and he choked on the words "Better…. Better t..to die and join her as a ghost than not find her" he was breathing in short gasps "I had given up hope so I lay down to die" Two big tears was streaming down his cheeks immediately followed by more.
"Then you found me, and that flower field came rushing towards us it was then I finally understood that…. That I ….I"
Rinoa had never seen Squall like this never so much emotions at one time, he was crying in sobs and made hick ups, she felt a steady grip around her arms almost hurting her but she welcomed the pained.
Then suddenly the shock came "I love Rinoa, I love you with my entire being and…. And I … And I hope you love me too" Rinoa gasped she hadn't been sure that Squall would ever say or show his feelings like this and she he could he be uncertain of her love towards him? She saw fear in his eyes, fear of rejection.
A tender smile came upon her face, she wiped away his tears and looked him straight in his eyes.
"You silly of course I love you I've loved you since the first day we met"
The fear in Squalls eyes faded and a new astonished look in face "You do?"
She giggled "Yes I do, mister I can face a anything with laugh but not a girl" she said in teasing matter.
His face went red again "Maybe you are right" Frowning and trying to hide that he was blushing he tried to turn his head, only to be held in iron grip by two slender hands belonging to 5'4 long sorceress.
Slowly she leaned forward towards him her lips parted and reached contact with his, it seemed like the whole world was forgotten and sparks of electricity was made when lips met lips. Rinoa had finally found the boy behind the stone wall she had found her Squall.
***
Seifer was sitting at the restaurant table whistling on some unrecognizable song.
He was quite satisfied with the whole scenario, he had eaten and the tiredness that always comes after you have eaten to much had found its place.
On his side Fujin and Raijin were sitting they too also had the same expression as he had.
Raijin had typically ordered a Burger with fries, and Fujin had ordered some kind of Tofu or something.
Funny when did Fujin become an vegetarian? Seifer vocalized his thoughts.
The Gray haired women gave him a sly smile, took a tissue of paper and swiped her lips.
"No I'm not a vegetarian Seifer, I just wanted to try something new and I heard from Sophie that Tofu is really good."
Seifer pondered what she had said with a frown "Who is Sophie? I can't remember that I've heard that name before" He leaned back on chair while Raijin was almost looking like he was asleep.
"Sophie is one of the library girls" She said in simple matter "She and I was pretty close friends when we were still stationed at Balamb."
Raijin suddenly rose from his halfsleeping position "Wow Fuj I didn't think that you've said a sentence that long since we were kids, let alone more than one!"
The one eyed woman looked around the table "It must be the food" she said with out showing how close to laughing she was.
In the meanwhile Seifer attention was elsewhere, he had just spotted a long blond with long hair and a similar dress that Quistis usually had when he was at Garden.
Get a grip man! In the last 2 hours he had seen not one Quistis hallucinations but five.
The Hell, what's the matter with me It had all begun since last night, the same day they had seen garden pass over their heads.
Last day he had had the strange feeling of being watched, and his instincts had changed to combat mode. The same feeling crept over him now, but now it wasn't that he was being watched but something of is life was in danger.
His Muscles tensed and he began scanning the area for possible threats and gripping his sword that wasn't at his side Restaurant rules my ass, I better go get Hyperion With that he stood up.
Raijin that had noticed the same tension in his unpredictable friend yesterday also rose and with a little curiosity he asked "What's wrong Seifer? You've been acting kinda strange since yesterday" His Tall friend spinned around as tough he didn't recognize Raijins voice.
"Wooah, take it easy Seifer, whaddya say about going out for a field trip to cool down those nerves ya know" The Field trip was the way for the Posse to make a living, slaying monsters and such, helping villages and other people in distress.
Seifers face was grim and shone with merciless determination "No there's trouble on the way and we'd better prepare for it, come let's get our things."
Fujin rose also her face shining with the same determination as Seifers "NEXT MOVE?"
Seifer was icy calm and he still scanned the area "I don't really know but the onslaught is coming, I can feel it".
Raijin shrugged his shoulders "Then lets get going and kick some butt ya know!"
And of they went.
If there wouldn't been so many people in the new opened restaurant Seifer would have noticed a two men in almost military clothing and something awake in their stare.
He would also have noticed as soon as the Posse had left the men rose from their table where they had ordered a glass of water and followed them out of the restaurant.
As they had exited the restaurant they had parted for two different directions, one towards the harbor and the other following the Posse.
As the report reached the Silverhair that Seifer was suspecting that something was wrong the man smirked.
He gave out new orders and soon there could be seen a dozen people running from the little boat.
And the preparations went on.
***
Irvine was a bit confused. As he wandered down the great halls of Balamb he couldn't see Selphie anywhere nor could he see any of the others.
Where could they be? He wondered as he smiled towards two of the female inhabitants in garden.
That was the nature of the cowboy from Galbadia garden, although he loved a woman with all
His heart he was a ladies man with a charm that could blend most women or paralyze them where they stood.
As he pondered where his friends could be, (he had had the thought that maybe they were still in their dorms) he meet up with Dr. Somberele.
"Howdy doc have yo seen any of the others? " He graced the doctor with his knee-melting smile.
"Irvine don't do that! Well I've seen Selphie as soon as for 10 minutes ago"
"Well then where is she?" He tilted his hat in her direction "Good mam"
The Doctors eyebrows sank to a dangerously low level.
"She's in the Infirmary, she fainted last night." The doctor shook her head "You haven't seen Quitis by any chance? I would.." She didn't get further when she was interrupted by a shout from Irvine
"WHAT? FAINTED? What happened is she hurt, who hurt her I'll make him regret that he was ever born" The cowboy was smacking his fist into his palm.
"Calm down Irvine it's no injury or something like that it's plain exhaustion"
The taller man seemed to relax "Why didn't you say so Doc instead of scaring the crap out of me" She sighed "I just did Irvine, well have you seen her?"
"Who?" Irritated the doctor took it step by step "WHERE" as she made gestures with her fingers and arms "IS…….QUISTIS?"
Looking a bit hurt he answered "Huh you don't have to get mad at me, no I haven't seen her since yesterday"
"Thanks Irvine seems like I have to keep on looking. If you don't mind?"
With that she started walking.
"Irvine shouted after her "Can I go see how she is doing doc?"
The answer was "Yes you can as long as you doesn't get out of bed."
He found his butterfly sleeping in a plain bed with nothing except a blanket to lay on.
She looked so peaceful and beautiful, here and now he admitted that there could be no other than this little wonderful creature for him. There maybe other women that are more beautiful than his butterfly but they couldn't give him what he really yearned for, true affection and a relationship that wouldn't brake as soon as he made a mistake.
Yes he was an oaf sometimes but Selphie would forgive and accept that he wasn't perfect, she would take him as he was.
Of course he had to stop flirting what every that he meet that wouldn't be fair to Selphie.
"Irvy is that you?" it was sullen and broken voice that reached his ears.
He looked at his butterfly and found that she was crying and her pillow was wet with tears.
"What's the matter sweetie" he reached down and picked her up in his strong arms.
The petite girl threw herself around his neck and sobbed "She's leaving us Irvy, and I don't even know why. I hope it isn't because of me" He gently stroke her neck and spoke to her in a soothing tone "Ssscch calm down Selphie who is laving us?" That made cry even more and clang to him like her life was depended on it "Quistis" Sniveling she looked him in his eyes.
Irvine saw razor sharp pain on those lovely eyes and he couldn't bear it "Where is she I'll find her"
"Hurry Irvine she is probably the headmasters office" Irvine put her down gently and kissed her on her cheek, then he smiled "Anything for you my butterfly" with melodramatic spinning with his coat he turned around and ran for the headmasters office.
***
"And I can't make you change your mind Quistis?" Xu was near tears but she didn't show it.
Quistis had come with her Seed uniform and resigned from the ranks of Seed, was now giving back the papers and id badge that belonged to Seed.
Inside herself Xu cried Quistis had been like a sister to her in the days when they were still instructors, and now her sister was leaving.
The long blond shook her head "No Xu you can't change my mind, don't cry I'll come back when I've got my life back in order again" If I eve get it back in order she smiled to her friend and signed the last paper that would officially resign her from Garden.
Then she left, at the door she stopped "Farewell Xu " With that Quistis was gone.