Chapter IX: Closest to Heaven
There they stood, a practically inseparable couple, holding each other in their arms as bits and chunks of combined metal, ash and dust dropped through the sky and landed on the ground around them. Galbadia Garden had been destroyed. Zell pulled away a bit, smiling into Rinoa's eyes and opening his mouth slightly and hesitating, trying to put into words what he was preparing to say. Reading the situation exactly, Rinoa smiled and pressed a finger against Zell's lips softly, smiling. "I know, Zell... I love you too." Her smile grew wider as she pulled her finger away from his lips. Sighing and shaking his head a bit, Zell muttered softly in sarcastic discontent, "I was supposed to be the one to say that first..." Rinoa laughed gently and nodded, "yeah, I know, but that's no fun." They both laughed and held each other, making their way back towards Fisherman's Horizon.
It was morning now, several long hours after Zell had decided to leave to save Rinoa. Everyone was frantic, specifically Irvine and Quistis. Irvine was pissed off about having Bismarck taken, while Quistis was the one who was worrying about where they were more than worrying about her weapon. As Irvine and Quistis sat in the cafeteria discussing what could've happened, Selphie continually seemed to hover around them, maintaining her usual carefree spirit, quite sure that Zell and Rinoa hadn't gotten hurt or anything, so she poked a little bit of fun at the two. Irvine couldn't stop venting about Bismarck. "I can't believe he took it without asking! I would've let him borrow it if he asked!" Selphie grinned and popped in, "maybe he sold it at a pawn shop! Or maybe he had it disassembled!" Irvine grew incredibly tense, much to Selphie's amusement. Quistis was solely worried that they might have made a premature decision in their relationship. So, deciding to take advantage, Selphie, not meaning to be intrusive, but just to poke fun, chirped, "Rinoa Heartilly Dincht! I betcha they eloped! Mrs. Zell Dincht!" Quistis couldn't wait for Zell to return so that she could beat the living stuffing out of him.
Finally, after several minutes - what seemed like hours to Irvine and Quistis - Zell and Rinoa returned to Garden, walking towards Irvine and Quistis. Zell, on Rinoa's left, had his right arm looped around her waist, and waved at the three SeeD cadets waiting for them. Irvine and Quistis leapt to their feet, rushing towards the couple. Irvine quickly snatched his rifle back from Zell, and Quistis wrenched Rinoa from Zell's grasp, grabbing Rinoa's left hand and checking to see if she had a ring. Seeing nothing wrong with the situation, both of them calmed. After elbowing Selphie lightly in the side, they asked what had happened. Zell and Rinoa explained the whole situation.
After they had finished, Zell stood up and stretched. "Yep... well.. I think I'm gonna go relax or something..." He headed out of the cafeteria and towards the dorms, followed by Rinoa, their words inaudible from where the rest of the group was. Approaching Zell's dorm room, he smiled to Rinoa and gave her a soft kiss. "I think I'm gonna go for a ride in the Ragnarok, care to join me?" Smiling brightly, Rinoa nodded as Zell opened the door and closed it after Rinoa had gone in after him. Opening the doors to his balcony, he leapt off, down to the outer walkways of Garden. Rinoa quickly followed, and, holding Zell's hand, they made their way into Fisherman's Horizon, into the center square where Mayor Dobe's residence was, and boarded Ragnarok.
As the airship and spaceship lifted into the sky and the engines whirred, propelling the giant ship forward, the clear blue sky of the world around them seemed to remain still; the ground below them was the only thing that moved. Setting the control into a continuous forward auto-pilot, Zell and Rinoa went into the conference room to avoid the wind but still be able to experience the sights of the world flying past as they embraced. They stayed there, down in the conference room until the next morning, their passionate kisses exchanging the pledge of love that words could never begin to express.
There they stood, a practically inseparable couple, holding each other in their arms as bits and chunks of combined metal, ash and dust dropped through the sky and landed on the ground around them. Galbadia Garden had been destroyed. Zell pulled away a bit, smiling into Rinoa's eyes and opening his mouth slightly and hesitating, trying to put into words what he was preparing to say. Reading the situation exactly, Rinoa smiled and pressed a finger against Zell's lips softly, smiling. "I know, Zell... I love you too." Her smile grew wider as she pulled her finger away from his lips. Sighing and shaking his head a bit, Zell muttered softly in sarcastic discontent, "I was supposed to be the one to say that first..." Rinoa laughed gently and nodded, "yeah, I know, but that's no fun." They both laughed and held each other, making their way back towards Fisherman's Horizon.
It was morning now, several long hours after Zell had decided to leave to save Rinoa. Everyone was frantic, specifically Irvine and Quistis. Irvine was pissed off about having Bismarck taken, while Quistis was the one who was worrying about where they were more than worrying about her weapon. As Irvine and Quistis sat in the cafeteria discussing what could've happened, Selphie continually seemed to hover around them, maintaining her usual carefree spirit, quite sure that Zell and Rinoa hadn't gotten hurt or anything, so she poked a little bit of fun at the two. Irvine couldn't stop venting about Bismarck. "I can't believe he took it without asking! I would've let him borrow it if he asked!" Selphie grinned and popped in, "maybe he sold it at a pawn shop! Or maybe he had it disassembled!" Irvine grew incredibly tense, much to Selphie's amusement. Quistis was solely worried that they might have made a premature decision in their relationship. So, deciding to take advantage, Selphie, not meaning to be intrusive, but just to poke fun, chirped, "Rinoa Heartilly Dincht! I betcha they eloped! Mrs. Zell Dincht!" Quistis couldn't wait for Zell to return so that she could beat the living stuffing out of him.
Finally, after several minutes - what seemed like hours to Irvine and Quistis - Zell and Rinoa returned to Garden, walking towards Irvine and Quistis. Zell, on Rinoa's left, had his right arm looped around her waist, and waved at the three SeeD cadets waiting for them. Irvine and Quistis leapt to their feet, rushing towards the couple. Irvine quickly snatched his rifle back from Zell, and Quistis wrenched Rinoa from Zell's grasp, grabbing Rinoa's left hand and checking to see if she had a ring. Seeing nothing wrong with the situation, both of them calmed. After elbowing Selphie lightly in the side, they asked what had happened. Zell and Rinoa explained the whole situation.
After they had finished, Zell stood up and stretched. "Yep... well.. I think I'm gonna go relax or something..." He headed out of the cafeteria and towards the dorms, followed by Rinoa, their words inaudible from where the rest of the group was. Approaching Zell's dorm room, he smiled to Rinoa and gave her a soft kiss. "I think I'm gonna go for a ride in the Ragnarok, care to join me?" Smiling brightly, Rinoa nodded as Zell opened the door and closed it after Rinoa had gone in after him. Opening the doors to his balcony, he leapt off, down to the outer walkways of Garden. Rinoa quickly followed, and, holding Zell's hand, they made their way into Fisherman's Horizon, into the center square where Mayor Dobe's residence was, and boarded Ragnarok.
As the airship and spaceship lifted into the sky and the engines whirred, propelling the giant ship forward, the clear blue sky of the world around them seemed to remain still; the ground below them was the only thing that moved. Setting the control into a continuous forward auto-pilot, Zell and Rinoa went into the conference room to avoid the wind but still be able to experience the sights of the world flying past as they embraced. They stayed there, down in the conference room until the next morning, their passionate kisses exchanging the pledge of love that words could never begin to express.
