a/n: I'm back! I am so sorry for taking forever with updating. I love all
my reviewers, though! *blows kisses* Anyway, hope you all enjoy the
chapter. I did! =D lol. Anyway, I OWN EVERYTHING! Ha. Yeah, that's why I'm
here writing fanfiction instead of swimming in a pool of money.
~ * ~ * ~
Chapter 4 - - - Ifrit's News
~ * ~ * ~
Squall woke up the next morning, his arms still locked tightly around Zell.
'Is Griever really gone? Did he really leave me?'
"Where I go, no one can follow..."
Squall got up; Zell stirred. "Squall?" he asked, his blue eyes alight with worry.
"I'm going to follow him, Zell." Little Squall whispered, his hand curling around the ring his savior had given him. "He said that no one can, but I will, because he is mine and I his."
Zell stared at his friend, admiration in his eyes. It was such eloquent speech for a six-year-old. "I'll go with you, Squall."
Squall turned to face Zell. "Really?"
"I'm your best friend. I can't let you leave alone!" Zell grinned.
Squall grinned back, glad to have a friend like Zell.
~ * ~ * ~
"Hurry, Squall!" seventeen-year-old Zell shouted, beckoning to his friend from a doorway. "We're gonna miss the train!"
Squall ran to catch up. As they clambered aboard the train, he panted, "Where are we going again?"
Zell crossed his eyes. "Balamb! We're gonna go visit my Ifrit! Maybe he'll...have some information on...Griever."
Squall nodded. It had been eleven years since said GF had departed, and Squall had missed him every day. Now, he and Zell shared an apartment in Deling, waiting for any sign of disarray in the world - any sign of Griever.
"It shouldn't take too long to get there," Zell was saying, "why don't we go sit down?"
Squall allowed himself to be led away as he wondered what the fire demon would have to say. 'Probably not much. It's been the same for the past eleven years - no sign yet, Siren and the others are looking, don't worry, I'm still here...'
Zell watched Squall carefully; his eyes that normally reflected the sky were now clouded. However, he understood Squall's need for silence, and kept his mouth shut.
When they got off the train, Squall heard his stomach rumble. "Zell, do you mind if we get something to eat first?"
"Sure, no problem." Zell said, switching directions.
Squall followed. 'You wimp, you're just trying to postpone the inevitable.' A tiny voice in his head pointed out. Squall shushed the voice with a sharp knock on the head.
As the ordered their hot dogs at the Balamb Café, Zell smiled bemusedly.
"What?" Squall asked.
"I dunno. Just thinking." Zell answered.
Squall nodded, grinning as he wondered what went on in Zell's warped mind. When he wasn't practicing his fighting skills or checking out girls, Zell could actually be pretty poetic...well, as poetic as a hothead like Zell could be.
Zell ate his hot dog with gusto, all the while wondering if he should give Squall a clue as to what was coming. He reflected back on his last chat with Ifrit, which had been anything but pleasant.
"We saw Griever."
"What!? Where? I have to tell Squall!"
"No! Zell, you have to let me tell him!"
"But-"
Low growl.
"But, Iffy, I-"
"I know you care about him, but this is something I have to tell him."
Pause. "All right. If you insist."
"I do. Bring Squall to Fire Cavern. We all need to have a talk."
"Yes, Iffy."
"Earth to Zell. Come in, Zell." Squall waved a hand in front of his friend's face, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Oh, uh, y-yeah, Squall, what were you saying?"
Squall chuckled. "Nothing. Are you alright?"
Zell nodded. "Never been better. Say, are you finished? Wanna head to Fire Cavern?"
"Yeah, let's go."
~ * ~ * ~
"Ifrit!" Zell called upon entrance.
No response.
"Well, of course he couldn't wait at the door like a nice host; he has to make us battle our way to him." Zell mumbled.
Squall laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, I thought you liked battle!"
"I doooo..." Zell whined. Truth be told, he was impatient. Squall needed to know what he knew, however hurtful it may be. He had waited eleven years for this day. "Let's just go."
Three Buels and seventeen Bombs later, the reached the back of the cavern where Ifrit dwelled, sweat pouring off them like rain.
"Zell, Squall, I'm glad you're-"
"Cut the small talk, Iffy, and tell us the news."
Ifrit smiled indulgently. "Of course, darling Zell."
Zell scowled, but Squall grinned. "So, what's up, Ifrit?"
Ifrit's smile faded. "Squall...Siren, Shiva, and I have seen Griever."
"Really!? Where?!" It was like a happy balloon swelled up inside Squall.
Ifrit shook his head. "He...he wasn't himself."
The happy balloon seemed to have acquired a puncture. Ow. "What...what do you mean?"
"He was...evil, Squall. He didn't know us."
"Where did you see him?" Squall's voice had a razor-sharp edge to it.
"Winhill." Ifrit said tersely.
"And the rest, Iffy!?" Zell demanded in a childlike manner.
"Alright...the ruins of Winhill."
"What!?" Squall cried. "What the hell was he doing there!? And since when was Winhill destroyed!?"
"Don't you see, Squall!? Griever destroyed Winhill! He was there with a woman, a sorceress. She must have-junctioned him or something!"
Squall closed his eyes, swaying. No, no, this couldn't be true, Ifrit was lying, except that - Ifrit didn't lie. Which meant-
Squall didn't know what it meant. In fact, he didn't know anything, except that it was getting hot, uncomfortably hot, the floor was rising up to meet his very fast, and Zell's arms were suddenly around him, and-
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Hope you all like it. Obviously, this story is gonna center around Zell, Squall, Ifrit, and Griever. It's kinda like my own explanation for why Ultimecia had Griever at the end of the game. Do you guys want couples in this story? I dunno, but if you have requests, I might be able to work them into a subplot. I need subplots. Any couples, I'll try it. Thanks for reading, and please review! ^.^ Reviews make me happy, like Squall's happy balloon. Don't puncture the happy balloon. *big, shiny, chibi eyes*
~ * ~ * ~
Chapter 4 - - - Ifrit's News
~ * ~ * ~
Squall woke up the next morning, his arms still locked tightly around Zell.
'Is Griever really gone? Did he really leave me?'
"Where I go, no one can follow..."
Squall got up; Zell stirred. "Squall?" he asked, his blue eyes alight with worry.
"I'm going to follow him, Zell." Little Squall whispered, his hand curling around the ring his savior had given him. "He said that no one can, but I will, because he is mine and I his."
Zell stared at his friend, admiration in his eyes. It was such eloquent speech for a six-year-old. "I'll go with you, Squall."
Squall turned to face Zell. "Really?"
"I'm your best friend. I can't let you leave alone!" Zell grinned.
Squall grinned back, glad to have a friend like Zell.
~ * ~ * ~
"Hurry, Squall!" seventeen-year-old Zell shouted, beckoning to his friend from a doorway. "We're gonna miss the train!"
Squall ran to catch up. As they clambered aboard the train, he panted, "Where are we going again?"
Zell crossed his eyes. "Balamb! We're gonna go visit my Ifrit! Maybe he'll...have some information on...Griever."
Squall nodded. It had been eleven years since said GF had departed, and Squall had missed him every day. Now, he and Zell shared an apartment in Deling, waiting for any sign of disarray in the world - any sign of Griever.
"It shouldn't take too long to get there," Zell was saying, "why don't we go sit down?"
Squall allowed himself to be led away as he wondered what the fire demon would have to say. 'Probably not much. It's been the same for the past eleven years - no sign yet, Siren and the others are looking, don't worry, I'm still here...'
Zell watched Squall carefully; his eyes that normally reflected the sky were now clouded. However, he understood Squall's need for silence, and kept his mouth shut.
When they got off the train, Squall heard his stomach rumble. "Zell, do you mind if we get something to eat first?"
"Sure, no problem." Zell said, switching directions.
Squall followed. 'You wimp, you're just trying to postpone the inevitable.' A tiny voice in his head pointed out. Squall shushed the voice with a sharp knock on the head.
As the ordered their hot dogs at the Balamb Café, Zell smiled bemusedly.
"What?" Squall asked.
"I dunno. Just thinking." Zell answered.
Squall nodded, grinning as he wondered what went on in Zell's warped mind. When he wasn't practicing his fighting skills or checking out girls, Zell could actually be pretty poetic...well, as poetic as a hothead like Zell could be.
Zell ate his hot dog with gusto, all the while wondering if he should give Squall a clue as to what was coming. He reflected back on his last chat with Ifrit, which had been anything but pleasant.
"We saw Griever."
"What!? Where? I have to tell Squall!"
"No! Zell, you have to let me tell him!"
"But-"
Low growl.
"But, Iffy, I-"
"I know you care about him, but this is something I have to tell him."
Pause. "All right. If you insist."
"I do. Bring Squall to Fire Cavern. We all need to have a talk."
"Yes, Iffy."
"Earth to Zell. Come in, Zell." Squall waved a hand in front of his friend's face, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Oh, uh, y-yeah, Squall, what were you saying?"
Squall chuckled. "Nothing. Are you alright?"
Zell nodded. "Never been better. Say, are you finished? Wanna head to Fire Cavern?"
"Yeah, let's go."
~ * ~ * ~
"Ifrit!" Zell called upon entrance.
No response.
"Well, of course he couldn't wait at the door like a nice host; he has to make us battle our way to him." Zell mumbled.
Squall laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, I thought you liked battle!"
"I doooo..." Zell whined. Truth be told, he was impatient. Squall needed to know what he knew, however hurtful it may be. He had waited eleven years for this day. "Let's just go."
Three Buels and seventeen Bombs later, the reached the back of the cavern where Ifrit dwelled, sweat pouring off them like rain.
"Zell, Squall, I'm glad you're-"
"Cut the small talk, Iffy, and tell us the news."
Ifrit smiled indulgently. "Of course, darling Zell."
Zell scowled, but Squall grinned. "So, what's up, Ifrit?"
Ifrit's smile faded. "Squall...Siren, Shiva, and I have seen Griever."
"Really!? Where?!" It was like a happy balloon swelled up inside Squall.
Ifrit shook his head. "He...he wasn't himself."
The happy balloon seemed to have acquired a puncture. Ow. "What...what do you mean?"
"He was...evil, Squall. He didn't know us."
"Where did you see him?" Squall's voice had a razor-sharp edge to it.
"Winhill." Ifrit said tersely.
"And the rest, Iffy!?" Zell demanded in a childlike manner.
"Alright...the ruins of Winhill."
"What!?" Squall cried. "What the hell was he doing there!? And since when was Winhill destroyed!?"
"Don't you see, Squall!? Griever destroyed Winhill! He was there with a woman, a sorceress. She must have-junctioned him or something!"
Squall closed his eyes, swaying. No, no, this couldn't be true, Ifrit was lying, except that - Ifrit didn't lie. Which meant-
Squall didn't know what it meant. In fact, he didn't know anything, except that it was getting hot, uncomfortably hot, the floor was rising up to meet his very fast, and Zell's arms were suddenly around him, and-
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Hope you all like it. Obviously, this story is gonna center around Zell, Squall, Ifrit, and Griever. It's kinda like my own explanation for why Ultimecia had Griever at the end of the game. Do you guys want couples in this story? I dunno, but if you have requests, I might be able to work them into a subplot. I need subplots. Any couples, I'll try it. Thanks for reading, and please review! ^.^ Reviews make me happy, like Squall's happy balloon. Don't puncture the happy balloon. *big, shiny, chibi eyes*