Chapter 8
Zell Dincht punched Sifan Leonhart accurately where Avatar had kicked him earlier, "Wassup man?"
Before Sifan could say anything Selphie Kinneas disheveled Sifan's hair and screamed excitedly, "woooooooohoooo, Sifoo's a Seed!!!"
Irvine had earlier asked whether Sifan had brought his girlfriend but when he replied in a negative, he had just smiled his modest smile and went away with his 'student-in-flirt-arms", Avatar Fenis.
Rinoa came over and placed a kiss on Sifan's cheek, "welcome home, darling..."
[Everybody's jus too predictable these days, really...]
"Honey, I am sorry but I have to take care of a few things. Just a bit busy..." Rinoa said, "I ll be with you in a few minutes."
"Sure thing." Sifan nodded as Rinoa smiled again and went away to attend to the early guests.
Sifan still stood at the door of the huge presidential residence in Esthar. He took a good look at it and sighed. It was Laguna's last day at the magnificent place. But he had served his time.
"Hey, are you gonna just stand there all night, pretty boy?" Irvine's voice rang out from a corner, "Bring me those streamers will you...?"
Sifan picked a pack of colorful streamers on a table near him and walked over to the cowboy, "Say, Irvine...Where's Ron?"
"He went to pick up his girlfriend in Dollet. She couldn't come alone on the train. Not many people take the train at this time of the night, you know. Or maybe they just wanted to make it romantic..."
"I'll take the latter one. After all, He IS your son..."
Irvine climbed up on a chair and stuck a streamer to the wall, "Hey, where's your old man?"
"The Ragnarok's gone to pick him up. He'll be here in another hour or so. He had to talk to some people. Quistis will come with him too..."
"That aint gonna take an hour, Sifan..."
"What?"
"We're talkin turbo-warping Ragnarok now, kiddo..."
"Oh yeah... Zell was telling me about that..."
"Yup, I feel it's that old goose Odine's best invention yet. You just type in the co-ordinates of the place you want to go to, and there's this small lil' gunny kind of thing under the cockpit that fires this beam in the air and opens up a floating portal. You just fly through the portal and voila! You're there...cool stuff, huh?"
"Yeah... Esthar's really somewhere when it comes to technology, huh?"
"HEY, IRVINE, you moron!" Zell screamed from the other corner, "stop yakkin' and stick the frickin' streamers, will ya?"
"I'll leave you alone..." Sifan said to Irvine, "Where's Mr. Smooth?"
"Oh... Avatar took that Tania girl to that skyscraper a few blocks away. He wanted to show her the view or something... that kid's after my own heart..."
[Tell me about it...]
"See ya around" Sifan said and took a look at the arrangements going on for the party. Rinoa was running up and down arranging the food on the table. Zell was putting up all sorts of posters. Selphie stuck a president sticker on a teddy bear and made it sit on one of the stools. Irvine of course, was busy with the streamers. A few other friends of Laguna were also present. Kiros and Ward were the president's right and left hand and so they had gone to balamb. The preparations were almost complete.
[Where the hell was Laguna back in balamb...? I didn't see him...or Kiros or Ward...probably my fault... I didn't even sit around still for ten minutes... Dad didn't join me for Dinner either. Maybe something important came up...Hmm.... talk of the devil, here they are...Guess the turbo-warp stuff's working...]
The sound of the Ragnarok landing outside fell on everyone's ears. Zell fell down from the stool he was standing on and hissed, " Somebody switch of the lights, godammit..." Rinoa ran away to the back to do so. And soon the lights went out. Total blackness.
They all stayed quiet making the place silent as a graveyard. Laguna's voice came from the entrance, "Hmm...What happened here? Something wrong with the main board...I think..."
"I'll go check..." Kiros' voice followed.
"I think I'll give Kiros a hand..." Squall said next.
Nobody uttered anything when Laguna spoke, "Great party at balamb, eh Ward?"
He was greeted with silence.
"I didn't see lil' Sifan though..." He continued under the belief someone was listening to him.
[I am little?]
"What a time for a blackout, eh Ward?"
[Laguna's not changed one bit...]
"Ward...? Squall...? Hey... anyone there?......Kiros?"
Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the lights came on and everyone screamed in unison. A few of them started honking air horns and someone put on the music at full volume while others still, busted a few balloons. A flabbergasted Esthar President stood there, still. Someone outside even unleashed fireworks in the sky which wrote in a magical green light, 'Cheers to the greatest president of ESTHAR...' When he finally came to, he smiled, still a bit surprised
[Not bad for last minute preparations...]
Laguna received a hug from Squall and felicitations from everyone. Sifan waited for the crowd to clear a little. While he was waiting, a voice came from behind him, "Ain't ya gonna hug yer grandpa, Leonhart?"
[That voice!]
Sifan spun around to see Relafen Almasy smirking at him, "Don't ask me why I am here. I DON'T KNOW."
"Hmm...let me guess. Ward, Kiros, Squall and Quistis walked up to you and invited you. How can Seifer. Jr. say no?"
Relafen mumbled something in his mouth, "Yeah. Yeah. Tyranny..."
"Like I said..." Sifan smiled turning around and looking back, "Enjoy the Party, Relafen..."
Squall whispered something in Laguna's ears. Laguna nodded negatively at first but then he agreed. He walked up to a microphone that was hurriedly set up by Selphie. Everybody turned to Laguna as he cleared his voice.
"Uh, Well..." he started, "I am touched...uh really...you guys remembered the last day of this old man's presidency over Esthar. Um, I really like to thank you all for this. I...I never expected anything like this...it's been great being the president of this great country and well, I hope, It will flourish in every way in the decades to come...thank you..."
They all broke into claps and cheers again. Laguna stepped away from the microphone and made his way to a table near Sifan. At first, he didn't notice Sifan and sat down on a chair.
"Uh...waiter..." he said turning to Sifan, "do you mind bringing me a glass of-"
He stopped. "Sifan!?"
"You haven't completed your order sir..."
"Aw, cut the crap my boy!" Laguna said getting up and hugging him tightly, "You've grown. The last time I saw you, you were complaining about that punch of Avatar's which broke your tooth...you were ten if I remember correctly..."
"Believe me, gramps, things haven't changed all that much..." Sifan said, touching his stomach, which was still jittering a bit.
"I am sorry I didn't meet you in balamb...I was taking care of those SeeD funding matters... for the last time that is."
"Nah, its ok..." Sifan replied, "Wasn't much to see..."
"Hey, C'mon...I did want to see how you danced..."
[Sigh...yet another one...]
"You did dance, didn't you?"
"No.... I wasn't feeling too well..." Sifan lied.
"That's too bad... Oh look, it's your headmaster... I better go say hello... Help your self to the food my boy" Laguna said and went away to meet the old goat.
He looked around. Everyone was engaged in a conversation with someone or another, enjoying, laughing, and involved in some kind of emotional pleasure that can exist between people.
[I always seem to be alone...don't I?]
*************
It was him she wanted. Squall Leonhart's son. Not his best friend. Somehow, it had all cross-fired and there she was, in that forsaken balcony in Esthar's tallest skyscraper, looking into Avatar Fenis' eyes, but still finding nothing.
"Hey...your friends tell me, you read palms...and stuff like that..." Avatar said after hitting on Tania for some time.
"Hmm... Even if I did read palms Avatar, there's no way I am gonna read yours..." Tania said, smiling at him, "Say...Where's your friend...?"
"Who? Sifan?"
"Yeah..."
"Pretty boy is in the presidential palace... he's probably standing in some corner, alone..."
"Hmm..."
"So...that's your game, huh?"
"What?"
"You want Sifan Leonhart...I should've known...they ALL want him..."
"No no no...Avatar...I came with you for you...ok? Not for some walking mummy like Sifan Leonhart..."
"Hee hee...walking mummy...that's a good one..."
Confident she had him around her little finger, Tania continued, "Well, yeah...I do read palms...my mom taught me...sometimes I am right.... sometimes I am wrong"
"Hmm...you just wanna hold my hand, right...?" Avatar said as Tania lifted Avatar's palm, "Why don't you just say so...?"
"Well if you put it that way..." She said, running a finger down the lines of his palm, "Hmm..."
"Well, what do you see...? When do we get married?"
"Smart-ass..." She said, "Lets see...you are going to go out of this world-"
Avatar started to snicker, "Hmm... how will the aliens look like? Fine-looking and attractive like you?"
"Oh shut up...you hit on me like there's no tomorrow..." Tania said, observing his palm, "Hmm...this is beautiful...your fate line gives way to someone else's-"
Avatar wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulled her close, and looked in to her eyes. "Not as beautiful as you...". He said, with the silky tone Irvine had taught him.
Tania wrapped her arms around his neck; "You're just as smooth as they get...."
He leant forward and kissed her. Tania didn't resist and allowed him to, but in her mind, she pretended the boy in front of her was Sifan Leonhart.
*************
Zell Dincht punched Sifan Leonhart accurately where Avatar had kicked him earlier, "Wassup man?"
Before Sifan could say anything Selphie Kinneas disheveled Sifan's hair and screamed excitedly, "woooooooohoooo, Sifoo's a Seed!!!"
Irvine had earlier asked whether Sifan had brought his girlfriend but when he replied in a negative, he had just smiled his modest smile and went away with his 'student-in-flirt-arms", Avatar Fenis.
Rinoa came over and placed a kiss on Sifan's cheek, "welcome home, darling..."
[Everybody's jus too predictable these days, really...]
"Honey, I am sorry but I have to take care of a few things. Just a bit busy..." Rinoa said, "I ll be with you in a few minutes."
"Sure thing." Sifan nodded as Rinoa smiled again and went away to attend to the early guests.
Sifan still stood at the door of the huge presidential residence in Esthar. He took a good look at it and sighed. It was Laguna's last day at the magnificent place. But he had served his time.
"Hey, are you gonna just stand there all night, pretty boy?" Irvine's voice rang out from a corner, "Bring me those streamers will you...?"
Sifan picked a pack of colorful streamers on a table near him and walked over to the cowboy, "Say, Irvine...Where's Ron?"
"He went to pick up his girlfriend in Dollet. She couldn't come alone on the train. Not many people take the train at this time of the night, you know. Or maybe they just wanted to make it romantic..."
"I'll take the latter one. After all, He IS your son..."
Irvine climbed up on a chair and stuck a streamer to the wall, "Hey, where's your old man?"
"The Ragnarok's gone to pick him up. He'll be here in another hour or so. He had to talk to some people. Quistis will come with him too..."
"That aint gonna take an hour, Sifan..."
"What?"
"We're talkin turbo-warping Ragnarok now, kiddo..."
"Oh yeah... Zell was telling me about that..."
"Yup, I feel it's that old goose Odine's best invention yet. You just type in the co-ordinates of the place you want to go to, and there's this small lil' gunny kind of thing under the cockpit that fires this beam in the air and opens up a floating portal. You just fly through the portal and voila! You're there...cool stuff, huh?"
"Yeah... Esthar's really somewhere when it comes to technology, huh?"
"HEY, IRVINE, you moron!" Zell screamed from the other corner, "stop yakkin' and stick the frickin' streamers, will ya?"
"I'll leave you alone..." Sifan said to Irvine, "Where's Mr. Smooth?"
"Oh... Avatar took that Tania girl to that skyscraper a few blocks away. He wanted to show her the view or something... that kid's after my own heart..."
[Tell me about it...]
"See ya around" Sifan said and took a look at the arrangements going on for the party. Rinoa was running up and down arranging the food on the table. Zell was putting up all sorts of posters. Selphie stuck a president sticker on a teddy bear and made it sit on one of the stools. Irvine of course, was busy with the streamers. A few other friends of Laguna were also present. Kiros and Ward were the president's right and left hand and so they had gone to balamb. The preparations were almost complete.
[Where the hell was Laguna back in balamb...? I didn't see him...or Kiros or Ward...probably my fault... I didn't even sit around still for ten minutes... Dad didn't join me for Dinner either. Maybe something important came up...Hmm.... talk of the devil, here they are...Guess the turbo-warp stuff's working...]
The sound of the Ragnarok landing outside fell on everyone's ears. Zell fell down from the stool he was standing on and hissed, " Somebody switch of the lights, godammit..." Rinoa ran away to the back to do so. And soon the lights went out. Total blackness.
They all stayed quiet making the place silent as a graveyard. Laguna's voice came from the entrance, "Hmm...What happened here? Something wrong with the main board...I think..."
"I'll go check..." Kiros' voice followed.
"I think I'll give Kiros a hand..." Squall said next.
Nobody uttered anything when Laguna spoke, "Great party at balamb, eh Ward?"
He was greeted with silence.
"I didn't see lil' Sifan though..." He continued under the belief someone was listening to him.
[I am little?]
"What a time for a blackout, eh Ward?"
[Laguna's not changed one bit...]
"Ward...? Squall...? Hey... anyone there?......Kiros?"
Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the lights came on and everyone screamed in unison. A few of them started honking air horns and someone put on the music at full volume while others still, busted a few balloons. A flabbergasted Esthar President stood there, still. Someone outside even unleashed fireworks in the sky which wrote in a magical green light, 'Cheers to the greatest president of ESTHAR...' When he finally came to, he smiled, still a bit surprised
[Not bad for last minute preparations...]
Laguna received a hug from Squall and felicitations from everyone. Sifan waited for the crowd to clear a little. While he was waiting, a voice came from behind him, "Ain't ya gonna hug yer grandpa, Leonhart?"
[That voice!]
Sifan spun around to see Relafen Almasy smirking at him, "Don't ask me why I am here. I DON'T KNOW."
"Hmm...let me guess. Ward, Kiros, Squall and Quistis walked up to you and invited you. How can Seifer. Jr. say no?"
Relafen mumbled something in his mouth, "Yeah. Yeah. Tyranny..."
"Like I said..." Sifan smiled turning around and looking back, "Enjoy the Party, Relafen..."
Squall whispered something in Laguna's ears. Laguna nodded negatively at first but then he agreed. He walked up to a microphone that was hurriedly set up by Selphie. Everybody turned to Laguna as he cleared his voice.
"Uh, Well..." he started, "I am touched...uh really...you guys remembered the last day of this old man's presidency over Esthar. Um, I really like to thank you all for this. I...I never expected anything like this...it's been great being the president of this great country and well, I hope, It will flourish in every way in the decades to come...thank you..."
They all broke into claps and cheers again. Laguna stepped away from the microphone and made his way to a table near Sifan. At first, he didn't notice Sifan and sat down on a chair.
"Uh...waiter..." he said turning to Sifan, "do you mind bringing me a glass of-"
He stopped. "Sifan!?"
"You haven't completed your order sir..."
"Aw, cut the crap my boy!" Laguna said getting up and hugging him tightly, "You've grown. The last time I saw you, you were complaining about that punch of Avatar's which broke your tooth...you were ten if I remember correctly..."
"Believe me, gramps, things haven't changed all that much..." Sifan said, touching his stomach, which was still jittering a bit.
"I am sorry I didn't meet you in balamb...I was taking care of those SeeD funding matters... for the last time that is."
"Nah, its ok..." Sifan replied, "Wasn't much to see..."
"Hey, C'mon...I did want to see how you danced..."
[Sigh...yet another one...]
"You did dance, didn't you?"
"No.... I wasn't feeling too well..." Sifan lied.
"That's too bad... Oh look, it's your headmaster... I better go say hello... Help your self to the food my boy" Laguna said and went away to meet the old goat.
He looked around. Everyone was engaged in a conversation with someone or another, enjoying, laughing, and involved in some kind of emotional pleasure that can exist between people.
[I always seem to be alone...don't I?]
*************
It was him she wanted. Squall Leonhart's son. Not his best friend. Somehow, it had all cross-fired and there she was, in that forsaken balcony in Esthar's tallest skyscraper, looking into Avatar Fenis' eyes, but still finding nothing.
"Hey...your friends tell me, you read palms...and stuff like that..." Avatar said after hitting on Tania for some time.
"Hmm... Even if I did read palms Avatar, there's no way I am gonna read yours..." Tania said, smiling at him, "Say...Where's your friend...?"
"Who? Sifan?"
"Yeah..."
"Pretty boy is in the presidential palace... he's probably standing in some corner, alone..."
"Hmm..."
"So...that's your game, huh?"
"What?"
"You want Sifan Leonhart...I should've known...they ALL want him..."
"No no no...Avatar...I came with you for you...ok? Not for some walking mummy like Sifan Leonhart..."
"Hee hee...walking mummy...that's a good one..."
Confident she had him around her little finger, Tania continued, "Well, yeah...I do read palms...my mom taught me...sometimes I am right.... sometimes I am wrong"
"Hmm...you just wanna hold my hand, right...?" Avatar said as Tania lifted Avatar's palm, "Why don't you just say so...?"
"Well if you put it that way..." She said, running a finger down the lines of his palm, "Hmm..."
"Well, what do you see...? When do we get married?"
"Smart-ass..." She said, "Lets see...you are going to go out of this world-"
Avatar started to snicker, "Hmm... how will the aliens look like? Fine-looking and attractive like you?"
"Oh shut up...you hit on me like there's no tomorrow..." Tania said, observing his palm, "Hmm...this is beautiful...your fate line gives way to someone else's-"
Avatar wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulled her close, and looked in to her eyes. "Not as beautiful as you...". He said, with the silky tone Irvine had taught him.
Tania wrapped her arms around his neck; "You're just as smooth as they get...."
He leant forward and kissed her. Tania didn't resist and allowed him to, but in her mind, she pretended the boy in front of her was Sifan Leonhart.
*************