Hey everyone! Thank you Akira Makie and shinimegami for putting me on your favorite authors list! I feel so privileged! Seems like these people are coming out of the sky! ::is happy:: Don't forget to REVIEW, it puts a big smile on my face!
~Jess~
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Squall and Zell walked down the hallway to the cafeteria determinedly. They avoided any and all chatter from the surrounding classmates; many of which wished to give Squall their condolences for his loss. Upon entering the cafeteria, they immediately spotted Irvine and Selphie at a table and proceeded over.
As Squall sat down, Irvine began to tease him for his tardiness, "Geez Squall, late much? I thought you were the guy that's always on time?"
Squall took to a hushed tone of voice, as if he believed that everyone in the cafeteria could be and was plotting against him. He shifted his eyes from side to side, checking out the scene for any possible suspects, before he spoke, "Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa is alive."
Irvine sighed and said gently, as if to a little boy that had lost a parent, "Squall, I know this is hard for you, hell it is hard for all of us. But we saw the ship explode, and you are going to have to except that…"His voice almost broke down to a watery finish, "You are going to have to except that Rinoa is not with us anymore, and I'm sure she is looking down on us right now and wishing we would go on with our lives. Seifer's sub had an accident, and there's nothing that can be done to change what has happened to our lives. We need to grieve and move on."
Zell shook his head, "No Irvine, she is alive. The reason we are so late is because…" he paused and looked to Squall for approval before saying, "He called us, just a few minutes ago as we were leaving the room."
They knew of whom he spoke. Smiles leapt onto the faces of Irvine and Selphie as they had heard the best piece of news that they had in a long time. This renewed hope gave them excitement of being reunited with their lost friend. Selphie almost couldn't contain her happiness. Her eyes seemed as though she would be dancing up and down and making a fool of herself, and it was heard in her voice as she shouted, "Is that true!?"
Squall quieted her with his hands before saying, "Yes, it is. I spoke with Rinoa, and for some reason, she had no idea that her ship exploded."
Irvine looked at him inquisitively, "How could that be?"
Squall continued, "Well, their ship did disappear before our eyes and radar in that smoke. They were gone for a good many hours before the ship reemerged. Perhaps they have another vessel, that was waiting for them. Seifer did say that it was a fireworks show for me."
Selphie asked, "But we checked all the submarines that are in the ocean and got full confirmation that Seifer was not on any of those ships. They have all be registered and checked thoroughly."
Squall sat back in his chair and began to think of other possible situations or solutions to the brick wall they had run into. Almost on cue, his companions at the table began to imitate him, trying to think of any explanation they could. Suddenly, Zell hopped up from his chair and said in a loud whisper, so as not to provoke any wrath from Squall's temper, "What if this new thing isn't another submarine?"
The answer seemed too obvious to them now, and it only seemed right that Zell would come up with the simplest idea. Irvine snapped his fingers and said, "We were near shore when we lost them in that cloud of smoke. They could be in any type of vehicle and in any part of the planet by now! How will we ever find them?"
Squall said solemnly, "Well, he did ask for Cid as payment for the ransom, perhaps we could find someone that looks just like Cid to get some sort of tracking device into the ship…" It seemed that the last part of his statement was more thinking out loud than an idea set into stone. It also seemed a little farfetched, as it would endanger the life of another human being.
Selphie said, "Perhaps she is not in the ocean, but on it. Maybe I can use the radar to find any other ships on the ocean right now. I'll get right on that! If it doesn't work, we can always find new methods for other vehicles, so keep on thinking you guys." She then left the table and skipped through the cafeteria and out the door.
Squall leaned forward and put his head in his hands and stared downwards at the table that was covered in graffiti. Many of them were silly little things like Zell 3's Hot Dogs and Zell 3's TP. Squall assumed that TP were the initials of the girl that Zell had a crush on. He then saw Irvine's scratchings on the table of IK + ST 4 life. He sighed at the silly antics of people in love, and looked at the table nonchalantly until something caught his eye. He gasped when he saw the calligraphy of the words, 'Rinoa Leonhart.' Then he got up and excused himself back to his dorm. He needed some sort of peace, instead of being in a crowded cafeteria where his mind was clouded by other things.
I sat there tracing the pane of the window with my finger. In this new room, underneath the window there was a shelf to sit on. There was nothing really interesting to look at outside the window, but the darkness seemed like a good place to sit and collect my thoughts. I wondered about the dead people from the ship, and thought about if their families would be notified. How would the message come? She thought about some young SeeD going to a house dressed in a uniform with a message written by someone that had never knew the family. I felt a little privileged, if anything happened to Squall in that kind of situation, I would most likely know the person handing me the letter, and they could provide a good shoulder for me to cry on. The very thought sickened me, why did bad things have to happen to such nice people?
As I smoothed my hand over the window I heard a kind of crackling noise. I looked at it more carefully, then examined it again with my hand. It happened again, so I began to poke it with my fingertip. Somehow, my nail pierced it, and light began to stream through. I peeled at the sides of the mark and more light began to stream through, while pieces of the substance broke off and fell onto my lap. I began to work more quickly now, peeling at anything that didn't look right until I created a hole big enough for my eye to see out of. Out the window I saw the sun for the first time, and the sight of it invigorated me.
I knew now that I wasn't on the submarine anymore, below me, I could see the waves crashing into the boat. I knew where the rocking sensation had come from, and I knew what Squall had been talking about. The submarine must have exploded before their very eyes; destroying their hopes and feelings. I began to feel sad, that Squall had thought that I had been killed in an untimely accident. I began to wonder how he handled it. Thinking that everyone in Garden would know about it and would be all asking him if he was alright and everything. I thought that the women whose husbands would have been lost if Seifer had destroyed another ship would have had to deal with the same things. I felt relieved that there was not any lost ship of souls whose families would have to hear from some younger SeeD, and I was happy that Squall knew my current condition.
I decided not to peel any more paint off the window, for fear of the punishment I could receive. This left me bored and thinking of anything to keep me busy. I began to count the scratches on the floor of the cell and how many guards walked by me. Until finally, I placed a hand softly on my stomach and began to think of names for my unborn child. I hadn't found out what the sex of the child was before I was taken, so I had a large variety. The list of names still didn't seem to fit correctly though., and I grew tired of the silly game. I just didn't want to find a name I liked without Squall's approval, so I prepared a mental list to ask Squall when I saw him.
Suddenly, I heard voices coming from the vent next to the window below me. All the heating vents must have been connected, so I moved my head closer to see if I could identify who was speaking and what of. I heard Seifer, but only Seifer, and thought it was a telephone conversation since he was pausing and asking questions that weren't responded to.
I heard, "I know this is taking a long time, you don't hafta tell me! I was hired by Galbadia for the capture of Cid, and they said by any means necessary… Yea, yea, well she was less guarded… Believe me, I was going after him, but saw an easier opportunity with her, besides I also had a little revenge to take care of, and it was killing two birds with one stone…. Yea, yea, well I gotta go…Important things to handle." Then I heard no more.
After a while of having nothing to do, I went back to peeling the window paint off. I didn't care if they knew that I was doing it anymore, I needed to see the sun. I needed to feel the sun's rays that would warm up my cold spirit.
Squall had another interrupted napping session, when Selphie had returned with the report. Before going to Squall's dorm she had gotten Irvine and Zell and they all went as a group to tell Squall the news. Squall was a little groggy when they all tramped inside his room, but he tried to be as nice as possible, which wasn't much considering it was Squall. Selphie had brought a map with her and placed it on the floor of the dorm and they all gathered around it. She pointed to a red marker on the map and said, "Now this is the location of Seifer's ship. I was so happy that it was a ship because they are easier to track, and it was my first guess. Seifer's ship did have a good cloaking device though, and I bet he still thinks he's safe behind his barrier."
Irvine said, "Why would he think that if there is technology that can find him?"
Selphie said with a proud grin, "Because Irvy, I just created the technology that found him." Then she looked back to the map and continued, "So, we need to get a boat, then travel to this spot and find his ship. Zell and I can create a diversion, while Squall and Irvine climb onboard. Sound like a good plan?"
Squall stared down at the map, and nodded slightly; Selphie smiled at this simple gesture and looked to the others. Once they all agreed, they started to make preparations so they could leave as soon as possible.
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Happy Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday everyone!
~Jess~
~Jess~
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Squall and Zell walked down the hallway to the cafeteria determinedly. They avoided any and all chatter from the surrounding classmates; many of which wished to give Squall their condolences for his loss. Upon entering the cafeteria, they immediately spotted Irvine and Selphie at a table and proceeded over.
As Squall sat down, Irvine began to tease him for his tardiness, "Geez Squall, late much? I thought you were the guy that's always on time?"
Squall took to a hushed tone of voice, as if he believed that everyone in the cafeteria could be and was plotting against him. He shifted his eyes from side to side, checking out the scene for any possible suspects, before he spoke, "Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa is alive."
Irvine sighed and said gently, as if to a little boy that had lost a parent, "Squall, I know this is hard for you, hell it is hard for all of us. But we saw the ship explode, and you are going to have to except that…"His voice almost broke down to a watery finish, "You are going to have to except that Rinoa is not with us anymore, and I'm sure she is looking down on us right now and wishing we would go on with our lives. Seifer's sub had an accident, and there's nothing that can be done to change what has happened to our lives. We need to grieve and move on."
Zell shook his head, "No Irvine, she is alive. The reason we are so late is because…" he paused and looked to Squall for approval before saying, "He called us, just a few minutes ago as we were leaving the room."
They knew of whom he spoke. Smiles leapt onto the faces of Irvine and Selphie as they had heard the best piece of news that they had in a long time. This renewed hope gave them excitement of being reunited with their lost friend. Selphie almost couldn't contain her happiness. Her eyes seemed as though she would be dancing up and down and making a fool of herself, and it was heard in her voice as she shouted, "Is that true!?"
Squall quieted her with his hands before saying, "Yes, it is. I spoke with Rinoa, and for some reason, she had no idea that her ship exploded."
Irvine looked at him inquisitively, "How could that be?"
Squall continued, "Well, their ship did disappear before our eyes and radar in that smoke. They were gone for a good many hours before the ship reemerged. Perhaps they have another vessel, that was waiting for them. Seifer did say that it was a fireworks show for me."
Selphie asked, "But we checked all the submarines that are in the ocean and got full confirmation that Seifer was not on any of those ships. They have all be registered and checked thoroughly."
Squall sat back in his chair and began to think of other possible situations or solutions to the brick wall they had run into. Almost on cue, his companions at the table began to imitate him, trying to think of any explanation they could. Suddenly, Zell hopped up from his chair and said in a loud whisper, so as not to provoke any wrath from Squall's temper, "What if this new thing isn't another submarine?"
The answer seemed too obvious to them now, and it only seemed right that Zell would come up with the simplest idea. Irvine snapped his fingers and said, "We were near shore when we lost them in that cloud of smoke. They could be in any type of vehicle and in any part of the planet by now! How will we ever find them?"
Squall said solemnly, "Well, he did ask for Cid as payment for the ransom, perhaps we could find someone that looks just like Cid to get some sort of tracking device into the ship…" It seemed that the last part of his statement was more thinking out loud than an idea set into stone. It also seemed a little farfetched, as it would endanger the life of another human being.
Selphie said, "Perhaps she is not in the ocean, but on it. Maybe I can use the radar to find any other ships on the ocean right now. I'll get right on that! If it doesn't work, we can always find new methods for other vehicles, so keep on thinking you guys." She then left the table and skipped through the cafeteria and out the door.
Squall leaned forward and put his head in his hands and stared downwards at the table that was covered in graffiti. Many of them were silly little things like Zell 3's Hot Dogs and Zell 3's TP. Squall assumed that TP were the initials of the girl that Zell had a crush on. He then saw Irvine's scratchings on the table of IK + ST 4 life. He sighed at the silly antics of people in love, and looked at the table nonchalantly until something caught his eye. He gasped when he saw the calligraphy of the words, 'Rinoa Leonhart.' Then he got up and excused himself back to his dorm. He needed some sort of peace, instead of being in a crowded cafeteria where his mind was clouded by other things.
I sat there tracing the pane of the window with my finger. In this new room, underneath the window there was a shelf to sit on. There was nothing really interesting to look at outside the window, but the darkness seemed like a good place to sit and collect my thoughts. I wondered about the dead people from the ship, and thought about if their families would be notified. How would the message come? She thought about some young SeeD going to a house dressed in a uniform with a message written by someone that had never knew the family. I felt a little privileged, if anything happened to Squall in that kind of situation, I would most likely know the person handing me the letter, and they could provide a good shoulder for me to cry on. The very thought sickened me, why did bad things have to happen to such nice people?
As I smoothed my hand over the window I heard a kind of crackling noise. I looked at it more carefully, then examined it again with my hand. It happened again, so I began to poke it with my fingertip. Somehow, my nail pierced it, and light began to stream through. I peeled at the sides of the mark and more light began to stream through, while pieces of the substance broke off and fell onto my lap. I began to work more quickly now, peeling at anything that didn't look right until I created a hole big enough for my eye to see out of. Out the window I saw the sun for the first time, and the sight of it invigorated me.
I knew now that I wasn't on the submarine anymore, below me, I could see the waves crashing into the boat. I knew where the rocking sensation had come from, and I knew what Squall had been talking about. The submarine must have exploded before their very eyes; destroying their hopes and feelings. I began to feel sad, that Squall had thought that I had been killed in an untimely accident. I began to wonder how he handled it. Thinking that everyone in Garden would know about it and would be all asking him if he was alright and everything. I thought that the women whose husbands would have been lost if Seifer had destroyed another ship would have had to deal with the same things. I felt relieved that there was not any lost ship of souls whose families would have to hear from some younger SeeD, and I was happy that Squall knew my current condition.
I decided not to peel any more paint off the window, for fear of the punishment I could receive. This left me bored and thinking of anything to keep me busy. I began to count the scratches on the floor of the cell and how many guards walked by me. Until finally, I placed a hand softly on my stomach and began to think of names for my unborn child. I hadn't found out what the sex of the child was before I was taken, so I had a large variety. The list of names still didn't seem to fit correctly though., and I grew tired of the silly game. I just didn't want to find a name I liked without Squall's approval, so I prepared a mental list to ask Squall when I saw him.
Suddenly, I heard voices coming from the vent next to the window below me. All the heating vents must have been connected, so I moved my head closer to see if I could identify who was speaking and what of. I heard Seifer, but only Seifer, and thought it was a telephone conversation since he was pausing and asking questions that weren't responded to.
I heard, "I know this is taking a long time, you don't hafta tell me! I was hired by Galbadia for the capture of Cid, and they said by any means necessary… Yea, yea, well she was less guarded… Believe me, I was going after him, but saw an easier opportunity with her, besides I also had a little revenge to take care of, and it was killing two birds with one stone…. Yea, yea, well I gotta go…Important things to handle." Then I heard no more.
After a while of having nothing to do, I went back to peeling the window paint off. I didn't care if they knew that I was doing it anymore, I needed to see the sun. I needed to feel the sun's rays that would warm up my cold spirit.
Squall had another interrupted napping session, when Selphie had returned with the report. Before going to Squall's dorm she had gotten Irvine and Zell and they all went as a group to tell Squall the news. Squall was a little groggy when they all tramped inside his room, but he tried to be as nice as possible, which wasn't much considering it was Squall. Selphie had brought a map with her and placed it on the floor of the dorm and they all gathered around it. She pointed to a red marker on the map and said, "Now this is the location of Seifer's ship. I was so happy that it was a ship because they are easier to track, and it was my first guess. Seifer's ship did have a good cloaking device though, and I bet he still thinks he's safe behind his barrier."
Irvine said, "Why would he think that if there is technology that can find him?"
Selphie said with a proud grin, "Because Irvy, I just created the technology that found him." Then she looked back to the map and continued, "So, we need to get a boat, then travel to this spot and find his ship. Zell and I can create a diversion, while Squall and Irvine climb onboard. Sound like a good plan?"
Squall stared down at the map, and nodded slightly; Selphie smiled at this simple gesture and looked to the others. Once they all agreed, they started to make preparations so they could leave as soon as possible.
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Happy Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday everyone!
~Jess~