Disclaimer: Don't own FFVIII. Square does. Need I say more?
Author's Note: This story was intended to be released at the same time as "Death Shall Have No Dominion" on Halloween, the 'trick' to "Death's" 'treat.' But time constraints made finishing it on time difficult. This story is for my sister Michelle, who actually laughed when I told her about it. So blame her for this. Warning: Contains frequent use of the @$$ word…
FULL MOONS FLASHING
"I am so sick of seeing Seifer's ass," Zell announced as he collapsed gracefully into the chair across from Squall.
"Uh…" Squall was rendered speechless by this announcement. Beside him, Rinoa gaped, the spoon she'd been lifting towards her mouth missing and smearing sauce across her chin. "I don't think we need to know this, Zell," Squall finally managed after a moment.
Zell blinked, wondering for a moment why the couple was reacting this way to his words, then considered what he'd said. Maybe he could have phrased that better. "Seifer keeps mooning me," Zell explained. "It seems like every time I turn around, he's there." He shuddered in memory. "Can't you kick him out of Garden?"
"I gave him a second chance, and he's been doing very well. I'm not going to just boot him out again because you and he are having… problems." Squall sipped at his drink, studiously ignoring Zell.
Zell pouted. "C'mon; before you became commander here you'd have kicked him out for less." He leaned forward, eyes suddenly wide. "There's not something going on with him that I don't know about, is there? He's not blackmailing you or something, is he? 'Cause I could kick his ass for you."
"I thought you didn't want to see it anymore," Rinoa murmured from behind the napkin she was wiping her mouth with.
Squall just arched one angular brow. "Do you know what a ménage a trois is?" he asked in that curiously flat tone of his that meant he didn't want any more questioning. Rinoa nearly choked as Zell stared blankly at his friend.
"No," Zell said uncertainly.
"Then you wouldn't understand." Squall turned to Rinoa. "Are you going back to the library after this?"
Rinoa nodded. "I'm going to figure this all out eventually." She smiled weakly. "I'm sure even the great Hyne had bad days, right?"
"Not as many as you," Squall muttered under his breath, and Zell snickered. Rinoa, who hadn't heard the comment, looked puzzled until Squall planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later, honey. We're still on for the game tonight, right?" Rinoa nodded, and Zell lost interest as their conversation got warmer and fluffier. Nauseating…
"I'll go with you," Zell said when Rinoa finally broke off and stood up. "I need to work on that intelligence report, anyway." Zell scowled at Squall, who ignored his friend. Zell had been flattered when Squall had chosen him of all people to work in SeeD's intelligence division. He'd thought it meant someone had finally appreciated the genius behind Zell's hyper exterior. Then he'd found out "intelligence" was just another word for "research." Only this time, he couldn't fudge the research and just hope to get a passing grade; if he missed one teeny little item of info, entire missions could be ruined. I don't need this! I have a hockey game to worry about! Who gives a damn about Dollet political history from ten years ago, anyway?
Resignedly, Zell followed Rinoa from the cafeteria to the library. He waited while she picked up the books she'd ordered from the librarian's desk, then followed her to the back of the library. Zell liked a little company when he researched, or else he was in danger of falling asleep. Besides, someone had to keep an eye on Rinoa when it came to magic.
Poor Rinoa… She was a smart girl, really. Top of her class. No one could have predicted that, when it came to magic, she was a complete moron. Matron couldn't figure it out; Rinoa was performing the spells correctly, using her magic as she should. But the end result always came out very, very wrong. Zell and the others were rapidly learning that the scariest word in the English language was "oops."
Rinoa settled herself, and Zell pulled the book he'd been laboriously reading the past week from the shelf and dropped it with an echoing thump on the desk next to Rinoa. She crinkled her nose at the sight of the massive tome, commenting, "What have they been doing in Dollet that would waste that much paper?"
Zell scowled. "Land disputes," he groaned. "Property disputes. Marital disputes. Everyone seemed to be complaining about everything back then. I think Squall's doing this as a punishment."
Rinoa gave him a sympathetic smile before she pulled the first book from her stack and began to read. Zell, not wanting to continue reading about the epic battle between Councilor Higgs and Councilor Warner about where to build a new parking lot, scanned the library for something to distract him.
He grinned when he saw Irvine was trying to do the same thing on the other side of Rinoa. Zell hadn't seen the Galbadian enter, and from the pained look on his face, Squall had set him to some equally onerous task. Only, he hadn't even managed to open his book; he was too busy admiring Rinoa's thighs. Zell wondered if he should warn Rinoa, but when he saw her glance sideways at Irvine, too quickly for the cowboy to catch, Zell knew she'd caught him. He wasn't surprised when a few moments later she cleared her throat loudly and said, "All of this is really interesting. It's amazing what sorceresses can do, you know? Hell, I didn't even know you could transform body parts into cactuars 'til last week. I'm just glad Squall's okay; Dr. Kadowaki doesn't think he'll be impotent."
There was a yelp as Irvine, caught by surprise, lost his balance and fell off his chair. He stared up at Rinoa with horrified eyes and slowly began to creep backwards.
"'Course, that's not even the strangest thing I've heard of. Did you know that Sorceress Naia used to impregnate men?" Rinoa laughed. "Imagine if I were to accidentally slip up and do that," she mused. She held up one hand over Irvine, as if to help him up, but began to shake it around before he could grasp it. "I could just wave my hands and… oops!"
Irvine shrieked and ran out of the library, his book forgotten. Rinoa rolled her eyes, turning to Zell with a contemptuous snort. "Pathetic, isn't he? He has Selphie, and he still can't resist looking."
"I think you scared him good," Zell said, eyeing Rinoa uneasily. "Um, that wasn't true what you said, was it?"
"Oh, it was all true," Rinoa said seriously. "But don't worry; Naia used a complex spell that's been lost to time. I doubt I could even repeat it accidentally. As for the cactuar thing, it fades with time." She wrinkled her nose. "Except for the color, apparently."
That was more than Zell wanted to know. And as for the bit about Naia; well, didn't Rinoa possess the powers of all previous sorceresses? "Well, um, you'd better get studying then. We don't want any more such accidents, right? Especially not when I'm the one standing next to you." Zell hadn't realized he'd said the last aloud until Rinoa gave him a hurt look.
"Rin, I'm sorry," Zell began, but Rinoa just heaved a sigh.
"No, you're right. I'm awful at this whole sorcery thing, aren't I?" She scowled. "Why can't I get this right?" She turned back to the stack of books before her. "Maybe there'll be an answer in these. They came from Esthar, and from what I understand, Adel had amassed a huge library of books on sorcery. I can't be the only one like this. I can't be."
They were silent for awhile as Zell forced himself to read another chapter in Dollet's agonizing history, and Rinoa paged through her book, stopping to take notes. She interrupted him to pass a paper and the book she was currently reading to Zell, who was glad of the distraction. "Could you check and see if I sketched out that rune correctly?" she asked. "I want to try this later, and I need to make sure it's right."
Zell took the paper, glancing between Rinoa's carefully rendered copy and the page. "It looks just like the one in the book," Zell said after a moment. So the problem wasn't in Rinoa's symbols, it seemed. He passed it back to her. "What's it for?" he asked. To his surprise, she blushed. "Then again, maybe I don't want to know."
He was about to go back to his reading when Rinoa gave a startled gasp. He turned just as she was blowing the dust off a book bound in black leather. He wondered what had surprised her, then saw the dark stains along the edges of the pages. Blood stains. "Um, Rinoa, that looks like something from Occult Fan. Are you sure you want to touch that one?"
"It's just a book," Rinoa said, but her voice was uncertain. She began to flip through it, her eyes widening with every turn of the page. "Damn… I thought this stuff was only in horror novels."
"Cool! Lemme see!" Zell said, grabbing for the edge of the book. As he did so, his fingers brushed Rinoa's and suddenly his hand felt as if it was on fire. Zell yelped and yanked his hand back, but the sensation of burning spread, up his arm, down his torso, all the way to his toes.
"Zell! Are you all right?" The book fell from Rinoa's hand as she reached for him.
The sensation passed as abruptly as it came. One second, his whole body had felt as if it would explode outward, then it was gone, and he was fine.
"Ungh…" Zell groaned.
"Oops," Rinoa said weakly.
* * *
Everything looked normal, Zell tried to reassure himself as he checked his body over again in the mirror. Nothing had been transformed, or discolored, or visibly altered in any way. It was what Zell couldn't see that scared him. He'd reassured Rinoa that he felt fine, that nothing had happened… then rushed off to see for himself. He didn't feel any different, really. But Rinoa's touch had done something. You didn't get a shock like that just from static electricity.
Hyne, what if she'd impregnated him? It wouldn't be the first time Rinoa accidentally managed to cast a spell she'd been talking about moments before, one that should have been impossible for her to do, like when she'd turned Selphie's notebook into a miniature malboro… With the horrifying thought came a wave of nausea, and Zell groaned. Was that morning sickness? Okay, so it was after six o'clock in the evening, but anything was possible with Rinoa involved.
An insistent knocking on his door startled him. "Yo, Dincht! We've got a game tonight, remember? Get your ass to the gym!" Zell could only stare. How could he worry about a hockey game when his whole world was falling apart? "Dincht, you in there? Remember, coach is treating us all to hot dogs after the game!"
Zell immediately forgot his problems. There were some things in life more important than anything Rinoa could have done to him. "Coming!" he yelled, his mind entirely focused on the game ahead… and the hot dogs afterwards.
* * *
Most of the team had already changed into their uniforms by the time Zell arrived, and he hurried to his locker to retrieve his own equipment. "So, you think we're going to win?" asked Zell's teammate Aeron as he leaned down to fasten the massive goalie's pads to his legs.
"Of course we are!" Zell said confidently. "Galbadia's team sucks this year."
Aeron snorted. "Only because you guys killed their team last year when you went after the sorceress. Not really all that fair, when you think about it."
Zell flushed. "Well, there is that… But if we hadn't fought them, we'd never have found out the only reason their team was so good was because they used robots! How fair is that?"
Aeron grinned, revealing the teeth knocked out by those robotic players in a previous game. "True. But now they don't really have anyone with the ability to play, and Trabia's team won't be ready, either, until their Garden's rebuilt. I think we have a shot at the championship this year!"
The teammates exchanged high fives, then all horseplay subsided as the coach entered the room. It always amused Zell to no end the effect that she had on the group of rowdy young men; Zell suspected she'd volunteered for this just for the power. "Coach Trepe!" someone cheered, then fell quiet as Quistis's glare fell on them.
"All right, boys," she said, her voice hard. "We've been training for this for months, and I think we have a good team here. So go on out and win this thing for Balamb!"
"I'll win it for you," Aeron murmured, and Zell suppressed a laugh. It was no accident that half the team were Trepies.
* * *
It was the second period. The score was tied, 1 – 1, with Galbadia putting up a surprisingly good fight for having such an inexperienced team. Zell, taking a turn on the bench, cheered his friends on as Aeron blocked another shot and sent the puck sailing towards a waiting teammate. Quistis stood a few feet away, her face that stern, disapproving scowl she always wore when she was being 'coach.' Zell didn't dare speak to her as a friend when she was acting like this; it was as if she were a whole different person. A scary one. Who was very good with a whip (or, if the occasion called for it, a wet towel or jock strap sufficed in place of her chain whip.) She was the best coach they'd ever had.
After three minutes, Quistis gestured towards the rink. "Dincht, you're up." Zell grinned and jumped to his feet, as graceful on his skates as without. He grabbed his hockey stick and gave Quistis a cocky salute as he left the player's box, then glided gracefully onto the ice, high-fiving the player he was replacing as they passed each other.
Zell had barely been playing a minute before he heard the distinctive yell of "Hey, chicken wuss!" He didn't intend to look, but his attention was drawn by a pale smear against the plastic across the ring from him, wiggling back and forth. Oh, no… He really didn't need to see Seifer's behind right now…
And suddenly, he didn't see it. A red haze filled his vision, and he quickly halted himself as he was nearly blinded by it. What the hell?
Then the burning sensation began. It was like what he'd felt in the library with Rinoa, but a thousand times worse. He yelped and doubled over, clutching at his stomach. No seemed to hear him or even notice his pain; the crowd was roaring as a fight broke out on the ice and that was far more interesting than his agony. He heard and saw none of it; he could only focus on the pain spreading through his body, the jeers of "chicken wuss," and that pale rump being displayed across the ring.
Then the pain faded, and the red haze was gone. His uniform felt painfully tight, and the crowd's cheering assaulted his ears in a deafening roar. He cocked his head, confused by all he saw. Rational thought seemed to have fled him, and he was left in an insane environment with no way to assess it all. He wanted to throw back his head and howl in frustration.
And then he saw it: fresh, plump meat offering itself just a short ways away. He lunged forward, saliva streaming from his jaws, and sprang for it.
Seifer didn't see the danger coming. With his butt pressed against the glass, he was facing away from what must have been a fantastic fight, to judge from the cheers of the crowd. He had no idea anything was wrong until he heard Fujin's startled grunt and Raijin's high, feminine scream, accompanied by the sound of rending plastic. And then there was pain, as something grabbed his rump with a grip like a metal vise… His yowls were lost in the roar of the crowd.
* * *
Zell woke, blinking in confusion as he took in the familiar white walls of one of the small rooms in the Garden medical center. Zell frantically looked down at himself, wondering if he'd been hurt during the game. But he still wore his uniform, and, although his helmet had been removed, it didn't feel as if he'd taken a knock to his head.
"Oh, good, you're awake." A young woman with a cheerful smile had entered with a tray of food. "Now we can get rid of you." She laughed at his startled look. "Oh, you aren't hurt, but there was quite a fight last night, and we were just keeping you here for observation."
"But that food is for me, right?" he asked, eying the tray longingly. She laughed again and set the tray beside his bed.
"Dr. Kadowaki warned me about your appetite. She said you'd want these for breakfast." The girl wrinkled her nose as she uncovered a plate of hot dogs. Zell's eyes lit up. But before he allowed himself to gorge, he had to know.
"The game! What happened? Who won? And… how was I hurt?" he added as an afterthought.
"The game was called off," the girl said. "During the fight, someone summoned Ifrit. Melted all the ice in the rink."
Zell suppressed a grin. He was disappointed they hadn't kicked Galbadian ass, but the image of the fight was just too funny. "As for your injuries, no one's quite sure what happened. You were lying inside the bleachers when we found you. You must have been pushed through the plastic during the fight, I guess. There was blood on your face, and your uniform is torn, but we couldn't find anything wrong with you. Not even a bump to the head." The girl looked puzzled, then shrugged. "Yours isn't the weirdest injury we got it in. Last night must have been the night for strangeness. Seifer came in with what looked like a bite on his…" the girl blushed, "butt."
"A bite?" Zell repeated incredulously, laughing. "The hell'd that happen?"
The girl frowned. "It's not that funny; he had to get stitches. And I only said it looked like a bite. Dr. Kadowaki wasn't sure what it was."
Zell had a sudden flash of memory; a voice calling "chicken wuss!" accompanied by the squeak of flesh against plastic as once again, he received an unobstructed view of where Seifer seemed to keep his brain. And then… and then… that seemed to be where his memory of the game stopped.
"Uh," was all Zell said. He reached for a hot dog to cover the sudden awkwardness of the situation. The truth was, there did seem to be something odd about the situation. He didn't remember a thing… yet, now that he thought about it, something made him feel uneasy.
He quickly scarfed the food down, ignoring the shocked look on the girl's face as she witnessed his legendary eating ability firsthand. Setting the now empty tray aside, he smiled and said, "I'll just go now, all right?" She nodded wordlessly, and Zell slid off the hospital bed and got to his feet. He smiled at her and was about to leave, then halted as he remembered something. "Um, you didn't find anything unusual about me, did you? No body parts the wrong color, or anything?"
"No," the girl said, looking at him strangely.
"Good!" Zell said brightly. Maybe Rinoa didn't do anything to me after all.
He left, waving at Dr. Kadowaki as he passed where she was sitting at her desk. But before he could leave, he heard her call his name.
"How are you feeling this morning?" she asked.
"Not bad," Zell said cheerfully. "Kinda disappointed I don't remember the fight, though. I bet I showed those Galbadians a thing or two before they knocked me into the bleachers."
"So you don't remember anything, then?" the doctor asked.
"Nope," Zell said.
"Seifer was in here, you know," Dr. Kadowaki said.
Zell grinned. "Yeah, something nailed him in the ass," Zell crowed. "Bet he won't be showing me that for awhile."
Kadowaki blinked. "Uh, yes," she said slowly, an odd look on her face. Then she recovered her composure. "Seifer didn't see what happened to him, but Raijin and Fujin have an interesting story. Fujin insists you weren't tossed through the barrier; you leaped through it. And Raijin… Well, he's always been a little muddled in the head. He says it wasn't you, it was a monster." The doctor rolled her eyes. "I think he had one too many chili dogs that night, you know?"
Zell's cocky grin faded. "Wait, are you saying that I was found in the bleachers next to Seifer?" Dr. Kadowaki nodded. "Doctor, I didn't bite him, if that's what you're thinking."
"No… But Seifer believes you may have attacked him."
The idea was so ridiculous that Zell burst out laughing. "Doc, as much as I'd like to hurt Seifer sometimes, I'd never attack him outright."
Dr. Kadowaki shrugged. "I'm just relaying what Seifer believes. Watch yourself, Zell."
"Right," Zell said. "Um, thanks for the warning." With that, he left. He didn't seriously believe Seifer would try anything, not while he was on probation. And Seifer wasn't stupid enough to think he'd bite him!
* * *
"All right! Just in time for lunch!" Zell said, sliding into the seat where the gang had all gathered. Despite the fact that he'd just devoured a plate of hot dogs for breakfast, he was more than ready for lunch.
"How're you doing?" Selphie asked. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories we've heard about you. So," she leaned forward, green eyes flashing, "are any of them true? What happened last night? They say you attacked Seifer! Bit him right on the-"
"Selphie, Selphie!" Zell interjected when the girl paused to take a breath. "You can't believe everything you hear. I was knocked through the plastic; Seifer was just hit with the shrapnel and blamed it on me so he could get some attention."
"That's not what I saw," Irvine said. The cowboy was sitting on the far side of the table, putting as much distance between himself and Rinoa as possible. "You were nowhere near that fight. I saw Seifer flash a little skin at you, and you went berserk and lunged after him."
"I didn't even notice that from where I was sitting," Selphie said.
"That's because Irvine was sitting on the Galbadian side with some of his old buddies," Quistis said coldly.
"Down, girl," Irvine said, withering under her stony glare. "The game's over. We're all on the same side again!"
"Hmph." Quistis turned to Rinoa. "Do you know any spells to teach our little traitor a lesson?"
"Plenty," Rinoa said, smiling sweetly at Irvine. "'Course, I probably won't be able to cast the right spell. I'd try to turn him into a toad, but I'd probably end up making Selphie a father, instead." Irvine shrank away, and Selphie's eyes widened.
"Really? You can do that?" Selphie looked genuinely excited.
"We don't need to discuss this at the table," Squall said flatly. All eyes turned towards their commander, and Zell couldn't suppress a snort of laughter as he noticed something… unusual about Squall.
"What's with the turban?" Zell asked.
"He's not talking about it," Selphie said sullenly. "Says his hair's still wet."
"Really…" Zell drawled. Squall pointedly ignored the conversation, choosing to take a sip of his coffee rather than participate. Zell leaned back, grinning. "We'll see about that!" he cried, his hand shooting forward and snagging the towel before Squall could react, yanking it from his head.
A round of gasps came from those sitting at the table, as well as from half the cadets and SeeDs seated in the cafeteria. Zell gave a braying laugh, echoed by the others. "Squall, dude, your hair's pink!"
The commander's skin flushed, almost matching the neon hue of his hair and eyebrows. "Okay, you've seen the hair. Can you all just shut up now?"
"Why don't you just dye it until it fades?" Selphie asked through hysterical giggles. "'Cause you look ridiculous!"
"Thank you," Squall muttered. "And I did try; Rinoa seems to have found an effective hair coloring method that resists all attempts to conceal it."
"I wasn't even trying to use magic on him; I was only cutting his hair," Rinoa sighed. "And then…"
"Oops," the others supplied as one.
Grumbling, Squall gathered up his plate and stalked off. Rinoa glanced between him and the others, half stood, then sat back down. "He's probably going off to kill some Grats," she sighed. "I'd only get in the way. Especially since I'd be more likely turn a Grat into the Omega Weapon than actually kill it." Rinoa looked so downcast that the others no longer had the heart to joke about Squall's new fashion statement. After a moment, though, she spoke up again. "Zell? Can I speak to you?"
"Uh, sure, let me just finish these…" Zell tried to stuff another hot dog into his mouth.
"No, now. Alone." Rinoa glanced around at the other three, whose attempts to pretend not to watch them was painfully obvious.
"Sure," Zell said, almost choking on the hot dog. He stood, and let Rinoa lead him from the cafeteria. "What's up?" he asked, when there was no one within earshot.
"How are you?" she asked him. "Zell, I need to know; did I do anything to you yesterday?"
Zell blinked; he'd forgotten Rinoa's electric touch and his subsequent frantic search to see if he'd been altered in some horrible manner. "Not that I know of," Zell told her, and she sighed with relief. "Dr. Kadowaki didn't even find anything when she checked me out after the game."
"That's wonderful! I spent all last night worried about you. Maybe that's a good sign; maybe it means I'll have control over my powers soon." Rinoa smiled was hopeful.
"Sure," Zell agreed. He doubted it; it was probably sheer luck that he hadn't been affected. Or it had been an unnoticeable change that had already faded, like many of Rinoa's accidents. Either way, he wasn't going to question it, nor did he have the heart to dampen Rinoa's hope.
"Yo, chicken wuss!" Zell's heart sank at the familiar voice. He'd been hoping to make it through the day without coming in contact with Seifer. "What the hell were you thinking last night?"
Zell turned slowly to see Seifer limping towards him. He grinned when he noticed the bulge of the bandage on Seifer's rump, seeming to double its size. He shouldn't have; Seifer wasn't in the mood for jokes at his expense. "You find something humorous in this?" Seifer snarled. Behind him, Raijin and Fujin took up position at either side of him, like body guards. Rinoa moved to stand in front of Zell, as if her small frame could protect him from the angry Seifer.
"Maybe you'd better explain why you think Zell's responsible," Rinoa said, her voice calm.
"I don't think he's responsible; I know he is! I got a hole in my ass and twenty stitches! I can't even sit down! And the posse saw you coming after me, Dincht."
Seifer loomed over Rinoa and Zell, his expression menacing.
"Well, it wasn't exactly Zell, ya know," Raijin said. "He turned into a monster before he attacked."
Seifer gave him a withering glare. "Again with the monster thing? You're supposed to be my eye witness; if you sound like an idiot, no one is going to believe us! Fujin didn't see a monster, now did she?"
"HAPPENED IN BLIND SPOT," Fujin said reluctantly, patting her eye patch. "DIDN'T SEE ACTUAL ATTACK."
Seifer's head darted between the two of them. "You're both idiots, you know that?" He rolled his eyes. Zell smirked. Good help is so hard to find these days.
He was about to walk away from what was erupting into a full-blown argument when Rinoa interrupted them. "Wait, a monster?" she asked Raijin.
"Yeah! He was all big and hairy… well, I only saw his face, ya know, but he had these large teeth… and a muzzle, ya know? Like a dog!" Raijin's voice was high and excited. "And he snarled! Like a beast, ya know?"
Everyone was staring at Raijin. "Ya know?" he repeated weakly, shrinking away from their scrutiny.
Rinoa cleared her throat. "Um, yeah… That was helpful, Raijin, thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to the library." Rinoa's face was ashen as she turned to pass Zell. What the hell? What did Raijin say to alarm her?
"I think I'll go help her," Zell said, backing away from Seifer.
"Not so fast, chicken wuss," Seifer said, catching Zell's shoulder. "There's still the little matter of my injury, remember?" His fingers dug in painfully, and Zell yelped. "I can't let you get away with this."
"But… but…" Zell tried desperately to think of something to save himself. "But…"
Seifer's lips curled into a snarl. "Yes… butt…"
"Uh oh," Zell squeaked.
* * *
Rinoa looked up from her reading when Zell collapsed into the seat beside her. "What happened to you?" she cried.
Zell smiled though his split lip made it hard. And then there was the eye that was swollen shut, and the bloody nose, and too many other cuts and bruises to name. Nothing that couldn't be Cured, but it had occurred to Zell that in his battered condition, the library girl might take pity on him… "Seifer and I had a minor disagreement. Seems he felt that, since I apparently ripped him a new one, he had to return the favor. I was kinda hoping that you ran off to get Squall."
"Since when haven't you been able to fight your own battles?" Rinoa pointed out. "I thought you had things under control. Besides, I needed to check something out."
"I wasn't junctioned; Seifer was, and he had Raijin and Fujin to help – hey, what's the matter?" He finally saw the worried look on his friend's face. "I'm all right, really, just complaining, is all. It's nothing. Don't be worried."
"I'm not… not about that, anyway. I saw you using your wounds to flirt with the girl at the desk. I figured you couldn't be that bad off." Rinoa arched an eyebrow. "Following Irvine's advice now, I see."
Zell blinked. Was he that obvious? Aw, man… "You saw through that? Do you think she did?" Then he remembered what he'd been asking. "Then what is wrong, Rin?"
Her gaze dropped to the book on the desk before her. Zell started when he recognized it as the same black book she'd been perusing the other day. She opened it to a page she'd bookmarked with her finger, then pushed it towards Zell to see. "When I touched you yesterday, this is the page I had it turned to."
Frowning, Zell picked up the book. The script on the yellowing pages was written in an unfamiliar, flowing style, the letters cramped together and nearly illegible. More eye-catching, however, were the simple ink drawings of dark shapes with long, thin limbs, tufts of fur, long faces and triangular ears, and the claws… and teeth… "Wow. Whoever drew these must have been really disturbed."
"They're werewolves," Rinoa said softly. "This is a spell to turn human beings into bloodthirsty beasts of hell during the full moon."
Zell's eyes widened. "Cooooool…" he breathed. "You'd be really popular around Halloween with that book!"
"Zell." Rinoa's tone stopped him. "This isn't a joke. I think… I think I may have…" Her eyes were wide, her lovely face pale. "I think I created a monster!"
Zell stared. "Waitaminnit… You think I'm… No way. Nuh uh… Rinoa-"
"You attacked Seifer! You bit him! And Raijin said he saw-"
"Rinoa, you can't believe everything Raijin says. He's one hot dog short of a dozen, if you know what I mean."
"Do you even remember what happened at the hockey game?" Rinoa challenged.
"Of course," Zell bristled. "I was injured in the fight and thrown through the barrier."
"Do you remember that? Or is that what you were told?"
"I rem…" Zell trailed off. He didn't remember; but that didn't mean anything!
Rinoa's face was a blend of triumph and sadness. "You see? Anything could have happened to you last night. Raijin's not that bright, but why would he imagine you turned into a monster? Why would Seifer insist that you bit him? Why not say you hit him? Or stabbed him? He's not stupid; he wouldn't insist someone would actually bite him without a reason."
"Uh huh." Zell wondered if Rinoa had finally lost it. Maybe insanity was the next stage in whatever afflicted her magic. "You know, Rinoa, maybe you'd better talk to Dr. Kadowaki…"
Rinoa slammed the book shut. "You think I'm crazy?" she hissed. "Fine." She stood up, her posture stiff with rage. "I know I'm worthless as a sorceress, but there's nothing wrong with my mind. I'm just trying to help." She stalked off, leaving Zell to stare after her, open-mouthed.
Then his eyes fell on the blood-stained book she'd left on the desk. "A werewolf," he muttered. "The moon wasn't even full last night!"
* * *
Two hours later, Zell still couldn't get his encounter with Rinoa out of his mind. He felt bad for insinuating that Rinoa had gone nuts, but he couldn't work up the courage to go and apologize. Wouldn't that mean that he believed the werewolf thing? No, she'd get over it, and meanwhile, he had a date with the library girl tomorrow, and he needed to plan their evening. Much more important than worrying about Rinoa, really.
It didn't ease his conscience, however.
Maybe I should apologize to her later, Zell thought guiltily as he shucked off his clothing in preparation to getting into the shower. I mean, she was only trying to help.
And if I don't make it up to her, she could ask Squall to put me on bathroom duty for a month. It was too late to do anything tonight; Rinoa would probably be in bed by now. Or with Squall. Or both. So he'd have to live with himself for tonight.
All right, tomorrow morning, before breakfast, he'd hunt her down and make her listen to his apology.
Feeling better, Zell turned on the water of the shower. As he waited for the water's temperature to be just right, he languidly glanced around the small bathroom to make sure he had his towel and shampoo. As he angled his head around, he caught a glimpse of his back in the mirror…
And then the world became an angry red, a haze over his vision that darkened to blackness.
* * *
Zell woke with a groan. What the hell? was his first thought, as he came aware of the water beating down on his naked skin, the twisted position of his body, which was wedged uncomfortably into one corner of the shower, and the pain... Zell slowly opened his eyes, seeing first the pink-tinged water flowing around him and into the drain. Pink? Since when is water pink? Zell tried to unwrap himself from the tight fetal curl he was locked into, but pain lanced up his back and shot through his thighs. Zell's hands went to the curve of his back, and he winced at the pain of his own touch.
Since when is water pink? Answer: When it's mixed with blood. Zell's probing fingers found a series of deep cuts along the small of his back, across his rump, down his thighs. He'd been attacked!
Seifer! It would be just like him to want vengeance, and to carry it out in such a painful matter. But… how could Seifer just sneak up on him without Zell knowing? Zell carefully lifted his head; the bathroom door was still locked, with no visible evidence of tampering. From what Zell could see of the window, it appeared untouched, as well. But the mirror… Something had shattered it; glittering fragments caught the light and made the floor seem to glow.
Slowly, Zell stood. It was difficult, with the pain of his wounds and the slickness of the shower floor, but he had several Hi-Potions in the cabinet under the sink; if he could get to it quick enough, it would take the edge off his pain and begin the healing process in his wounds. With luck, he'd caught his wounds quickly enough that the Hi-Potion could heal them almost completely, so he wouldn't need stitches like Seifer had.
Traversing the short distance was painful, especially with glass crunching underfoot, but Zell made it to the cabinet and, luckily, the Hi-Potions were still there. He'd been afraid Seifer had taken it, just so Zell could suffer as Seifer was. Bastard! Zell thought angrily as he gulped down the foul-tasting Hi-Potion. I'll kill you for this!
But retribution would have to wait; the Hi-Potion was sweeping through his system, and he could feel the pain fading to a dull ache, and beneath his fingers, he felt the wounds close themselves, though they left ridges of scar tissue. So he'd been out for an hour, at least. If he'd gotten to the Hi-Potion sooner, the wounds would have been healed completely. Damn, those aren't going to be the most attractive of scars.
As he took a quick look around the room, however, he realized the gouges in his flesh hadn't been the worst; something had left deep cuts in the plaster of the walls, and the shower, some of them nearly two inches deep. Each of them was a clean cut, like a knife – or a gunblade – would make. Curiously, the gouges were in parallel rows – every cut was in a group of four or five matching grooves. Like claw marks. The thought came unbidden, and Zell tried to dismiss it. But he couldn't shake the impression that they did, indeed, look like the marks of some monster's claws.
* * *
Few people had ever seen Zell angry before. So when he stalked down the hallways, his clothing rumpled in his haste to dress and his hair hanging down in lank blond strands, framing his grim expression, every cadet and SeeD in the halls was quick to get out of his way.
He found Seifer in the Quad, playing a game of Triple Triad with Fujin. Raijin was leaning over his shoulder, offering less-than-helpful advice. None of them saw Zell approach until he grabbed Seifer by the collar and yanked him from the padded cushion the other man was seated on.
"Chicken wuss?" Seifer yelped, staring at Zell in shock.
"What were you thinking?" Zell snarled angrily. "I don't mind a little roughing up, like what you did this morning, but attacking me in the shower is taking this too far. I'm reporting you to Squall."
Seifer's green eyes widened. "What the hell are you talking about?" He squirmed in Zell's grip, made strong with Zell's rage.
"Don't play innocent," Zell said coldly. "My bathroom is a wreck, and if I hadn't had a Hi-Potion on hand, I'd be worse off than you are."
"Zell, release him." Squall's harsh command broke through Zell's anger, and he reluctantly freed Seifer. Both turned to face Squall, who was standing with arms crossed, a stern expression on his face. If it weren't for the electric pink bangs hanging in his eyes, Squall would have looked almost forbidding. "What is the meaning of this?"
"He's trying to kill me again!" Seifer said. Squall gave him a look, and Seifer fell silent.
"I was attacked in my bathroom," Zell said flatly. "I didn't see what happened, but when I came to, the room was a wreck, and I was injured."
"When did this happen?" Squall asked.
"I don't know, about an hour ago," Zell said. "Like I said, I was unconscious for awhile."
"Show me," was all Squall said. So Zell led him back to his bathroom, watching as the commander cautiously examined everything without disturbing the mess and risk destroying evidence. His expression was unreadable as he studied one of the sets of parallel grooves, this one smeared with blood. "You were hurt?" Squall asked after a moment.
"I was cut up across my back, and my thighs, and, um, my rear," Zell said uncomfortably. "That's why I know it was Seifer. He's trying to get me back because he thinks I'm the one who hurt him."
"It wasn't Seifer." The certainty in Squall's voice made Zell stare.
"What makes you so sure?"
"He has evening classes. He only got out about fifteen minutes ago. And I know he went to class; I was speaking to his instructor when you came in." Squall moved on to examine the door. "This was locked?"
"Yeah," Zell said. "And the window was, too," he added, seeing Squall's gaze shift.
"You don't remember anything unusual?" Squall queried.
"Nope."
"You seem to be having a lot of memory lapses lately," Squall observed. Zell wondered what the commander was getting at, but Squall's expressionless face gave nothing away. Zell decided to ignore it for now.
"So, what do you think happened?" he asked, as they stepped out of the bathroom and into Zell's small bedroom.
Now Squall did let an emotion slip across his face; he was clearly puzzled by what he saw before him. "I have no idea. It looks as if maybe something escaped the Training Center, like those new Grendels we stocked it with, but I can't see how they'd get in. It could have been an attempted robbery…" but Squall didn't sound confident with that theory.
"I still think Seifer had something to do with it," Zell said. "Maybe it wasn't him, personally, but maybe he got someone to come in here and do it. Maybe he hired one of those Galbadian hockey players – they'd love to incapacitate one of our team's best players."
Squall looked as if he was about to respond, then thought the better of it. After a moment, he said, "I'll get someone to work on this. Meanwhile, how are you? Do you feel up to sleeping in here alone, or do you want a guard, or what?"
Zell twitched. The last thing he needed was for Squall to think he was a coward. "I can handle it myself, thanks. I don't even need a nightlight." But he did consider digging out his old stuffed cactuar to sleep with… it would be some comfort.
"How many GF's were you planning to junction before going to sleep? Five? Ten?"
Zell winced. Was he that obvious? "Seven," he said ruefully. "I want to be sure I'm safe!" he added defensively. Squall's sardonic expression didn't change. "Someone tried to kill me!" he burst out. "You can't blame for being a little freaked, can you?"
Squall gave him a thin smile. "I'll go find someone to investigate this. Meanwhile, it's late, and I'm tired. We'll talk about this tomorrow." Squall left, and Zell stared for a moment at where the commander had stood. He suddenly felt really, really, alone and vulnerable.
"Dammit," he grumbled, as he went to his closet and pulled Needles from under the pile of dirty underwear that had accumulated atop the poor cactuar. "I'm starting to think Rinoa put a curse of bad luck on me," he said glumly. "Because nothing's been going right since she touched me."
* * *
The next morning, Zell stumbled down the hallway towards the cafeteria. He hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep the previous night. He knew he looked awful as he slumped down into the seat across from Selphie and Irvine, his un-gelled hair hanging over his sunken eyes. "Wow, man, you look like shit," Irvine said.
Zell grumbled something that was incomprehensible, even to himself. The others left him alone after that, resuming the conversation Zell's arrival had interrupted. Zell was content to sit there, a cup of black coffee in one hand. He ignored the happy chatter around him until, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone tentatively take the seat beside him.
Rinoa was seated stiffly, her hands folded in her lap. She was studiously ignoring Zell, instead focusing on her eggs and toast as if they were the most fascinating things she had ever seen. She wouldn't meet his eyes when Zell tried to catch her attention. "Rin, I'm sorry…" he tried.
"I heard something attacked you last night," she interrupted, her voice flat. "Something big."
Not the werewolf thing again… "Yeah, I was attacked," he agreed. "Something attacked me. I didn't turn into something and attack someone, I was the one attacked. And the moon wasn't full last night, either."
Rinoa said nothing; her face was downcast, and he couldn't see her eyes through her long lashes.
"Ooooh, what was it?" Selphie interrupted, her eyes big. "Did you see? Was it the same thing that 'bit' Seifer? Are you hurt? Are you scared? Do you think it's going to come back for you? Is-"
"Do you ever stop to breathe?" Irvine interrupted.
"Look, it's just a petty act of revenge," Zell said. "Don't make a big deal about it. Squall will take care of it."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rinoa's grip tighten around the fork she'd picked up until her knuckles turned white. She whispered something, but he couldn't hear what.
"I agree," Irvine said. "But Seifer deserved what you did to him-"
"Hey, I didn't attack him, dammit!" Zell said defensively
"Okay, okay," Irvine said, holding up his hands placatingly. "I'm just saying, he deserved it. You weren't the only one getting disgusted with how often he flashed that full moon of his. It's disgusting. At least now, he'll think twice about it."
Zell was about to respond when he noticed Rinoa had straightened suddenly, her eyes wide. "What did you say?" she demanded.
Irvine blinked. "That Seifer got what was coming to him."
"No, before that… never mind." But now Rinoa's expression was calculating. "Zell, what was the last thing you saw before you were attacked?" She no longer looked hurt by Zell's treatment. Instead, she looked almost excited.
Well, it was better than having her mad at him. "Um," Zell hedged, struggling to remember. "I was checking around to see if I had a towel, and then… I woke up in the tub."
"Uh huh… Zell, did you look at yourself in the mirror?" she asked.
Zell was confused. "The hell you getting at?" he asked. "Yeah," he added after a moment. "I suppose I could have seen myself in the mirror. I didn't see anyone else reflected in it, though, if that's what you're suggesting. I'd have noticed a hockey player standing behind me."
Rinoa blinked. "Umkay," she said. Then her face assumed a triumphant expression. "I think I got it," she crowed.
The others stared, waiting to be let in on whatever had excited Rinoa. "Got what?" Irvine asked impatiently, when no answer was forthcoming.
"Pull down your pants," was Rinoa's response.
"Uh, Rinoa?" Squall said, coming up behind the sorceress. "What did I miss?" he demanded.
"Oh, good, you're here. I need you to Stop something for me." She turned back to Irvine. "What are you waiting for? Pull your pants down?"
"What are you planning to do?" Irvine asked suspiciously.
"I'm not going to do anything," Rinoa promised. "Now, do as I say and turn around so we can get a good look."
"Right here? In front of everybody?" Irvine asked.
"You streaked at your own graduation," Selphie interrupted. "Do it, honey, I wanna see what Rinoa's planning!"
Zell had known Irvine was a pervert, but he'd had no idea that Selphie shared that trait. No wonder the two were perfect for each other.
"Fine," Irvine grumbled, undoing his belt buckle and getting to work on his zipper. Squall just glanced from person to person, a bemused look on his face.
"You know, I don't want to be here for this. I think I'll just leave," Zell said, starting to back away. Rinoa seized his arm in an iron grip that made him gasp. Was this her way of punishing him? By making him look at Irvine's ass in public?
"You have chicobo boxers?" Quistis drawled, joining them in time for the show. Irvine seemed unfazed by the fact that he'd drawn an audience; in fact, the entire cafeteria was watching the Galbadian strip, and Irvine seemed to be playing to the audience. Zell suddenly wondered if the cowboy did exotic dancing on the side. He did seem to have more gil than any of the other SeeDs…
"Now the boxers," Rinoa prompted.
"Please tell me this is what you want me to Stop," Zell heard Squall whisper to Rinoa.
"Just wait," she replied. Then, to Zell, "Watch."
The boxers slid down, revealing Irvine's shapely behind. Zell wondered what they were supposed to be seeing… And then a red haze fell over his vision. He was dimly aware of the gasps of shock from the others as the flames seemed to ripple through him, and then he only had eyes for the plump, juicy meat in front of him. Saliva dripped from his fangs, and he sprang forward…
Only to be Stopped mid leap by Squall's hastily cast spell. He howled in rage, struggling futilely against the invisible bonds that held him.
It was only after Irvine ducked behind the table and the precious meat was out of sight that the rage began to fade, and with it, the change that had twisted Zell's body began to reverse. Squall released him from the spell as Zell's jaw shrank into a normal human jaw, and the pelt of blond fur melted away into human skin.
"See?" Rinoa said. "Werewolf. Now who's crazy, huh?"
Zell stared up at her, wondering how the hell he'd come to be sprawled on the floor, his clothing in tatters, and the audience who had been watching Irvine's strip tease now staring at him with fearful eyes. "What just happened?"
"You are cursed," Rinoa said triumphantly. "Just, not the same way as in the book. Leave it to my messed up powers to alter the werewolf curse, huh?"
"You're wrong," Zell said weakly.
"No, man, we all saw it, this time," Irvine said, coming up from behind the table, buckling his pants into place.
"I couldn't figure it out," Rinoa went on, ignoring them. "The moon hasn't been full the past few nights, but Zell's obviously changed twice."
"What?" Zell demanded. "Okay, so maybe the hockey game thing would make you think so, but, Rin, you're forgetting, I'm the one who was attacked last night!"
"The wounds were self-inflicted! You saw yourself in the mirror, and since you couldn't get the prey in the mirror, you took it out on yourself. Squall said your injuries were on your rear, right?"
The mirror had been shattered… "This is impossible," Zell said helplessly.
"Then what happened when Irvine flashed you?" Rinoa challenged.
"I… uh…" He turned to Squall. "Help?"
Squall gave him a "hey-don't-ask-me" look.
"Am I really a werewolf?" Zell squeaked.
"A cute one!" Selphie said. "With blond fur, and a tattoo! You look so soft and cuddly!"
"Only if you look at someone's naked rear," Rinoa said. "And you seem to focus entirely on that when you've changed. And even then, you don't seem inclined to do more than bite it, so you may not even be that vicious. More like an ankle-biting lapdog, in a way. After all, you had plenty of time to mangle Seifer, but you only bit him."
"Hyne, he's not going to turn into a werewolf, too, is he?" Squall groaned.
"According to the book, the curse is only passed on by sorcery. So unless I have another accident, the worst problem we have to deal with is Seifer's attitude." Rinoa sounded certain of that, and Zell hoped this was true. Seifer alone was bad enough; Seifer with claws and teeth was a truly frightening thought.
"Don't worry, Zell. I swear to you; I will find the cure." Rinoa's fists clenched in determination.
"I believe you," Zell said. "But, hey, it could be worse, right? It's not like I turn into a ravenous, human-killing monster whenever the moon is full. It's just a little fur and fangs, and the urge to bite people in awkward places. Unless I can't get to those awkward places, like the shower incident. Then I get a bit vicious, I guess. A minor inconvenience, really."
"Yeah," Selphie added helpfully. "I mean, all you have to do is avoid seeing any rear ends. No problem."
There was a devious glint to Irvine's eyes as he said, "Yeah. No problem. It just means no looking at yourself in the mirror, and no getting dressed in the team locker room. Oh, and…" Here Irvine's voice acquired a sly tone. "No sex."
"Yeah, see no prob - What?!" Zell's jaw dropped. "But… I've got a date tonight… I… Nooooooo!"
As the true horror of his curse sank in, Zell's howls of anguish could be heard throughout the Garden.
The End…?