Chapter 3 - - - I'll Be Back For You
~ ~ ~
Griever continued to watch over Squall, helping and caring for him. He became sort of a father to the child.
Until one day..
"Griever?" Squall called softly. It was nighttime, and the six-year-old was having trouble sleeping. "Griever..I can't sleep. I had a nightmare.."
"And there will be plenty more where that came from!!"
Squall gasped. That voice..it was Griever's, yet it wasn't. "W-what are you talking about!?"
"You'll see.."
Squall was terrified. He burst into frightened sobs.
"..Squall? Is that you?" it was Zell. "Are you okay? Do you want me to get Matwyn!?" he looked concerned and scared.
Squall shook his head. "No..no. I'll be fine, Zell. You should go back to sleep..you look tired." He sniffled softly.
"It's okay, Squall. What's wrong?"
So Squall told him. He told Zell his dream - how they (Squall, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Ellone, Seifer, and Quistis) had all been in it, but they were older, and a pretty raven-haired girl was with them. She was dying, bleeding badly, and Squall was crying, and all around them was a woman's horrible laugh, and a lion's agonizing roar mixed in with the girl's painful scream...
"Rrrrrrrraaaaagggghhhh!!!"
They froze.
"You mean..*that* agonizing roar?" Zell whispered.
"Yes!" Squall squeaked. They didn't stop to wonder if any of the other children had heard it, just sat on the bed, hanging onto each other for dear life, when suddenly, three figures appeared in a flash of bright light. It was Siren, Griever, and Ifrit.
"Iffy!!" Zell bounded forward and held his tiny arms out to the fire creature. Ifrit picked him up, stroking his blond hair.
Griever kneeled next to Squall as Siren moved over to watch Selphie, who was sleeping peacefully.
"Squall...I'm sorry, but..I'm leaving. I-I was allowed to come here, to say goodbye...I..."
"Why?" Squall looked up at Griever, tears shining in his eyes. "Where are you going? Can't I come, too?"
Griever smiled sadly as he reached out a paw to pat the child's hair, overjoyed that Squall had offered to come, but.."No. Where I go, no one can follow. But I have to. I can't let 'her' have me. Ifrit will take care of you while I am gone. You'll be safe with him. T-time is short now, Squall. I...I have to go." Indeed, Griever was rapidly starting to vanish. "I'll come back for you, I promise!"
"No! Don't go!!" Squall cried in anguish, holding tightly to Griever's paw. "Please! Come back! Don't leave me alone! Please, no! Please, noooo!"
"I'm sorry..."
Griever was gone.
Squall rocked back and forth on his heels, trying hard not to cry. Ifrit and Zell walked over to him.
"Don't cry, Squall.." Zell whispered, putting his arms around Squall's neck and laying his head on his shoulder.
But cry, Squall did. He cried long and hard, clutching Zell as if he too would disappear. Siren and Ifrit were at a loss for words, could only watch helplessly.
"Squall," Siren tried, "you know he loves you.he'll be back.."
"Griever never makes promises he can't keep," Ifrit added.
Squall gradually stopped crying, but still sniffled into Zell's silky hair.
"We have to go, now," Siren said as she placed a soft kiss on Selphie's forehead, "but we'll be back."
"Yes. I promised Griever I would take care of you, Squall." Ifrit enfolded both Squall and Zell into a warm hug. "See you soon."
"Bye," the two whispered as the Guardian Forces left.
"Zell," Squall said softly, embarrassed, "can I sleep with you tonight?" he ducked his head.
"Sure."
They crawled under the blanket, tears still wet on both their small faces.
"Everything will be okay, right, Zell?"
"Sure, Squall. Ifrit will take care of us. They all will. They promised."
Squall sighed, nuzzling Zell's shoulder. "Thanks for...being with me, Zell. Good night."
"Good night.."
~ ~ ~
a/n: Sorry for taking my sweet time with updating. Just a few notes about this chapter - if you think Squall and Zell are gay, they're not. They're young, they're scared, and they're friends. Don't worry, we'll still have our strong, silent Squall when I'm done with him-
Squall: Oh, joy.
-but they're kids, right now. They'll develop into the characters we know and love...maybe. I might change Seifer...and the story line a little..hmmmmmm...you know, I think I'm gonna change a lot..
Squall: Oh.no!! Please! Nooo!! Help! She'll kill us all!!
Shut up! *stuffs a sock into Squall's mouth* I will not! Everything will be just fine. All I'm gonna do is make Seifer nice..well, as nice as Seifer can get, anyway. He won't be completely nasty...still evil, maybe..oh, I should shut up!
Zell: Sure should.
*stuffs another sock into Zell's mouth* Erm..yeah. And about the GFs - I think Ifrit's cute! He wants to protect Zelly! I seriously do think that's how they'd act...I am pathetic.
Squall/Zell: *muffled sounds of agreement*
We'll all see how everything turns out soon! Please review. Reviews make me happy. ^_^ And I promise I will be better about updating. Caio!
~ ~ ~
Griever continued to watch over Squall, helping and caring for him. He became sort of a father to the child.
Until one day..
"Griever?" Squall called softly. It was nighttime, and the six-year-old was having trouble sleeping. "Griever..I can't sleep. I had a nightmare.."
"And there will be plenty more where that came from!!"
Squall gasped. That voice..it was Griever's, yet it wasn't. "W-what are you talking about!?"
"You'll see.."
Squall was terrified. He burst into frightened sobs.
"..Squall? Is that you?" it was Zell. "Are you okay? Do you want me to get Matwyn!?" he looked concerned and scared.
Squall shook his head. "No..no. I'll be fine, Zell. You should go back to sleep..you look tired." He sniffled softly.
"It's okay, Squall. What's wrong?"
So Squall told him. He told Zell his dream - how they (Squall, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Ellone, Seifer, and Quistis) had all been in it, but they were older, and a pretty raven-haired girl was with them. She was dying, bleeding badly, and Squall was crying, and all around them was a woman's horrible laugh, and a lion's agonizing roar mixed in with the girl's painful scream...
"Rrrrrrrraaaaagggghhhh!!!"
They froze.
"You mean..*that* agonizing roar?" Zell whispered.
"Yes!" Squall squeaked. They didn't stop to wonder if any of the other children had heard it, just sat on the bed, hanging onto each other for dear life, when suddenly, three figures appeared in a flash of bright light. It was Siren, Griever, and Ifrit.
"Iffy!!" Zell bounded forward and held his tiny arms out to the fire creature. Ifrit picked him up, stroking his blond hair.
Griever kneeled next to Squall as Siren moved over to watch Selphie, who was sleeping peacefully.
"Squall...I'm sorry, but..I'm leaving. I-I was allowed to come here, to say goodbye...I..."
"Why?" Squall looked up at Griever, tears shining in his eyes. "Where are you going? Can't I come, too?"
Griever smiled sadly as he reached out a paw to pat the child's hair, overjoyed that Squall had offered to come, but.."No. Where I go, no one can follow. But I have to. I can't let 'her' have me. Ifrit will take care of you while I am gone. You'll be safe with him. T-time is short now, Squall. I...I have to go." Indeed, Griever was rapidly starting to vanish. "I'll come back for you, I promise!"
"No! Don't go!!" Squall cried in anguish, holding tightly to Griever's paw. "Please! Come back! Don't leave me alone! Please, no! Please, noooo!"
"I'm sorry..."
Griever was gone.
Squall rocked back and forth on his heels, trying hard not to cry. Ifrit and Zell walked over to him.
"Don't cry, Squall.." Zell whispered, putting his arms around Squall's neck and laying his head on his shoulder.
But cry, Squall did. He cried long and hard, clutching Zell as if he too would disappear. Siren and Ifrit were at a loss for words, could only watch helplessly.
"Squall," Siren tried, "you know he loves you.he'll be back.."
"Griever never makes promises he can't keep," Ifrit added.
Squall gradually stopped crying, but still sniffled into Zell's silky hair.
"We have to go, now," Siren said as she placed a soft kiss on Selphie's forehead, "but we'll be back."
"Yes. I promised Griever I would take care of you, Squall." Ifrit enfolded both Squall and Zell into a warm hug. "See you soon."
"Bye," the two whispered as the Guardian Forces left.
"Zell," Squall said softly, embarrassed, "can I sleep with you tonight?" he ducked his head.
"Sure."
They crawled under the blanket, tears still wet on both their small faces.
"Everything will be okay, right, Zell?"
"Sure, Squall. Ifrit will take care of us. They all will. They promised."
Squall sighed, nuzzling Zell's shoulder. "Thanks for...being with me, Zell. Good night."
"Good night.."
~ ~ ~
a/n: Sorry for taking my sweet time with updating. Just a few notes about this chapter - if you think Squall and Zell are gay, they're not. They're young, they're scared, and they're friends. Don't worry, we'll still have our strong, silent Squall when I'm done with him-
Squall: Oh, joy.
-but they're kids, right now. They'll develop into the characters we know and love...maybe. I might change Seifer...and the story line a little..hmmmmmm...you know, I think I'm gonna change a lot..
Squall: Oh.no!! Please! Nooo!! Help! She'll kill us all!!
Shut up! *stuffs a sock into Squall's mouth* I will not! Everything will be just fine. All I'm gonna do is make Seifer nice..well, as nice as Seifer can get, anyway. He won't be completely nasty...still evil, maybe..oh, I should shut up!
Zell: Sure should.
*stuffs another sock into Zell's mouth* Erm..yeah. And about the GFs - I think Ifrit's cute! He wants to protect Zelly! I seriously do think that's how they'd act...I am pathetic.
Squall/Zell: *muffled sounds of agreement*
We'll all see how everything turns out soon! Please review. Reviews make me happy. ^_^ And I promise I will be better about updating. Caio!