Note: Woah! I got a cool fan! Heh heh! I really appreciate all the reviews everyone, thus making this fic successful in my opinion! First off, I just want to say thank you to:
Verdanii - Hah hah! A reviewer who would even curse to show that they like my story! Good for you!
Remote Mine – Glad you like it! Hope to hear more from you on later chapters!
Ruby-servantof-eli – Ah my devoted Seiftis fan! Keep reading because you're going to be more surprised with it! HAH HAH!
Kool Kaizer – Awww how can you not like angst! Angst is beeeeeautiful! LOL.
Quistis88 – Thank you very much for reviewing! ^^
empty26 – What happened to editing the story? I would appreciate it if you have more reviews about what errors I have on my grammar!
Litoblueanjel – I am flattered about your review! Thank you very much!
Fantasywolf – Hope to hear more from you! Thanks again! *thumbs up*
Kikyou – Thank you for your review, despite it being uh…'flattering' but I appreciate your honesty. I'll try to be more careful next time but I wasn't trying to offend you so I apologize! ^^;
Sickness in Salvation – Thank you for correcting me about Selphie and her brother's age! I'll learn to be more careful about it in the near future!
Angel – I am trying my best to hurry up with the chapters! Hope to hear from you more! ^^
lost but found again – I appreciate your review! Thanks! ^^
Quistis Almasy – Hey, I've seen you before! o.O Glad to hear from you again! *grins*
Mariko – Thank you SOOO much for telling about the rules of soccer! And I, the one who has played soccer before, didn't even have the slightest idea about it! @_@ Thanks again!
cloudygyrl – Thank you for your review! ^^
kite – Glad to hear a review from you! Thank you!
Caleb Nova – It WAS a shame the previous Modern was erased, but hey, this Modern story is good isn't it? LOL. ;)
Dee – Oh yeah Zell DEFINITELY smokes! Thank you! I hope to hear more reviews from you! ^^
Achenar – Momy? I'm not your mommy! LOL! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! ^^
lilsingin'gem – You don't like modern versions???? Aww come on! But I'm glad you like my story! Thanks a lot! *smiles*
noon – Rare, huh? I'm glad you like my story! Hope to hear more from you!
Star112 – I'm glad you enjoyed Medieval Day! I hope you're going to like the ending of this one and soon to enjoy my Millenium one! THANK YOU!
Platinum Angel – Seifuu gal, eh? ^^ That's all right; at least you gave me a review! Thanks a lot!
Twenty-four cent – Wow! A new reader to my story! Welcome and thank you very much for your reviews! I'm glad you like it! ^^
Melix – That's a really good idea! I actually did that before, but I think I'd rather keep the problems away from each other. I don't know, for me it seems like a good idea. But thanks for the idea and for your review! ^^
NOW! ON WITH THE STORY! THANKS A LOT AGAIN YOU GUYS! ^^ Oh yes, there is also a Millenium Day Fantasy 8 teaser! ^^ Enjoy!
Chapter 20 – Best Friends Forever
Waiting for results in a hospital was very nerve-wrecking…something she wasn't used to. But… Selphie looked up and around the waiting room. Zell must have felt even more than just nervous when he was just a boy, waiting for his parents to leave the emergency room. The results were tragic and Selphie knew her feelings now, was nothing compared to the feelings Zell felt when he found out his parents were…dead.
"Selphie?" a little voice spoke somewhere.
The brunette looked down at a small figure standing in front of her. Little Isabelle, who was turning six soon, placed her tiny hand on top of Selphie's and looked up with a curious gaze. "Where is Zell?"
Selphie smiled and placed a hand on top of her head. "I don't know," was her only answer. Honestly, she didn't know where Zell was. He was either in a room resting, where doctors are waiting for any signs of life or still in the emergency room where the doctors were operating on him. She didn't know if they were true, but she would rather know the truth soon. She hated the suspense. Selphie picked Isabelle up and settled her down on her lap, wrapping her arms around the tiny girl.
Her thoughts were confirmed, however, when suddenly, the door of the waiting room opened, revealing a middle aged man dressed in a doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck. He wore thick, round glasses, which looked like it was about to fall off his face and had dark skin. His name tag read, "Dr. Joseph Lees" and Dr. Lees approached Zell's Uncle first, who was standing closest to the door. Vanessa sat on the other side of the room and had looked up anxiously waiting for the Doctor to say something. "Mr. and Mrs. Raymond?" Selphie watched as the Doctor shook Charlie's hand and then Vanessa's, who stood up to greet the Doctor eagerly. "Zell is just fine."
Those last four words confirmed her answers. Zell was going to be all right and Selphie, for the first time that day, breathed a sigh of relief. Selphie continued to listen as the Doctor waited for Charlie and Vanessa's reactions, before speaking again. "A little more to the left and he would have been paralyzed. There is a minor fracture in his right shoulder from the bullet, but wearing a cast around it for a few months will surely heal it in no time."
"Can we see him?" Vanessa asked, holding her husband's hand.
Doctor Lees nodded. "Of course you can. He's resting right now." He opened the door of the waiting room and allowed Vanessa inside first and Charlie followed closely behind.
"Where are they going?" Isabelle asked, more curious than ever. It seemed she was too content in the arms of her cousin's best friend to go after her parents.
Selphie smiled, gently stroking Isabelle's soft, blond, curly hair. "They're going to see Zell."
"What happened to him?" The young girl looked up, her eyes still full of curiosity and innocence.
The older girl didn't answer; instead, she held the little girl tightly and closed her eyes. She stayed like that with Isabelle for full ten minutes, before Charlie and Vanessa entered the waiting room once again. At that moment, Isabelle had fallen asleep in Selphie's arms. "He wants to see you," Charlie whispered, picking up Isabelle in his arms.
"He's in room ten," Vanessa retorted. "He doesn't know about him yet…I think he should know."
Selphie stood up and nodded, hugging Vanessa silently, before leaving the waiting room for room ten. She was eager to see him, even if it was only ten hours ago that she had seen Zell last. She hasn't slept in those ten hours, but it was worth waiting. When she arrived in room ten, Selphie opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The room was small, but for a person lying in bed with stitches and anesthetic, it seemed big. Zell was there, just as Vanessa said and his eyes were closed. There was an IV attached on his right hand where his right shoulder was wrapped heavily with bandages. Selphie quietly approached the bed and sat down on the vacant seat right next to him, then scooped up Zell's hand gently into hers.
Selphie watched him sleep, but she was quite startled when Zell suddenly smiled and opened his eyes. "Hi," he whispered.
The young brunette smiled back. "How are you feeling?" she asked. It was a dumb question, but it was better than nothing. She was too shocked right now to ask anything else.
Zell gave a slight nod. "I'll be fine," he replied. "How are you doing?"
In all honesty, Selphie couldn't help but frown. "Scared," she said, squeezing Zell's hand slightly. "I thought you died…" She looked into Zell's eyes. "I was so scared Zell!" She buried her face in his chest and began to weep.
The blond lifted up his hand on top of her head and stroked her brown, bouncy hair. "Hey, hey you don't need to be scared anymore. What matters is that I'm alive, right?"
Selphie lifted her head up and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She was still not convinced. "Why did you have to go and do something like that!?"
Zell looked away. "He's my friend too, Selphie. I couldn't just abandon him."
Selphie said nothing. "Zell...Something happened to Kent."
The blond turned his head back at her. "What happened? Did something happen to him?" When Selphie didn't answer, Zell sat up, but the pain in his shoulder was too much to bear, so he was forced to lie back down. "Tell me Selphie!" He placed a hand on hers. "What happened to Kent!?"
Selphie looked straight into his eyes. "He…" She took a deep breath. "After you fell unconscious, Kent forced his way towards you, but those men…they…" She bit her lip. She couldn't do this. She couldn't tell him, but the look she was giving him was too obvious. Zell could read her face and his eyes suddenly held that kind of fear he showed when his parents died. He held that look of an innocent child who had just lost his parents all over again.
"No…" Zell couldn't believe this. It was impossible. Kent was too trapped to be shot…dead… That's impossible! NO WAY! "No, you're lying." He shook his head, much to Selphie's disbelief.
"Why would I lie?" Selphie held Zell's hand tighter. She held her eyes against his and Zell knew…She wasn't lying. Tears began to form in his eyes. It collected there and as soon as he blinked, the tears began to fall at ones on the bed. And, for the first time, Zell began to weep. Selphie stood up and wrapped her arms around him, allowing her best friend to bury his face into her shoulder.
"It's all right, Zell," Selphie whispered. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here." Tears fell from her own eyes, remembering the same thing that happened between them when Zell lost his parents.
~past~
"It's okay Zelly," a ten year old Selphie whispered in ten year old Zell's ear. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here. Zell continued to cry, but Selphie refused to let him go. She continued to comfort him in any way she could. She let him cry as long as he wanted to.
"Why does everyone leave me?" the young boy whimpered from his lips.
Selphie shook her head. "No one is leaving you, Zelly. I won't leave you." She held him tighter in her arms. She could feel her best friend wiping his nose against her shoulder, but she didn't care. "I'll always be here. Remember that, okay? We're best friend, Zelly! Best friends NEVER leave each other's sides! They're ALWAYS together!"
"I want my mom! I want my dad!" Zell said, holding unto Selphie tighter now. "I miss them!"
Selphie stroked her best friend's blond head. "I miss them too," the young girl replied. "But they will always be beside you, even if you don't see them."
Zell sniffed. "Really?" He pulled away and looked at her.
Selphie nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Really! And because you'll always remember them in your heart, they will always be here beside you! It feels like they never left!" She began wiping his tears away with her hands.
The blond boy gave a smile.
~present~
"Thank you," Zell suddenly said.
Selphie opened her eyes, leaving the past and coming back to the future. She pulled herself away from him and looked into her best friend's eyes. "For what?"
Zell pulled her back in his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. "For being there when I got hit. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here."
The young brunette smiled and nodded. "Same with you." She wrapped her arms tighter around him. "Zell, you know what Kent told me while he was in the ambulance with you?"
The blond nodded. "What did he say?"
"He said he was sorry for getting you into trouble. He said that he deserved to be shot."
Zell once again buried his face in her shoulder. "That idiot…" he mumbled.
"I wanted to hate him for making you go there. I wanted to hit him many times, but what he said…it really hurt me. I felt guilty for feeling that way. I didn't want to believe that he was truly sorry, but the reason why he was on a stretcher with you was because he WAS truly sorry."
Zell said nothing as Selphie continued to talk. "And you know what else he said? He said that he always wanted to quit, change his life and be like you more. He wanted to grow up and have his own family to love and cherish like you do and have a future where there was no marijuana in his life. He said he was also sorry for dragging you into his 'life.' What did he mean by that?"
"That liar," he murmured. That was all he said in the matter. After that, he said nothing and Selphie chose not to pressure him with that question again.
They stayed embraced in each other's warmth for the longest time on that day. Zell felt secured in Selphie's arms. Every time he hugged her, it felt like he was home again; a home where his mom was baking cookies and to where his dad was fixing their old car that has been in the family for years. Every time he was in her arms, he was complete.
****************************
Rain was beginning to pour heavily upon them. There was silence, except of course for the raindrops that fell above them on the umbrella. The grave stood there, waiting patiently for the flowers to be put beside it. Zell kneeled down slowly and placed a bouquet of white lilies, ones that Kent told him reminded him of lonely flowers even amongst their own kind. He told the blond that those should be the flowers people should put beside his grave to remind him of the feelings he has felt before he met Zell. "Rest in peace, Kent," Zell whispered. He stood back up and stared down at Kent's resting place. "May you find your way home." The blond looked at his companion standing beside him and nodded. "Let's go," he said.
Selphie looked at Zell and gently linked arms with him. Silently, they both walked out of the graveyard, passing other graves of the people who lost their lives for some other reasons and back towards their car. They were just about to reach their destination, when a figure of a woman called to them. "Excuse me," she spoke softly.
Both Selphie and Zell looked up at the voice. She was a petite woman, maybe two inches shorter than Selphie and had short, dark hair, cut like a boy's style. Despite her height and boyish looks, the woman looked to be around her mid forties. "My name is Naomi Marshall," the woman said, introducing herself to the two.
Zell's eyes widened. "Marshall? You're-!"
"Kent's mother," she replied, finishing Zell's sentence.
Selphie glanced at Zell. "But I thought you said Kent was an orphan?"
The woman shook her head. "No, he was NEVER an orphan. He wished he was…" She looked down shamefully and sighed. "About a year ago, he ran away from home. Hours before he decided to drive away in his car and never come back, he left me a message on the answering machine, telling me that he was tired of living at home."
"Why?" Zell asked, placing the umbrella over the woman. Selphie decided to put on her hood, to show respect to the woman whose son just died, but kept her arms linked with her best friend.
Naomi took a deep breath, thanking Zell for the umbrella. "He and his father were VERY close, but when he died in a car accident, he began to turn cold and isolated from not only his friends, but me as well. I got tired of his attitude, I even yelled at him to prove my point that I didn't like his personality anymore and then he blew at me. Two days later, he left…" Tears fell from the woman's eyes.
Selphie reached inside her pocket and took out a tissue paper, then handed it to the woman. "Here," she said.
The woman took the tissue from Selphie and wiped her eyes with it. "And I had no idea he was here this whole time. For months I've been looking for him and just a week ago he wrote to me and told me where he lived. I got lost on the way to the address he gave me and by the time I did, the house was empty and I heard what happened from the landlord…"
Zell and Selphie stood there, unmoving, unable to say comforting words to Kent's mother. It was hard. They were still paralyzed from Naomi's story to say anything at all. Without a moment's rest, Naomi continued with her story. "In his letters, he told me how he has been living his life and he told me about…you…" She looked up and stared into Zell's eyes. The blond was surprised. He has never seen the eyes of a worried mother. He imagined they were just the same if his mother was alive today. "He talked about you a lot, Zell. He told me how great of a friend you are and I knew he was taken care of." More tears fell from her eyes. "I wanted to apologize to him for being so rash. The last words I told him before he left a year ago was…'I hate you.' Now…now I can't even apologize to him anymore, because…because…" She paused and began to weep, burying her face in her hands.
"Yes you can," Zell said.
Naomi looked up, surprised.
The blond placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Who says you can't apologize to your son? Even if he isn't here, I know that he knows you're sorry for what you said. He probably even knew that you didn't mean it. You can apologize to him now and I'm sure he can hear you."
"You really think so?"
Zell nodded. "I know so."
"Th-thank you…" Naomi stammered, wiping more tears from her eyes with the tissue Selphie gave her.
Zell grinned. Naomi gave him one last look, before walking pass them towards her son's grave. Both of them watched as the woman approached Kent's grave. "Come on, let's leave her alone," he heard Selphie say. Zell nodded and both of them walked back to their car.
When they were inside, Selphie in the driver's seat, while Zell in the passenger seat since his shoulder was still injured, they were silent for a while; overwhelmed by the story Kent's mother told them. They gave each other a couple of minutes of silence, before Selphie glanced at Zell and said, "Are you all right?"
Zell looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"So, what do you want to do now?" She put the keys in the ignition and pulled the gear into 'drive.'
"I want to go talk somewhere… just the two of us. Do you know a place?"
The rain had finally stopped.
Selphie nodded. She knew the right place to talk. "Yeah, I do." With that thought in mind, since the rain had stopped, she pulled out of the parking space and drove to their destination.
They arrived shortly to where Selphie thought would be the best place to talk. It was a deserted beach, but despite it being isolated from the city, it was very clean and untouched. It was supposed to be reserved for a construction site, but since the company didn't have enough money, they decided to terminate the plan. She was surprised that no one has ever touched it yet, or left any garbage to show they didn't care about the place. They were lucky enough for Selphie to think of the place. There was no one else there, except for a few flocks of birds searching for food. It was too bad, because it really was a nice beach, plus it had a nice view of the sunshine. "This place…" Zell said, once they stepped out of the car. He looked at Selphie. "This looks familiar."
Selphie shook her head in disbelief. "How can you not remember this place? This is where we first met!" She took his hand and dragged him further down the beach, towards the water and sat down on the soft sand, pulling him along with her.
Zell adjusted himself on the wet, sandy floor and sighed. They were quiet for a while, watching the sun that suddenly appeared from behind the clouds. It was about to set and it was a beautiful sight and quite surprising because a minute ago, it was dark and foggy. It was a good thing they came here to see the sun set. He looked around, trying to remember and the first image that came into his mind was him as a ten year old boy, carrying a ten year old Selphie on his back. Selphie was crying and complaining about the jelly fish that stung her left foot. That thought made Zell smile.
Selphie glanced at him. "What are you smiling about?"
Zell looked at her, wrapping his arms around his pulled up legs. "Well, I just started to remember that time when a jelly fish stung your leg and you insisted that I carry you on my back because you couldn't walk."
Selphie remembered that day too. "Oh yeah…"
"And to be perfectly sure, you weren't stung by a jelly fish at all."
"What? Of course I was!" Selphie said, slapping his arm playfully. "Don't lie to me!"
The blond shook his head and laughed. "I'm not! You THOUGHT you were, but you weren't! Didn't your brother ever tell you? It was just a crab that pinched your toe! I knew before then too, but I wanted to see how far you would go!"
Selphie frowned. "You and my brother were in on it? That's not fair!"
"And you went SO far! Unfortunately, it was a bad idea in the first place, because you were SOOOO fussy about it! You made me carry you all the way up that hill and back home!"
"Hah! Serves you right!" Selphie folded her arms across her chest and laughed.
For a while, they were quiet, until Zell spoke again. "Selphie, are you scared of dying?"
Selphie looked at him curiously. It was a strange question to ask and certainly a quick change in subject. "I am, but sometimes I'm not."
"What do you mean?" Zell asked, looking at her.
"I'm scared of dying of course! And I wonder sometimes where I would go once I die, if when we die…will we feel it? But you know what?" She smiled at him. "I don't like to think about it, because all I want to do is think about living."
Zell smiled back.
"And I'm sure Kent was probably thinking the same thing…" She moved closer to him, until their shoulders touched and laid her head on his shoulder. The left shoulder wasn't injured, so she was free to lay her head there. "Your parents too…"
Zell laid his head on top of hers. "I think so too…" He said, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Selphie's shoulders. "I'll miss all of them."
The brunette nodded. "I know you will. We all miss those who die, because we love them, but they know you're thinking of them, so they won't be sad wherever they are."
The blond smiled. "You're right…" He removed his arms from her shoulders and took Selphie's hand in his. "So, I'm going to quit…"
Selphie looked up. "Quit what?"
"I was to quit smoking and I need your help. Can you help me?"
The girl nodded, grasping her hand in his. "Of course I will…Best friends forever, right?"
Zell smiled. "For life…"
GoodGurl: WOOH! Chapter is finally finished! I actually LOVE this chapter! I am such a sucker for mushiness! ~ Stay tuned! ^^ Don't go yet tho! There is still a Millenium Day teaser! ^^
Millenium Day Fantasy 8
Running out of breath.
Tired of running.
But despite the obstacles, she ran as fast as she could. She wouldn't dare stop and if she did, there was no telling what 'they' would do once they captured the both of them. She couldn't let them capture her. Not yet. It would be the end of the world if 'they' took hold of her. It would be the end of them all.
"Where are we going?" the little voice beside her echoed, as they made a sharp turn in one of the dark corners of the halls. She glanced beside her where a ten year old girl ran just as slow beside her. It was hard to believe that this girl, so innocent and vulnerable could be one of the dangers of the world. The ones to bring death on earth. The curse that would end all mankind. She didn't understand it at all why she was protecting this girl.
"There they are!"
Startled, she looked over her shoulder to find a group of armed men chasing after them. She tugged the girl's arm, forcing her to run faster. She could hear them gaining on them, but she was not about to give up. It was far too risky for her to fight them all, especially with just one Silver Alloy left in her gun. It was much harder as well to protect the little girl with that one bullet while protecting her own life in the process. And just as her hope was running out on her, she noticed a door on her right. With a burst of speed, she picked up the girl in her arms and placed the girl inside. "Don't make a move, okay?" she whispered to the girl.
The girl nodded, her eyes widening in fright.
She smiled at the blond girl and winked at her. "Don't be scared. I promised them I'd protect you and I will!" She closed the door quickly and turned around to face her foes. About five men came in view from around the corner, all armed with their Gold Alloyed guns. She grinned, taking out her own gun from the holster and prepared herself for the fight.
They all stopped in front of her. One of them, dressed in a slightly different outfit than the rest, stepped forward, pointing the gun towards her. "Why don't you just give up and give us the girl? We promise we will spare your life."
She glared at them, gripping her right hand around the trigger and pointed it at the man. "You give up and I'll spare ALL your lives!"
The man laughed. "Did you hear that men? She plans on taking all of us out with just one bullet left!" The rest of his men laughed hoarsely.
A drop of sweat fell from the side of her face. Damn! Somehow, he knew she had one bullet left and it was a Silver Alloy, not enough to kill just one. They had Gold ones, that when fired from a gun, it would strike many enemies with just one shot. She was lucky that they were human enough not to shoot a woman and a child while on the run. Not only that, they had suits protecting them from any form of bullets, ESPECIALLY a Silver Alloy that can only damage a woman, a child or a small animal. She should've believed him and took a Gold Alloy with her, but she was far too stubborn to admit that she needed a man's opinion on the matter. She looked around, trying to find an opening that could help her and the little girl escape, but there was none. And there was only one thing left to do. She grinned. "Don't misunderstand me, Mr. Capitano..." she said, aiming the gun at the leader's head. "I plan on killing all of you...and this isn't just a Silver Alloy. It's a SPECIAL Silver Alloy."
All men's eyes widened in surprise.
Her grin grew wider. "Do you know how many men this 'special' Silver Alloy can kill? Or do you want to bet your life on it?"
"You're bluffing!" the captain said.
She shrugged. "Well, I guess you want to bet your life on it then, huh? I'll count to three...one...two..." Another sweat fell from her forehead.
The captain smirked. "A woman has no guts in killing anyone..." he said. Without a second thought, he fired. BAM! The bullet had hit its mark. She gasped. She never thought it would happen like this. She felt the hit. She felt the pain. It had hit at the side of her heart, barely missing it, but it did hit her. Her knees touched the ground and she could feel her body falling towards the ground.
It wasn't suppose to happen like this, she thought. She was suppose to protect the girl and bring her safely back to where she belonged.
"You're not good at bluffing," the captain said. "Get the girl!"
She could hear many footsteps around her as she hit the floor. Her heart was losing its beat. Blood began to spurt and drip on the floor. The footsteps began to fade and her life began to drift away from her body.
She could hear the little girl scream, but she couldn't move. She couldn't get a good look on where they had taken her.
Her eyes began to close.
Then...
She no longer breaths.
Verdanii - Hah hah! A reviewer who would even curse to show that they like my story! Good for you!
Remote Mine – Glad you like it! Hope to hear more from you on later chapters!
Ruby-servantof-eli – Ah my devoted Seiftis fan! Keep reading because you're going to be more surprised with it! HAH HAH!
Kool Kaizer – Awww how can you not like angst! Angst is beeeeeautiful! LOL.
Quistis88 – Thank you very much for reviewing! ^^
empty26 – What happened to editing the story? I would appreciate it if you have more reviews about what errors I have on my grammar!
Litoblueanjel – I am flattered about your review! Thank you very much!
Fantasywolf – Hope to hear more from you! Thanks again! *thumbs up*
Kikyou – Thank you for your review, despite it being uh…'flattering' but I appreciate your honesty. I'll try to be more careful next time but I wasn't trying to offend you so I apologize! ^^;
Sickness in Salvation – Thank you for correcting me about Selphie and her brother's age! I'll learn to be more careful about it in the near future!
Angel – I am trying my best to hurry up with the chapters! Hope to hear from you more! ^^
lost but found again – I appreciate your review! Thanks! ^^
Quistis Almasy – Hey, I've seen you before! o.O Glad to hear from you again! *grins*
Mariko – Thank you SOOO much for telling about the rules of soccer! And I, the one who has played soccer before, didn't even have the slightest idea about it! @_@ Thanks again!
cloudygyrl – Thank you for your review! ^^
kite – Glad to hear a review from you! Thank you!
Caleb Nova – It WAS a shame the previous Modern was erased, but hey, this Modern story is good isn't it? LOL. ;)
Dee – Oh yeah Zell DEFINITELY smokes! Thank you! I hope to hear more reviews from you! ^^
Achenar – Momy? I'm not your mommy! LOL! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! ^^
lilsingin'gem – You don't like modern versions???? Aww come on! But I'm glad you like my story! Thanks a lot! *smiles*
noon – Rare, huh? I'm glad you like my story! Hope to hear more from you!
Star112 – I'm glad you enjoyed Medieval Day! I hope you're going to like the ending of this one and soon to enjoy my Millenium one! THANK YOU!
Platinum Angel – Seifuu gal, eh? ^^ That's all right; at least you gave me a review! Thanks a lot!
Twenty-four cent – Wow! A new reader to my story! Welcome and thank you very much for your reviews! I'm glad you like it! ^^
Melix – That's a really good idea! I actually did that before, but I think I'd rather keep the problems away from each other. I don't know, for me it seems like a good idea. But thanks for the idea and for your review! ^^
NOW! ON WITH THE STORY! THANKS A LOT AGAIN YOU GUYS! ^^ Oh yes, there is also a Millenium Day Fantasy 8 teaser! ^^ Enjoy!
Chapter 20 – Best Friends Forever
Waiting for results in a hospital was very nerve-wrecking…something she wasn't used to. But… Selphie looked up and around the waiting room. Zell must have felt even more than just nervous when he was just a boy, waiting for his parents to leave the emergency room. The results were tragic and Selphie knew her feelings now, was nothing compared to the feelings Zell felt when he found out his parents were…dead.
"Selphie?" a little voice spoke somewhere.
The brunette looked down at a small figure standing in front of her. Little Isabelle, who was turning six soon, placed her tiny hand on top of Selphie's and looked up with a curious gaze. "Where is Zell?"
Selphie smiled and placed a hand on top of her head. "I don't know," was her only answer. Honestly, she didn't know where Zell was. He was either in a room resting, where doctors are waiting for any signs of life or still in the emergency room where the doctors were operating on him. She didn't know if they were true, but she would rather know the truth soon. She hated the suspense. Selphie picked Isabelle up and settled her down on her lap, wrapping her arms around the tiny girl.
Her thoughts were confirmed, however, when suddenly, the door of the waiting room opened, revealing a middle aged man dressed in a doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck. He wore thick, round glasses, which looked like it was about to fall off his face and had dark skin. His name tag read, "Dr. Joseph Lees" and Dr. Lees approached Zell's Uncle first, who was standing closest to the door. Vanessa sat on the other side of the room and had looked up anxiously waiting for the Doctor to say something. "Mr. and Mrs. Raymond?" Selphie watched as the Doctor shook Charlie's hand and then Vanessa's, who stood up to greet the Doctor eagerly. "Zell is just fine."
Those last four words confirmed her answers. Zell was going to be all right and Selphie, for the first time that day, breathed a sigh of relief. Selphie continued to listen as the Doctor waited for Charlie and Vanessa's reactions, before speaking again. "A little more to the left and he would have been paralyzed. There is a minor fracture in his right shoulder from the bullet, but wearing a cast around it for a few months will surely heal it in no time."
"Can we see him?" Vanessa asked, holding her husband's hand.
Doctor Lees nodded. "Of course you can. He's resting right now." He opened the door of the waiting room and allowed Vanessa inside first and Charlie followed closely behind.
"Where are they going?" Isabelle asked, more curious than ever. It seemed she was too content in the arms of her cousin's best friend to go after her parents.
Selphie smiled, gently stroking Isabelle's soft, blond, curly hair. "They're going to see Zell."
"What happened to him?" The young girl looked up, her eyes still full of curiosity and innocence.
The older girl didn't answer; instead, she held the little girl tightly and closed her eyes. She stayed like that with Isabelle for full ten minutes, before Charlie and Vanessa entered the waiting room once again. At that moment, Isabelle had fallen asleep in Selphie's arms. "He wants to see you," Charlie whispered, picking up Isabelle in his arms.
"He's in room ten," Vanessa retorted. "He doesn't know about him yet…I think he should know."
Selphie stood up and nodded, hugging Vanessa silently, before leaving the waiting room for room ten. She was eager to see him, even if it was only ten hours ago that she had seen Zell last. She hasn't slept in those ten hours, but it was worth waiting. When she arrived in room ten, Selphie opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The room was small, but for a person lying in bed with stitches and anesthetic, it seemed big. Zell was there, just as Vanessa said and his eyes were closed. There was an IV attached on his right hand where his right shoulder was wrapped heavily with bandages. Selphie quietly approached the bed and sat down on the vacant seat right next to him, then scooped up Zell's hand gently into hers.
Selphie watched him sleep, but she was quite startled when Zell suddenly smiled and opened his eyes. "Hi," he whispered.
The young brunette smiled back. "How are you feeling?" she asked. It was a dumb question, but it was better than nothing. She was too shocked right now to ask anything else.
Zell gave a slight nod. "I'll be fine," he replied. "How are you doing?"
In all honesty, Selphie couldn't help but frown. "Scared," she said, squeezing Zell's hand slightly. "I thought you died…" She looked into Zell's eyes. "I was so scared Zell!" She buried her face in his chest and began to weep.
The blond lifted up his hand on top of her head and stroked her brown, bouncy hair. "Hey, hey you don't need to be scared anymore. What matters is that I'm alive, right?"
Selphie lifted her head up and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She was still not convinced. "Why did you have to go and do something like that!?"
Zell looked away. "He's my friend too, Selphie. I couldn't just abandon him."
Selphie said nothing. "Zell...Something happened to Kent."
The blond turned his head back at her. "What happened? Did something happen to him?" When Selphie didn't answer, Zell sat up, but the pain in his shoulder was too much to bear, so he was forced to lie back down. "Tell me Selphie!" He placed a hand on hers. "What happened to Kent!?"
Selphie looked straight into his eyes. "He…" She took a deep breath. "After you fell unconscious, Kent forced his way towards you, but those men…they…" She bit her lip. She couldn't do this. She couldn't tell him, but the look she was giving him was too obvious. Zell could read her face and his eyes suddenly held that kind of fear he showed when his parents died. He held that look of an innocent child who had just lost his parents all over again.
"No…" Zell couldn't believe this. It was impossible. Kent was too trapped to be shot…dead… That's impossible! NO WAY! "No, you're lying." He shook his head, much to Selphie's disbelief.
"Why would I lie?" Selphie held Zell's hand tighter. She held her eyes against his and Zell knew…She wasn't lying. Tears began to form in his eyes. It collected there and as soon as he blinked, the tears began to fall at ones on the bed. And, for the first time, Zell began to weep. Selphie stood up and wrapped her arms around him, allowing her best friend to bury his face into her shoulder.
"It's all right, Zell," Selphie whispered. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here." Tears fell from her own eyes, remembering the same thing that happened between them when Zell lost his parents.
~past~
"It's okay Zelly," a ten year old Selphie whispered in ten year old Zell's ear. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here. Zell continued to cry, but Selphie refused to let him go. She continued to comfort him in any way she could. She let him cry as long as he wanted to.
"Why does everyone leave me?" the young boy whimpered from his lips.
Selphie shook her head. "No one is leaving you, Zelly. I won't leave you." She held him tighter in her arms. She could feel her best friend wiping his nose against her shoulder, but she didn't care. "I'll always be here. Remember that, okay? We're best friend, Zelly! Best friends NEVER leave each other's sides! They're ALWAYS together!"
"I want my mom! I want my dad!" Zell said, holding unto Selphie tighter now. "I miss them!"
Selphie stroked her best friend's blond head. "I miss them too," the young girl replied. "But they will always be beside you, even if you don't see them."
Zell sniffed. "Really?" He pulled away and looked at her.
Selphie nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Really! And because you'll always remember them in your heart, they will always be here beside you! It feels like they never left!" She began wiping his tears away with her hands.
The blond boy gave a smile.
~present~
"Thank you," Zell suddenly said.
Selphie opened her eyes, leaving the past and coming back to the future. She pulled herself away from him and looked into her best friend's eyes. "For what?"
Zell pulled her back in his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. "For being there when I got hit. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here."
The young brunette smiled and nodded. "Same with you." She wrapped her arms tighter around him. "Zell, you know what Kent told me while he was in the ambulance with you?"
The blond nodded. "What did he say?"
"He said he was sorry for getting you into trouble. He said that he deserved to be shot."
Zell once again buried his face in her shoulder. "That idiot…" he mumbled.
"I wanted to hate him for making you go there. I wanted to hit him many times, but what he said…it really hurt me. I felt guilty for feeling that way. I didn't want to believe that he was truly sorry, but the reason why he was on a stretcher with you was because he WAS truly sorry."
Zell said nothing as Selphie continued to talk. "And you know what else he said? He said that he always wanted to quit, change his life and be like you more. He wanted to grow up and have his own family to love and cherish like you do and have a future where there was no marijuana in his life. He said he was also sorry for dragging you into his 'life.' What did he mean by that?"
"That liar," he murmured. That was all he said in the matter. After that, he said nothing and Selphie chose not to pressure him with that question again.
They stayed embraced in each other's warmth for the longest time on that day. Zell felt secured in Selphie's arms. Every time he hugged her, it felt like he was home again; a home where his mom was baking cookies and to where his dad was fixing their old car that has been in the family for years. Every time he was in her arms, he was complete.
****************************
Rain was beginning to pour heavily upon them. There was silence, except of course for the raindrops that fell above them on the umbrella. The grave stood there, waiting patiently for the flowers to be put beside it. Zell kneeled down slowly and placed a bouquet of white lilies, ones that Kent told him reminded him of lonely flowers even amongst their own kind. He told the blond that those should be the flowers people should put beside his grave to remind him of the feelings he has felt before he met Zell. "Rest in peace, Kent," Zell whispered. He stood back up and stared down at Kent's resting place. "May you find your way home." The blond looked at his companion standing beside him and nodded. "Let's go," he said.
Selphie looked at Zell and gently linked arms with him. Silently, they both walked out of the graveyard, passing other graves of the people who lost their lives for some other reasons and back towards their car. They were just about to reach their destination, when a figure of a woman called to them. "Excuse me," she spoke softly.
Both Selphie and Zell looked up at the voice. She was a petite woman, maybe two inches shorter than Selphie and had short, dark hair, cut like a boy's style. Despite her height and boyish looks, the woman looked to be around her mid forties. "My name is Naomi Marshall," the woman said, introducing herself to the two.
Zell's eyes widened. "Marshall? You're-!"
"Kent's mother," she replied, finishing Zell's sentence.
Selphie glanced at Zell. "But I thought you said Kent was an orphan?"
The woman shook her head. "No, he was NEVER an orphan. He wished he was…" She looked down shamefully and sighed. "About a year ago, he ran away from home. Hours before he decided to drive away in his car and never come back, he left me a message on the answering machine, telling me that he was tired of living at home."
"Why?" Zell asked, placing the umbrella over the woman. Selphie decided to put on her hood, to show respect to the woman whose son just died, but kept her arms linked with her best friend.
Naomi took a deep breath, thanking Zell for the umbrella. "He and his father were VERY close, but when he died in a car accident, he began to turn cold and isolated from not only his friends, but me as well. I got tired of his attitude, I even yelled at him to prove my point that I didn't like his personality anymore and then he blew at me. Two days later, he left…" Tears fell from the woman's eyes.
Selphie reached inside her pocket and took out a tissue paper, then handed it to the woman. "Here," she said.
The woman took the tissue from Selphie and wiped her eyes with it. "And I had no idea he was here this whole time. For months I've been looking for him and just a week ago he wrote to me and told me where he lived. I got lost on the way to the address he gave me and by the time I did, the house was empty and I heard what happened from the landlord…"
Zell and Selphie stood there, unmoving, unable to say comforting words to Kent's mother. It was hard. They were still paralyzed from Naomi's story to say anything at all. Without a moment's rest, Naomi continued with her story. "In his letters, he told me how he has been living his life and he told me about…you…" She looked up and stared into Zell's eyes. The blond was surprised. He has never seen the eyes of a worried mother. He imagined they were just the same if his mother was alive today. "He talked about you a lot, Zell. He told me how great of a friend you are and I knew he was taken care of." More tears fell from her eyes. "I wanted to apologize to him for being so rash. The last words I told him before he left a year ago was…'I hate you.' Now…now I can't even apologize to him anymore, because…because…" She paused and began to weep, burying her face in her hands.
"Yes you can," Zell said.
Naomi looked up, surprised.
The blond placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Who says you can't apologize to your son? Even if he isn't here, I know that he knows you're sorry for what you said. He probably even knew that you didn't mean it. You can apologize to him now and I'm sure he can hear you."
"You really think so?"
Zell nodded. "I know so."
"Th-thank you…" Naomi stammered, wiping more tears from her eyes with the tissue Selphie gave her.
Zell grinned. Naomi gave him one last look, before walking pass them towards her son's grave. Both of them watched as the woman approached Kent's grave. "Come on, let's leave her alone," he heard Selphie say. Zell nodded and both of them walked back to their car.
When they were inside, Selphie in the driver's seat, while Zell in the passenger seat since his shoulder was still injured, they were silent for a while; overwhelmed by the story Kent's mother told them. They gave each other a couple of minutes of silence, before Selphie glanced at Zell and said, "Are you all right?"
Zell looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"So, what do you want to do now?" She put the keys in the ignition and pulled the gear into 'drive.'
"I want to go talk somewhere… just the two of us. Do you know a place?"
The rain had finally stopped.
Selphie nodded. She knew the right place to talk. "Yeah, I do." With that thought in mind, since the rain had stopped, she pulled out of the parking space and drove to their destination.
They arrived shortly to where Selphie thought would be the best place to talk. It was a deserted beach, but despite it being isolated from the city, it was very clean and untouched. It was supposed to be reserved for a construction site, but since the company didn't have enough money, they decided to terminate the plan. She was surprised that no one has ever touched it yet, or left any garbage to show they didn't care about the place. They were lucky enough for Selphie to think of the place. There was no one else there, except for a few flocks of birds searching for food. It was too bad, because it really was a nice beach, plus it had a nice view of the sunshine. "This place…" Zell said, once they stepped out of the car. He looked at Selphie. "This looks familiar."
Selphie shook her head in disbelief. "How can you not remember this place? This is where we first met!" She took his hand and dragged him further down the beach, towards the water and sat down on the soft sand, pulling him along with her.
Zell adjusted himself on the wet, sandy floor and sighed. They were quiet for a while, watching the sun that suddenly appeared from behind the clouds. It was about to set and it was a beautiful sight and quite surprising because a minute ago, it was dark and foggy. It was a good thing they came here to see the sun set. He looked around, trying to remember and the first image that came into his mind was him as a ten year old boy, carrying a ten year old Selphie on his back. Selphie was crying and complaining about the jelly fish that stung her left foot. That thought made Zell smile.
Selphie glanced at him. "What are you smiling about?"
Zell looked at her, wrapping his arms around his pulled up legs. "Well, I just started to remember that time when a jelly fish stung your leg and you insisted that I carry you on my back because you couldn't walk."
Selphie remembered that day too. "Oh yeah…"
"And to be perfectly sure, you weren't stung by a jelly fish at all."
"What? Of course I was!" Selphie said, slapping his arm playfully. "Don't lie to me!"
The blond shook his head and laughed. "I'm not! You THOUGHT you were, but you weren't! Didn't your brother ever tell you? It was just a crab that pinched your toe! I knew before then too, but I wanted to see how far you would go!"
Selphie frowned. "You and my brother were in on it? That's not fair!"
"And you went SO far! Unfortunately, it was a bad idea in the first place, because you were SOOOO fussy about it! You made me carry you all the way up that hill and back home!"
"Hah! Serves you right!" Selphie folded her arms across her chest and laughed.
For a while, they were quiet, until Zell spoke again. "Selphie, are you scared of dying?"
Selphie looked at him curiously. It was a strange question to ask and certainly a quick change in subject. "I am, but sometimes I'm not."
"What do you mean?" Zell asked, looking at her.
"I'm scared of dying of course! And I wonder sometimes where I would go once I die, if when we die…will we feel it? But you know what?" She smiled at him. "I don't like to think about it, because all I want to do is think about living."
Zell smiled back.
"And I'm sure Kent was probably thinking the same thing…" She moved closer to him, until their shoulders touched and laid her head on his shoulder. The left shoulder wasn't injured, so she was free to lay her head there. "Your parents too…"
Zell laid his head on top of hers. "I think so too…" He said, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Selphie's shoulders. "I'll miss all of them."
The brunette nodded. "I know you will. We all miss those who die, because we love them, but they know you're thinking of them, so they won't be sad wherever they are."
The blond smiled. "You're right…" He removed his arms from her shoulders and took Selphie's hand in his. "So, I'm going to quit…"
Selphie looked up. "Quit what?"
"I was to quit smoking and I need your help. Can you help me?"
The girl nodded, grasping her hand in his. "Of course I will…Best friends forever, right?"
Zell smiled. "For life…"
GoodGurl: WOOH! Chapter is finally finished! I actually LOVE this chapter! I am such a sucker for mushiness! ~ Stay tuned! ^^ Don't go yet tho! There is still a Millenium Day teaser! ^^
Millenium Day Fantasy 8
Running out of breath.
Tired of running.
But despite the obstacles, she ran as fast as she could. She wouldn't dare stop and if she did, there was no telling what 'they' would do once they captured the both of them. She couldn't let them capture her. Not yet. It would be the end of the world if 'they' took hold of her. It would be the end of them all.
"Where are we going?" the little voice beside her echoed, as they made a sharp turn in one of the dark corners of the halls. She glanced beside her where a ten year old girl ran just as slow beside her. It was hard to believe that this girl, so innocent and vulnerable could be one of the dangers of the world. The ones to bring death on earth. The curse that would end all mankind. She didn't understand it at all why she was protecting this girl.
"There they are!"
Startled, she looked over her shoulder to find a group of armed men chasing after them. She tugged the girl's arm, forcing her to run faster. She could hear them gaining on them, but she was not about to give up. It was far too risky for her to fight them all, especially with just one Silver Alloy left in her gun. It was much harder as well to protect the little girl with that one bullet while protecting her own life in the process. And just as her hope was running out on her, she noticed a door on her right. With a burst of speed, she picked up the girl in her arms and placed the girl inside. "Don't make a move, okay?" she whispered to the girl.
The girl nodded, her eyes widening in fright.
She smiled at the blond girl and winked at her. "Don't be scared. I promised them I'd protect you and I will!" She closed the door quickly and turned around to face her foes. About five men came in view from around the corner, all armed with their Gold Alloyed guns. She grinned, taking out her own gun from the holster and prepared herself for the fight.
They all stopped in front of her. One of them, dressed in a slightly different outfit than the rest, stepped forward, pointing the gun towards her. "Why don't you just give up and give us the girl? We promise we will spare your life."
She glared at them, gripping her right hand around the trigger and pointed it at the man. "You give up and I'll spare ALL your lives!"
The man laughed. "Did you hear that men? She plans on taking all of us out with just one bullet left!" The rest of his men laughed hoarsely.
A drop of sweat fell from the side of her face. Damn! Somehow, he knew she had one bullet left and it was a Silver Alloy, not enough to kill just one. They had Gold ones, that when fired from a gun, it would strike many enemies with just one shot. She was lucky that they were human enough not to shoot a woman and a child while on the run. Not only that, they had suits protecting them from any form of bullets, ESPECIALLY a Silver Alloy that can only damage a woman, a child or a small animal. She should've believed him and took a Gold Alloy with her, but she was far too stubborn to admit that she needed a man's opinion on the matter. She looked around, trying to find an opening that could help her and the little girl escape, but there was none. And there was only one thing left to do. She grinned. "Don't misunderstand me, Mr. Capitano..." she said, aiming the gun at the leader's head. "I plan on killing all of you...and this isn't just a Silver Alloy. It's a SPECIAL Silver Alloy."
All men's eyes widened in surprise.
Her grin grew wider. "Do you know how many men this 'special' Silver Alloy can kill? Or do you want to bet your life on it?"
"You're bluffing!" the captain said.
She shrugged. "Well, I guess you want to bet your life on it then, huh? I'll count to three...one...two..." Another sweat fell from her forehead.
The captain smirked. "A woman has no guts in killing anyone..." he said. Without a second thought, he fired. BAM! The bullet had hit its mark. She gasped. She never thought it would happen like this. She felt the hit. She felt the pain. It had hit at the side of her heart, barely missing it, but it did hit her. Her knees touched the ground and she could feel her body falling towards the ground.
It wasn't suppose to happen like this, she thought. She was suppose to protect the girl and bring her safely back to where she belonged.
"You're not good at bluffing," the captain said. "Get the girl!"
She could hear many footsteps around her as she hit the floor. Her heart was losing its beat. Blood began to spurt and drip on the floor. The footsteps began to fade and her life began to drift away from her body.
She could hear the little girl scream, but she couldn't move. She couldn't get a good look on where they had taken her.
Her eyes began to close.
Then...
She no longer breaths.