Chapter 3
Her face was radiating with happiness.
"Squall! Squall, thank Hyne I found you!" She flew into his arms, hugging him tightly. "I was so scared when you weren't there."
He stepped back, loosening her grip on him. "…Where are we?"
She stared at her shoes.
"I don't know exactly. We're still somewhere in Koë's forest, but where exactly…And I don't remember how I got here. I just…'got' here." She finished weakly.
Squall ran his hand through his hair. "You just 'got' here? Selphie, I've been worried sick! You fell to the ground, you fell unconscious! You've been asleep for I don't know how long. And now you're here, not worried about anything. How can you do that to me, to us!"
She put her hands on her hips. "I've been pretty worried about you! I woke up and you weren't there! Your stuff was gone, no fire was burning…I was all alone, you left me alone!"
Squall opened his mouth to say something snappy, but changed his mind.
"I- I never let you out of my sight…"
But she didn't hear him. She was striding towards the trees again.
'Maybe…it was all just a dream…' he thought. 'But why? Why would I dream such a thing?'
He ran to catch up. "Selphie…are you leaving me behind? Where are you going."
"Camp." She answered stubbornly.
"Camp?"
"Yes, camp."
"You mean there are more people here?"
She stopped to look at him for a second. "No. I set up a little tent for myself. That's it. I've been alone all this time. I haven't seen a single living thing here."
Squall smiled to himself. Selphie, who had always been convinced that the word 'camp' could only be used for a large group of people, had used it the way he had used it. He savoured that little victory for a moment.
When they reached the campfire he could see a bird-like creature was roasting in its flames.
"Pull up a log." She said as she sat down on one herself.
He nodded and did what she said.
"So…you've been here all alone? No one at all?"
She shook her head. "No one…no one except the forest creatures and a monster or two."
"Monsters?"
"Yeah…the ones that we fought. Koë's." She picked up a stick and poked the meat. "You got a knife on you? I lost mine."
Squall dived into the depths of his boot and got a clean dagger out. She took it and started to cut some meat off the roasting bird.
He took what she handed him and started to chew it.
"Those creatures, every time we fight one…I can see that they want to die. They want to be released to their own true form…I see it so clearly. They want to die."
"They never chose to become what she made them. They never transformed of their own free will. They were forced into this and once they have taken this alien form they lose control of their will." Squall said slowly.
Selphie nodded. "She tried to get into my head. She told me to kill you instead of her. She told me she'd give me a reward if I went to sleep. I'll bet that's how she did it."
She wiped her mouth and threw the dagger back at him. "Catch."
He held out his hand to catch it, but he caught it by the blade instead of the hilt. A little stream of blood dripped down from the cut on the palm of his hand.
He hissed and bit his lip. Selphie immediately apologised.
"Oh Hyne I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz! Here."
She tore the seem off her dress and wanted to wind it round his hand but he shook his head.
"Nah. It's just a cut. It'll heal."
"Don't play tough with me Squall. I know it hurts."
"Forget about it Selphie. It will heal in it's own. Hyne knows I've had worse."
Selphie sighed. She knew Squall was a stubborn guy, but she just never really got used to it.
"Fine. Let it heal then." She yawned and let herself fall on her back. "You know…I want to go home."
Squall looked up from his piece of meat.
"Can't you contact Nida?" she begged him. "We fought the sorceress and now we're done here. I want to go home. Please?"
Squall closed his eyes for a second. "…Nida. I'll try."
He reached into his pocket, but the microphone wasn't there.
'That's strange.' He thought.
"I…must've lost the mic. I can't find it."
"Oh great. How are we supposed to go home then. I mean, we can't walk all the way to Balamb."
He shrugged. "I don't know either, Selphie."
It was quiet for a while. The silence was only interrupted by the soft hoot of an owl in the woods. The Selphie coughed softly.
"Squall? You said…that I was unconscious. You said…that you hadn't left me alone…How come you remember something different from what I remember?"
"I don't know. I called Nida and he picked us up and I brought you to the Infirmary…that's what I remember."
"But you don't have the microphone. How could you contact Nida!"
"I-" he hesitated. "I had it then…but I put it…on my bedside table…"
Selphie looked at him.
"You know…I don't understand what's going on." She said slowly.
Suddenly she sat up straight and stared at him.
"Squall? I understand if you don't want to tell me, but…I heard some rumours around Garden…are they true…about Rinni and Nida?"
He sighed and stared up at the sky. "Yes. They're true. Rinoa and he- They went behind my back. But Nida apparently didn't know she was still with me because he's dumped her now…At least…that's what Rinoa told me before I could get you to the Infirmary. So I don't know if it was real or not…"
She nodded. "Yeah…I fell kinda sorry for her. But not all that much!" she added hurriedly when she saw Squall's frame stiffen.
"I don't feel sorry for her. She's so self-centred. Do you know she even asked me if Koë shifted to look like her? I mean-"
"Squall…don't you remember what Cid said? Koë'd change shape to take that of someone close to you. Rinoa's question…it was her last chance to see if you cared for her even a little." Selphie said quietly.
She got to her feet and crawled inside her tent. Squall remained on his log for another minute before getting to his feet as well.
He looked around. "Err…Selphie? I- err- I'll stay out here…"
"Nonsense, you don't have to sleep outside." She said from within the tent. "This thing is big enough for two people. Just give me a moment to change."
He turned away from the tent, suppressing the blush that crept to his face. He put the fire out and wrapped the rest of the meat in a piece of cloth.
"Okay! I'm done!"
He crawled into the tent. She was right. It really was big enough for two people.
'Two and a half, even.'
"Sorry that you have to sleep on the floor. I've only got one little mattress."
"It's alright. I'm happy enough to be inside the tent."
She smiled. "There's an extra blanket in my bag. Use that to sleep on and use your jacket to keep yourself warm. Trust me, that's most efficient."
He did what she told him to and laid down on the hard forest ground.
"Goodnight Squall." She said with a yawn.
"Goodnight."
He woke with a start.
"Selphie!" he shouted.
But Selphie wasn't there. And he wasn't in the tent. He was in his own bed, in his own dorm.
"It was a dream?" he said confusedly. "It was a dream?"
He sighed and looked at the clock.
09:00
He went into the bathroom and splashed water in his face. He shivered for a second and dried his face with a towel.
He ignored the rumbling feeling in his stomach and went straight to the Infirmary again. He hesitated slightly before he entered. Maybe he should wait…until the doctor called for him.
He stretched out his hand. When he touched the doorknob someone laid a hand on his shoulder. He quickly withdrew his hand and turned around.
"Hey Squall, couldn't resist to take a peek?"
"…Hey…Irvine."
"Ah, why the sullen face? She'll be alright, you know. Selphie always pulls through."
Squall shook off Irvine's hand.
"Come on, Squall. Go to the cafeteria. The rest is waiting."
Squall sighed but followed Irvine. Selphie would be alright. She was safe in the Infirmary and Kadowaki would call him if anything would happen.
When he entered the cafeteria he was greeted by all his friends. Rinoa was there too, leaning against the wall and hoping he wouldn't see her.
'Oh well, she'll be gone by nightfall.' He thought coolly.
He could not help to think back to what Selphie had said.
'It was her last chance to see if you cared for her even a little.'
Did Rinoa really still have feelings for him then?
'Maybe, maybe not.'
Even if she did, he couldn't trust her again. Not after this. He looked at the others. They offered him a seat and a plate of breakfast. He chewed it slowly and listened to the others talking.
Suddenly Zell spoke to him. "Hey Squall. What did you guys find out? About the monsters, I mean."
Squall felt a small shiver go down his spine, but he made sure no one noticed. "There were no monsters. Only innocent boys and girls, made into something no one could ever want to be."
The others looked at him curiously.
"I'll make a report. Read that." He answered, prodding the egg on his plate with his fork.
He stuck a piece of egg in his mouth and chewed it slowly.
"…Kccht…Commander Leonheart to the Infirmary please. Commander Leonheart...kccht."
He dropped his fork, nearly choking on the egg.
"'Scuse me." He muttered as he hastily got to his feet and made his way out of the cafeteria.
Rinoa looked at him as he left. "He's really concerned about Selphie…isn't he."
Quistis laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He was there when it happened. You can't blame him for being like this. He's just confused because he couldn't prevent what happened."
Rinoa looked at her hands in her lap. "…Are you sure that's all? It's none of my business anymore, but still…I don't think it's just concern."
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Squall asked as he barged into the infirmary.
"Selphie's condition is getting worse."
Squall looked at her. "…worse?"
"Yes. And I can't really do anything. She's in a come, but whatever is hurting her, is doing it from the inside."
Squall ran a hand through his hair. "So what you're saying…is that you can't help her…? She's just going to die?"
He brushed past Kadowaki and strode into Selphie's room. She was on her bed, looking exactly the way she had done the day before. Only now she was more pale. She was as pale as the sheets that covered her.
He took her hand.
"Squall…take a seat while I finish my examination."
He nodded and pulled up a chair to the bed. She gave him a clipboard.
"Here. Start your report. I know Cid wants it done and it's not like you're doing a lot here."
He took it and started to write. It was better than doing nothing at any rate. After a while the only sound heard was the scribbling of Squall's pen.
"So…did you get a good night's rest?" Kadowaki asked.
He shook his head. "…No. I had a strange dream."
"Oh?"
"Yeah…I dreamt I saw Selphie…in a forest. She was mad at me because I had left her alone. It was so real that at first I thought she was right and that going back to Garden was only a dream. But I woke up here again. So the forest and Selphie were the real dreams…"
He could feel that doctor Kadowaki gave him a strange stare. He got up and bent down over Selphie.
"Tell me, Squall, was there anyone else in that forest?"
"No. According to her just some animals…oh…and those artificial monsters…Koë's…"
"I see."
He stroked a few strands of hair from Selphie's eyes. Suddenly Kadowaki grabbed his hand. He looked at her.
"Squall? What's that on your hand?"
He looked. Right across the palm of his hand was a thin trail of dried blood covering a long cut. He stared at it.
"That wasn't there yesterday, was it." She asked.
"N-no…"
That cut hadn't been there yesterday. But when…
'What the-'
"I dreamt that! Selphie tossed me my dagger and I caught it wrong way up. But…that was just a dream!"
"Was it? Tell me, did you junction lighting magic to your dagger?"
He nodded. "How did you know?"
She pointed at the cut. "See the scorch marks along the line? Those were made by lightning magic."
He pulled his hand back and stared at it. "But…but…"
He stumbled back and fell into the chair. Doctor Kadowaki pulled up another chair and sat next to him.
"Squall, you must not let this confuse you. Did Selphie sound normal? Did Selphie appear real?"
He didn't answer, still looking at the cut wondrously.
"Squall." She urged. "This might be a spell. You battled with a sorceress. Remember that there might be some residue magic inside your body."
He looked at Selphie's motionless body.
"But why am I not…in the state she is in? Why did I have that dream?"
The doctor got up and handed him his clipboard again. "Finish your report, Commander. It might bring us the answers we need."
He took the clipboard but didn't look at it. He looked at his hand, where the cut had received in his dream seemed to taunt him.
Doctor Kadowaki laid a hand on his shoulder. "The report, Commander."
He nodded. First the report, then some rest.
Ack, sorry for the late update everyone…I've just been really busy lately. You won't believe how much time I have to put into studying for my exams!
Matron Raenee: It'll become even cuter! Trust me! Well, also more OOC, but I'm hoping you don't mind. You have to be a bit ooc if you want to write a squalphie, I think. Anyway, thank you fro the sweet review. Huggles back!
Frost: I know Squall's ooc, but I can't really help that. It's hard to write a convincing Squalphie if Squall remains his sullen self. Anyway, I'm glad this is so much different from other squalphies, being original always feels good :P And I am glad you still like it, even though Squall's a bit off.
I'll update sooner than last time, now, because I don't have classes this week :D. So be prepared for the cuteness!
