Disclaimer: I did this once already- do I have to do it again? But anyway thank you my adoring public…… erm... reviewers. ^.~ And let's all remember- August 20th was "Thank Your Beta Reader Day," if you forgot, thank them now and pretend today is "Thank You Beta Reader Day." They'll never know. Sorry for the delay, but I was on vacation.
Zell woke up the next day with the weight of cold metal around his neck. Incoherent and still between sleep and the waking world, Zell reached up to touch the unfamiliar object. Zell blinked- Squall's necklace? What was he doing wearing Squall's necklace? Zell thought for a moment, then faintly remembered slipping the Griever necklace over his head and around his neck last night so that he wouldn't lose it in the dark. Turning to look next to him, and empty bed and rumpled blankets indicated that Squall had already gotten up. Zell slid out from under his own bed covers and grabbed a clean shirt and shorts to change into. Entering the kitchen, Zell saw Squall sitting there, patiently waiting for him.
"Seifer got in trouble," Squall said. Squall's expression remained the same except for a subtle look of satisfaction creeping into his eyes.
"For what?" Zell asked, puzzled. Edea had seemed to believe Seifer when he'd said the fish falling into the ocean was an accident, but Seifer wouldn't have gotten in trouble over an 'accident.'
"Your fish. Wasn't an accident- I saw," Squall said. Zell was surprised; Squall had told Matron about Seifer? "He can't come upstairs today," Squall continued, obviously pleased with the punishment.
"Thank yoo!" Zell exclaimed. He felt like dancing around; his rival was in trouble and he seemed to have a friend.
"Whatever. . ." Squall shrugged, smiling modestly. It wasn't a big deal. There was a pause in the conversation.
"Squall...?" Zell asked, shyly.
"Yeah?"
"Do yoo think about your parents ever?"
"Yeah." Squall looked downwards.
"I miss mine lots." A pause.
"I didn't know 'em. I have Sis- yoo seen her?" Squall hadn't seen Ellone since last night; it seemed like she'd just disappeared.
"Nope," Zell said. Last night he'd been so busy mourning the loss of his fish that he hadn't paid attention to anything else. Speaking of last night-- "Oh yeah, your necklace. . ." Zell reached up to unfasten it.
"Keep it for awhile," Squall held up a hand, motioning Zell to stop.
"Hey thanks!" Squall shrugged. Once again, it was no big deal.
Edea entered the room, pausing when she saw Squall. Her face held an unusually tight look, as if she had been holding something back that she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Squall. . ." Edea started, hesitantly. "There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Squall didn't do nothing!" Zell protested, fiercely defending his friend. "Seifer's lying if he said he did."
"Zell, this involves Ellone, not Seifer, and even though you may be mad, you have no grounds to accuse Seifer of anything," Edea chided, turning to Squall. "She's left here. She thought it was better to leave than to pose a danger to the other children." Squall froze, face going from completely blank to anxious, as realization hit him.
"Where's Sis!?" Squall's eyes were wide with panic.
"I'm so sorry Squall," Edea said, kneeling. She held her arms open and hugged Squall as he latched onto her.
"Sis doesn't like me anymore, does she?" Squall said, sobbing on Edea's shoulder.
"Oh, Squall, Ellone loved you so much, and it hurt her so to leave you, but she did it for you. She loved you enough to leave you," Edea comforted, gently patting Squall's back as he sobbed and choked out a response.
"Don't make sense! Don't make sense at all!" Squall pulled out of Edea's arms roughly, and banged through the door, running without stopping to think about where he was going to go. "I'm gonna find Sis!" came the shout from outside. Edea stood quickly, and chased him through the door, her advantage of height negated by the limitations of her long black dress.
"Squall!" The door slammed shut, leaving Zell to a suddenly silent room. He mentally debated, then opened the door and slid outside, taking care to shut it softly behind him. He cautiously followed the path Edea and Squall had taken, stopping short to avoid being seen. Peering from behind a pillar, Zell witnessed a strange sight. A tall young man stood near Matron, and they seemed to be talking. Zell wasn't close enough to hear the conversation, but snatches of it drifted by him on the wind.
". . .don't worry. . .won't go anywhere. . ." Zell observed the stranger with admiration, who was this strange person, and why did he look so familiar?
". . .poor thing. . ." A cloud of purple smoke appeared behind them, and Zell stifled a cry, eyes watering in fear at the winged female creature that staggered closer to the stranger and Matron. In a quick motion, the young man drew a blade that looked like a strange cross between sword and gun, and moved into an attack stance. The strange winged being staggered closer still, and Zell was too afraid to be surprised that the stranger had called Edea 'Matron.' Edea walked forward slowly, and the stranger slowly lowered his weapon. What looked like purple lightning bolts struck Edea, and she froze where she stood, then fell to her knees.
"Matron!" Zell's cry was drowned out by the identical shout of the stranger. The young man's eyes met Zell's briefly, and a flash of realization crossed his face before the stranger rushed to the side of Edea. The stranger knelt down by her, and they exchanged words that Zell couldn't quite make out over the sound of his own loudly beating heart. The stranger helped Edea stand, and they both turned as Squall came running towards them.
". . .can't find Sis. . ." Squall said, tearfully. ". . .Am I. . . all alone?" Zell was upset to see his friend so sad, but wisely stayed in his hidden position. Edea said something to Squall, then turned back to the stranger. The stranger saluted, then disappeared. Zell blinked, disbelieving what he had just seen.
With a start, Zell realized that Edea was leading Squall back towards the house, and he hurriedly snuck back inside, electing to pretend that he hadn't seen anything.
The rest of the day carried on without anymore bizarre occurrences, the only variance being the lack of Seifer. By the time that Zell pulled up the covers of his bed, he was close to forgetting the events that had transpired that morning. His breathing was finally slowing and his eyes drooping, when suddenly his eyes opened wide, remembering something that he needed to do before sleeping. He slid out of bed.
Action carried out, he crept back underneath his blankets and smiled, satisfied.
The next morning, the blonde was once again unadorned, and the brunette's neck was weighted with the heavy necklace securely fastened around it.
It was better that way.
