A/N: Ashbear and Phoenix Blade - thanx for reviews, it means a lot to me!
*Still don't own Final Fantasy or the characters, except Elly – she's all mine ^_~*
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*Chapter 2 – A Perfect Night*
"Are you all right? You look like if you saw the ghost." Seifer sounded worried.
"I...I'm fine, I guess...it's just that... you scared me, that's all."
He let go her hand. "Sorry, I didn't want to scare you, I just saw you and wanted to say that I meant what I said yesterday. I really am sorry."
"It's ok, I guess... I mean... you were possessed, right?" She couldn't calm down; she was still shivering.
"You don't believe me, right? It's ok, I didn't expected you would believe, you or Squall, I know what happened, I was there, just couldn't control my actions, like if I was looking at somebody else doing it."
"I ... I believe you, I guess, It's just that..." She didn't know how to tell it.
"You can't trust me yet?"
"Something like that" She felt uncomfortable around him. Once she had thought she loved him. She cared for him, that's for sure. But he tried to kill her. He tried to kill Squall. She didn't know what to feel for him. Hate? Fear? Pity?
"ROARG" Angelo was running through the main hall. He jumped on Rinoa and they both fell on the floor. Seifer offered his arm to help her up.
"Angelo!? Who let you out?" She took Seifer's hand trying to get up.
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"Angelo! Come here!"
"If you come I'll buy you one big juicy bone!" ~that darn dog, who knows where he ...~
He stopped. Bewildered. In front of Cafeteria stood Seifer helping Rinoa to get up, she looked scared. ~I told him to stay the hell away from her~ Squall put his hand to reach his gunblade, but it wasn't there. That dream has confused him so much that he had forgot to take it; he has never forgot it before. ~Damn you red chocobo, good thing that Seifer doesn't have his Hiperion either. ~ He felt rage overtaking him. His intuition told him that he must protect her. He may be telling truth about possession thing, but he could be lying as well. Squall couldn't risk, not with Rinoa. Seifer tried to hurt her once, he wont be able to do it again.
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Rinoa saw him coming toward them. He was mad, he didn't show it, but she could see it.
"I thought I told you to stay the hell away from her" Squall was again trying to control himself.
"Squall we were just talking. You know, that thing you're not good at." Seifer was angry, angry because he had to explain his every move since he came here. He knew that they had good reasons for doubting him. He knew it isn't Squalls fault, but he just couldn't take it any more. "What? You're scared that she'll escape from you with somebody who can actually talk? That she'll find out what a loser you are?" Seifer was teasing him now; he wanted to fight, to let it go.
Squall was looking at Seifer with hate in is eyes. If look could kill, Seifer would be dead.
"Squall don't," Rinoa didn't know what to do. She felt helpless; she has never seen him like this.
"What happen', afraid to talk? O bad, bad, me, I scared poor puberty boy."
"Seifer shut up. You want me to talk to you? I'll talk to you. I'll talk about a guy, who failed his SeeD exam, just because he didn't want to listen his simple orders! I'll talk about a guy whose romantic dream was to become a sorceress's lapdog, who wanted to destroy his only home. Who is a loser here, Seifer?" Squall knew he wasn't right. He knew that Seifer had done a good thing when he didn't obey his orders at his SeeD exam. He even started to believe that he was possessed, but he was mad.
"Squall, please!" Rinoa felt tears in her eyes. She could feel tension between them, and couldn't do anything to stop them. Angelo started roaring.
It was always like this, even when they were in orphanage. Seifer was asking for a fight and Squall would give it to him, but now Squall answered him. This was the problem, Seifer didn't want to talk, or to listen, he wanted a fight. He didn't expect Squall to answer him, Squall never has. His only answer was fight. Seifer freaked out. ~ Two can play your game ~
"So what if I wanted to be a sorceress knight? Maybe you didn't? Oh... I get it, you didn't want to be a knight, you only wanted the sorceress, right? To take what you want and then go away. Am I right? 'Course I am." Even Seifer knew that he exaggerated. "I don't blame you, she is a real pro in the bed after all."
~ I have never...~ Rinoa looked bewildered, she couldn't believe what have Seifer just said. One moment he was chatting with her, and other he was all crazy.
That was it. Squall couldn't control himself anymore. Before that Seifer could even notice Squall's fist was rushing toward him. Seifer almost fell down.
"Don't ever even try to say something like that." Squall shouted. Seifer slowly turned to Squall, stared at him for a moment and then punched him back. Angelo was growling angrily.
~Squall! ~ "Stop it! Both of you! Please." Rinoa almost cried. But it was useless, they continued with their fight.
"What's going on?" Irvine came out from Cafeteria with Zell behind him. They knew that this was serious; Squall wouldn't fight in front of Cafeteria if not, it was against the rules. "Hey, guys, stop it!"
Irvine and Zell tried to stop them. Irvine went to stop Seifer and Zell tried to stop Squall. Seifer calmed down as soon as Irvine caught him. Zell's task wasn't as easy; Squall was really pissed out.
"Get lost." Irvine said silently but seriously to Seifer. Seifer pushed Irvine's arms of him, turned around and went away.
Squall pushed Zell of him. Rinoa came to Squall with tears in her eyes and slapped him against his face. She looked at his puzzled eyes and then hugged him tightly.
"You could get hurt." She whispered. He hugged her back.
"C'mon, I need a cold drink, I'm exhausted," Zell looked at Irvine "Yo man, next time you take Squall and I'll take Seifer." Zell disappeared in Cafeteria.
Irvine chuckled following him.
"Go with them," Rinoa said. "Maybe they have some ice in Cafeteria. I don't wanna dance with a black eye guy tonight." Squall smiled. "I must take Angelo to my dorm. I'll be back soon.
"And Squall..." He turned around. "I have never slept with him." Squall nodded.
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"All I wanted to say is that I'm afraid of her reaction, not of HER!!!"
Everybody was laughing. Irvine couldn't even breathe. "Are you sure? She looks kinda scary."
Selphie started to smile hysterically. She lost her balance and fall from her chair. Now Rinoa started to laugh hysterically. Squall stood up, took her, and placed her on his lap.
"One fall is more than enough for today." He said. This was too much for the others. Even Zell was smiling now.
"Okay, seriously." Irvine tried to calm down. "I think you should ask her, she arrived yesterday, there's no way that she's going with somebody else.
"Yea, you should ask her." Rinoa nodded. ~ Elly needs to relax and Zell is a good guy for this. ~
"OK, I'll ask her." Zell stood up.
Elly entered the Cafeteria. She had taken her breakfast and she was looking around, trying to find a place to sit down. Rinoa waved her secretly to come sit with them
Zell sat back. ~ What now? What now? What now? ~ "What now?"
Irvine shook his head "Go there and ask her. Actually... you don't have to go there, she is coming here.
"Hi." She sat down.
"Hi Elly. Slept well?" Selphie asked.
"Not really." She smiled slightly. "You know, new bed, new room."
Irvine elbowed Zell, giving him a look.
"Umm, Elly? Ya know... there's a SeeD party tonight. And I'm a SeeD so I have to go there. I was wondering if... if you would go there. With me I mean." Irvine rolled his eyes.
Elly looked at Rinoa, who nodded with smile. Elly smiled too.
"I mean... I know you don't even know me yet, but it doesn't matter cuz it's just a dance..." Zell continued babbling. ~What am I talking about~
"Okay." Elly said.
"And...and... OK!?!" Zell looked at her not believing his ears.
"Okay, I'm going with you." Elly smiled.
Zell gave a joyful leapt into the air and smacked his palms together.
Quistis and Rinoa were trying to suppress laugh.
~ This guy doesn't even know how lucky he is. ~ Irvine thought.
*Announcement: Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, Quistis Trepe, Irvine Kinneas, Rinoa Heartilly, Seifer Almasy and Elly Liverel, please come to my office. *
~This sure is strange. Eight SeeDs...well, seven SeeDs and a sorceress. Something big is going on. ~ Irvine thought.
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Everybody was already in Headmaster's office except Seifer. Nobody knew what's going on because Cid didn't want to start without him. Squall was annoyed and he didn't even try to hide it.
"Sorry guys, I had some business." Seifer rushed in. Squall glared at him.
"At least. Seifer, the fact that you are a SeeD now doesn't mean that you can come on meeting whenever you want, understood?"
~Right, like if he was coming on time before he became a SeeD. ~ Squall thought.
"Yes sir."
"As I see, you have already met our new SeeD, Elly Liverel," Cid continued. "She informed me about situation in the north of Esthar and I have decided to send you to see what is happening there. Commander, here's your report. You have to go there and figure out what's going on. Details are in report. You're leaving tomorrow morning in 11:00."
~What? He is sending Seifer with us on a mission? This can't be possible. ~ Squall slapped a hand to his forehead. ~ And why is he sending so many SeeDs for this mission? ~
~Gee, Squall and Seifer together in Ragnarok? This can't be good. ~ Zell thought.
~ I can't believe it! He is sending his best SeeDs on this mission and all I could offer him was few Gils. ~ Elly couldn't believe how lucky she is.
SeeDs saluted.
"I expect you all tonight on the SeeD party." Cid said as they were leaving.
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"What do you think?" Selphie asked girls behind her looking herself in the mirror. She was dressed in short crimson dress. Rinoa and Elly were lying on the bed, eating chocolate and playing triple triad.
"It suits you perfectly!" Rinoa smiled.
"WOOF" Angelo agreed.
"What about you two? Where are your dresses?" Selphie turned around.
"In my dorm. YEA I won!!! Lets play another one." Rinoa smiled.
"No way, I'm not playing with you any more, you win every time." Elly smiled too, she was relaxed, chatting with her friends, eating chocolate. She hasn't had so much fun for ages. "How come you don't wear your SeeD uniforms? Back in Esthar Seeds have to wear them for SeeD party." She asked.
"They have to wear them here too. But girls have to wear them only when they pass the SeeD exam, after it they can wear a dress. Anyway I don't have one, so I can't wear it."
"You're not a SeeD?" Elly was puzzled. "But you were fighting in the second sorceress war."
~Should I tell her? ~ "It's that... well... ~Not yet. ~...It's a long story." Rinoa didn't know what to say.
"She's a sorceress." Selphie said without turning to them. Rinoa looked at Selphie surprised. Elly looked at Selphie and then back at Rinoa.
"Huh?"
"Yea, I'm a sorceress." Rinoa confessed.
"Wow! Sorceress and a SeeD commander together at the SeeD party." Elly smiled nervously trying to break the tension.
Rinoa looked on the other side, trying to hide her suddenly sad expression.
~Did I say something wrong? ~"I said something wrong right?" Elly realized that the tension was growing.
"No, it's nothing. You're right; it's strange. They even offered me to become a SeeD myself." Rinoa tried to smile.
"Why didn't you accept?"
"That would be really ironic, I would be trained to fight against myself." She smiled now.
"Yea, you're right." Elly agreed.
"So, Elly, What's with Zell?" Selphie tried to change the subject.
Elly smiled. "Nothing. He asked me to go and I accepted." Selphie looked at her, her look saying ~yea right~ "Ok, ok, he's kinda cute, he makes me laugh." Elly turned red. Rinoa laugh.
"Ha, ha, I knew it!" Selphie looked at the watch. "Don't you two think it's time to go dress? " she asked.
"You're right, I almost forgot." Rinoa said.
"Lets go before she starts singing." Rinoa whispered with a giggle. "Angelo stay here, I'll be back soon." Two girls left.
"We're go-ing to the par-ty.
La-la-la la-la la
We're go-nna have fun"
"Woof"
"La-la-la la-la la" Selphie singed happily.
Somebody knocked two times.
"C'mon in Quisty!" Selphie yelled and continued singing quietly.
"How did you know it's me?" Quistis entered. She wore a violet knee-length dress. She had pulled her hair up leaving few tendrils to fall on her face.
"You're the only one who knocks! What do you think?" She turned around dancing.
"You look great! Where did you buy that dress?"
"In Dollet, Hey! Look at you! Who's the lucky guy?" Selphie asked.
"No one, actually I'm going alone." Quistis sighed silently, hoping her friend didn't notice that.
"They don't know what they're missing!" Selphie turned to the mirror.
Two girls heard laughing outside the dorm, and then Rinoa and Elly burst in still laughing. Rinoa wore a short, light yellow gown, and Elly a light blue one.
"See what I told you? You're the only one." Selphie looked at Quistis.
"Come here," Selphie said to Elly. "Let me do something with your hair." Elly came and sit in front of mirror. "You know you have beautiful hair?"
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Squall took a small, scarlet box and sat on his bed, playing with it. He was smiling unconsciously. He couldn't wait to see her, to be with her. ~I really have changed. ~ He laughed silently, ~No, she changed me. ~ He remembered the first time he saw her. ~She came with a shooting star. ~ He realised that he wouldn't be able to live without her any more. He stood up and went to find his angel.
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It was a quarter till nine. Rinoa was in her dorm, waiting for her knight in shining armour. She took a last look in the mirror happy with her appearance. She heard knocking on her door and went to open them. There he stood, her lion, her knight, with a smile on his face. It was still strange to see him smiling.
"You're beautiful tonight my angel." He came closer and whispered: "Close your eyes" She closed them. He put a small scarlet box in front of her.
"Now you can open them." She opened her eyes slowly and smiled surprised. She took the box and opened it. She opened her mouth in surprise. In front of her, in a small scarlet box, stood the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was a necklace made of white gold with a heart in the middle. There were three tiny diamonds on the left side of a heart.
"It's beautiful!" She said, still surprised.
"It'll be even more beautiful when you put it on." He said as he was putting it around her neck. She stood on her toes, kissed him and hugged him tightly.
"Lets go I want to show to the world how beautiful my girlfriend is." ~ Oh Hyne, I sound like Irvine. ~
~Girlfriend. ~ She smiled.
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Squall, Rinoa and their friends were sitting all together at the round table near the stage and listening to Cid's speech.
"I want to congratulate our three new SeeDs; Mike Nolan ..." Everybody applaud. "...Emma Mathews..." Cheers grew. "...And Seifer Almasy." Cheers stopped, only few claps could be heard.
~ I've disserved it. ~ Seifer thought to himself.
"I kinda feel pity for him," Quistis whispered to Squall as Cid continued with his speech. "He came back to the place where no one cares about him. Actually most of the students hate him."
~ I don't blame them. ~ Squall thought.
"Hey Rinny," Selphie turned to her. "Nice necklace you have there."
"Yea, It's beautiful, Squall gave it to me." She smiled.
"I know, he shoved it to me because he wanted to know if you would like it. I couldn't believe he picked it by himself, it's beautiful."
"Squall shoved it to you, because he wanted to know if I would like it? That's so sweet!" Rinoa was so happy.
"...And now, I would like to call our Commander to say few word to new SeeDs." Cid finished his speech. Silence covered the room.
Squall turned around to confirm what he has just heard.
"Go Squall, and surprise them all." Rinoa whispered to him.
Squall stood up, still not believing what he's doing. He went to the stage thinking what to say. He stood in silence for a moment and started: "Every kid, who comes here, has a dream. His dream is to become a SeeD, to prove that he is good enough to become one of Gardens best students and elite warriors. They," He pointed toward new SeeDs behind him. "Have made their dreams come true, and that's why this is so important." He turned to them not looking at Seifer and saluted. "Good work." They saluted and he turned back. " Now enough talk and lets have some fun." Everyone was quiet. Rinoa started clapping, followed by Zell, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine and Elly. Soon after everyone was applauding. ~Was I the one saying that? ~ Squall returned to his table.
"You were great!" Rinoa hugged him.
Orchestra started playing.
"May I have the pleasure?" Irvine offered Selphie his hand. She took his hand smiling at him and they went to the dance floor.
Cid came to their table. "Squall, you made me proud today." He said and saluted. Squall saluted back.
"Is it really so strange when I say something in front of people?" He asked Rinoa.
"Kind of, but it's a nice change." She smiled.
"Than I'll have to do this more often." He smiled back. ~ He's looking so good when he's smiling. ~ She thought.
"Umm, Elly? Would you like to dance?" Zell asked. ~ Say yes! Say yes! ~
"Sure" She smiled.
Squall was watching his sorceress. He remembered how they argued when he worked for her. He liked her first time he saw her. He knew this now, but back then he didn't want to admit it to himself. She is so beautiful, almost unreal. He loved her more then anything. ~So why can't I just say it? ~ He was afraid of loosing her, afraid that she doesn't know how he feels about her. He made a promise to himself; he'll show it to her, he'll tell her.
~ But not now. ~
"You're the best looking girl in here, dance with me?"
Rinoa took the game and didn't respond.
"I bet you'll dance only with someone you like. I know... Look into my eyes: You're-going-to-like-me, you're-going-to-like-me." He came closer and kissed her. "Did it work?"
"Yep, lets dance!" She said and dragged him on the dance floor, again.
Rinoa looked around her and saw Selphie and Irvine dancing, Selphie waved to her and she waved back. Behind them were Zell and Elly laughing about something. She looked up and saw his eyes, those blue eyes she loved so much. He smiled to her. Rinoa couldn't believe how happy she is. She was surrounded with her friends and close to him. Squall. She felt so secure, so protected in his arms. So loved. Although he has never told her he loves her, she knew it. He showed it to her more than once. Her life was now like a fairy tale. The part when everybody lives happily ever after.
Orchestra started playing Eyes on Me. Squall hugged her, and they left themselves to the music. Nothing was important in that moment, nothing except them and their love. Just a sorceress and her knight. An angel and a lion. She wanted that moment to last forever.
Squall looked at her. She looked so happy. He kissed her and she returned the kiss. For the first time he didn't care about who could see them, or what the others think. Only thought in his mind was Rinoa.
Once again they were interrupted by firework. They both looked up.
"Come, I'll show you something." Squall took her hand and led her toward the balcony.
"It's so nice here!" Rinoa looked back at him with a question in her deep brown eyes. "Why did you brought me here?"
"I was afraid that you'd run away like last time."
She smiled to him.
"And... to tell you that ... I love you."
Rinoa looked at him, single tear appearing in her eye.
"Squall, I love you too." She threw herself in his arms.
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A/N: Was it good? I hope so. In the next chapter will begin the real story! (Phoenix Blade: I wont put Seifer & Quistis together. You're right, there are to many Seiftis on this site.)
ReViEw!!!!