Author's note: I'm sort of satisfied with this and sort of disappointed It's candy!!! @_ @

Shared Feelings
Written by Terra Trepe

Chapter 17: Wake up!

I'm just a lonely cowboy

The long yellow coat grazed his tall frame when he took careless and slow steps on these silent and empty corridors. His long brown hair, tided into loose ponytail, was hid under the shadows that his cowboy hat cast upon his unconcerned face of coolness. He was singing the tones of a song long forgotten, The Lonely Cowboy, he called it.

Just a cowboyNo trace of worry

When in the middle of these soothing tones, something else caught his attention. The tall man stopped on his walk eventually when few uncertain noises reached in to his hearing area. Those noises were coming from quite near. Whatever it was, it was close by Very close.

He made a greater effort to focus on those odd noises as he got carefully closer to the upcoming turn on this corridor. The noises became stronger and clearer when he reached to the corner, carefully glancing behind it with a peek, a view of long corridor opening up to his view.

The sight he saw made his green eyes twinkle with curious gleam.

Well, well What have we here?

There was a tall and very familiar looking blond man laying on the ground, his back against the wall and his head hanging unconsciously against his shoulder, the end of his long trench coat puddle around his form. He wasn't moving at all, just sitting there, every one of his muscles relaxed. Death-kind of relaxed

There was one other man too. Standing in front of the unmoving corpse and nervously scratching the back of his head under his helmet. How in the name of God you kill an unconscious man? This soldier of Galbadian, whom identity was a mystery, pondered this question aloud, waking the spying man's attention. Stupid Almasy Why couldn't you stay away from here After these words, the man's suspicions came out to be true.

So the blond indeed was Seifer Almasy. Just like he had suspected.

After a moment of serious contemplation, the man with a cowboy hat on his brown haired head, decided to help the pompous-ass Almasy from this situation that could turn into more serious one in mere seconds.

Here we go Preparing himself with this silent whisper, the cowboy took a step away from behind the save corner into the middle of the corridor. Still he didn't catch the soldier's attention, so after sighing a sight that was forced to sound frustrated, he took a yell at him: Hey! Soldier boy! The Galbadian turned with a scare toward the tall suspicious looking man, his jaw seeming to sink down from shock.

Can I help you He took a looming step toward the Galbadian, creating a huge amount of tension to his features.

Cause if you're thinking of massacring this man here, I can help you

Don't come any closer! There was genuine fear on the young Galbadian soldier's face, when the cowboy continued to approach him as starting to shower him up with choices. You could chop him

Stop right there!

You could strangle him Or---

Are you deaf! Stop moving! And like it was a magic word, the man finally stopped completely.

---you could shoot him. A quick turn of events appeared now, when the cowboy unsheathed his big rifle away from his waist with a very quick and professional move of his hand. The soldier didn't even have a time to react to the weapon that was now targeted toward him, as it was ready to spill the bullets through the air.

This instead, surprised the cowboy. An ebony haired man behind the soldier had appeared like from nowhere and he was now casting magic. Not a long time went by when the big flaming fireball were already heading with enormous speed toward these two man.

The cowboy retreated from the though of pulling the trigger of his rifle and was now more concerned about his own life.

The soldier didn't have even a clue what was happening, when the fireball already splashed right against his back with burning blazes. The soldier knocked down to the ground as wounded but the fireball still continued its way a little more past the cowboy. With a quick flinch away from the fireball, the cowboy just barely survived without a scratch from the flame that had already faded away when it struck to the wall at the end of the corridor.

Whoa, whoa! I'm on fire! Irvine jumped with the realisation that his the end of his long jacket was bit on fire, black stains forming up to the leather canvas when the fire burned through it. He stamped the fire place with his hands for awhile and got it quickly down. Well, it wasn't really that big fire, but still

You burned my jacket, Squall! Complaining this with a hint of amusement on his rough voice, Irvine placed his shocked gaze up to his leader and friend as Squall just calmly walked toward the unconscious Seifer still leaning against the wall.

You could have warned me from the fireball It's like you were aiming at me. Already calmed down from the incident, Irvine asked this with no special meaning on it. Only this time Squall decided to retort to the cowboy as he dragged his gaze up to him. His hazy blue almost grey eyes were having a some sort of amusement in them, as he came up with an answer: That's because I was aiming at you, Irvine Saying nothing else, Squall kneeled down to the unconscious Seifer, trying to specify his state.

Irvine came next to him now, chuckling with a grin spreading across his face as he slid his hand around the outer edge of his cowboy hat. Always the humorous one, weren't you Squall knew it was a joke, as it had a teasing sarcastic edge on it, so he decided to ignore it this time completely.

Footsteps started to echo behind them when the other two SeeD of this group made their way up to this scene. Irvine raised his eyes up to the two, one excited brunette and one bored blond, when the first one, Selphie, stopped on her steps behind Squall's back. Selphie started immediately to bounce up and down, her short curl hair shaking lively from side to side. Zell, who decided to stay a little aside from this sight, as the man who they were checking on was his former teaser, was a little more or so excited from this all.

Zell was obviously still having grudge against Seifer, but Selphie, as many others, had forgiven Seifer a times ago. She wasn't really that kind of person to held a grudge against anyone for a long time, so she had accepted Seifer's past.

Is he death After Squall's careful examination over Seifer, Selphie asked this doubtfully, trying to have a glance toward the patient'. Zell wasn't even trying to hide his annoyance, as he folded his arms over his chest with a pouting look on his face, when he grunted something under his breath. No. It would be too good to be true

I heard that! The brunette turned with a smile toward Zell, acting as cheery as ever before.

Inspecting Seifer's face carefully with his eyes, Squall saw the blond, who used once to be his rival enemy, breathing weakly.

Seifer. Wake up First trying to reach up to him with these words, Squall started gently to nudge Seifer's shoulder, as trying to wake him up. Though Squall started to put more effort to his shakes, Seifer didn't seem to react in anyway at all.

Here, let me try Selphie, who was known to be very impatient person, pushed her way past Squall so she could have a try at waking the unconscious Seifer from his slumber. Kneeled down in front of Seifer, her bright yellow, all too short skirt, ran up to her tights as she first started gently to chant his name near to his ear. Wake up

She was surprisingly gentle with her actions and it somehow had a remembrance from a sweet understanding mother trying to wake up her son, and it took all the three men around her by surprise. Selphie was known as cheery and enthusiastic woman with a spirited character, so seeing her like this, calm and patient made them perhaps even disappointed.

But of course Selphie wasn't going to let them be disappointed.

Alright! It's Waaaakie up now! Shouting this with hilarious expressions, her eyes cheerily closed down, Selphie took some speed to her upcoming slap down to Seifer's face. His head jerked to his side when Selphie's hand found its target as the form of this very hurting slap across his face. Irvine jumped toward her and picked her up to her feet, as he feared she was going to get a little carried away and would soon kill the poor bastard with her enthusiasm.

! What the--- The strong words came from Seifer as he started to now completely wake up. He touched his cheek that now more likely had a red handprint with his hand as he tried to cool down the sudden aching pain.

Look! His alive! Shouting this with few more leaps, Selphie pointed happily down to the Seifer, who opened his eyes up now, still not really understanding what was happening and where he was. What happened? Squall, who were still concerned about the facts, tried to ask this from Seifer, who was still flickering his eyes as trying to sweep the haziness away from his eyesight.

It was Rinoa

Still little bit overheated, Selphie cut Seifer in the middle of his words. Squall glanced behind him toward her, and gave her a stern gaze, as signing to her to let the man speak. She silenced up immediately, as she knew that Squall wasn't really happy with her acting. Satisfied from her choice to obey him, Squall turned his gaze back to Seifer, focusing completely on him now: Go on, Seifer What about Rinoa

Seifer was searching his strained voice when he tried to recall the hazy moments before he had lost his conscious. He was with Quistis, ready to fight against the Galbadian soldiers and then A woman clad in dark came there and

Quistis? Where is she?! Wielding his emerald eyes, which were still hazy, around the room, he didn't see any sign from her.

Seifer tried to get up but was stopped when a horrible wave of pain brushed through his head. Seifer buried one of his hands up to his blond haired head, flinching with ache that told him he shouldn't make such a hasty movements again. He started to slide back down, Squall's hand pushing him gently to sit down. Quistis is not here, Seifer Seifer's green eyes glanced up to Squall's eyes with silent confusion, trying to build up the pieces together.

It wasn't such a hard puzzle to solve.

Rinoa must have taken her

* * * * *

Author's note: Heh ^_^, I had fun at writing this chapter especially with Selphie! But okay, I have to confess that I shouldn't have stopped the chapter here, but I just hit against a minor writer's block now, so please accept this chapter as short it is. I will try and come up with the rest of the chapter as soon as I find my inspiration again And it shouldn't take so long But until that Comments? Thoughts? Send them here, perhaps they will help me! ^_~ Tada!