Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I do not own the places. I don't own anything related to FFVIII, all I own is the plot.


Chapter 4

"You did it again! How could you do that to me? That's twice in a row. I'm serious mister, that's the last time I'm going to worry about you!"

Squall looked around. He was sitting on the ground, in front of a campfire. Selphie was towering over him menacingly.

"Wha- Not again…" he muttered.

Selphie stared at him. "Not again? What do you mean 'not again'?"

He stood up. "Selphie, this isn't real. This is a dream. In fact, you are a dream."

She smacked him in the face. "There! Did that feel real enough for you? I'll tell you what's real. I woke up in my tent and you had gone. I was worried sick. You don't return for an entire day and suddenly you sit there, waiting for me at the fire!"

She stomped her foot on the ground and turned her back to him.

He sighed and scratched his head. "…Selphie…don't be like this. I was pretty worried about you too, you know."

She huffed.

"Come on, Selphie. Please?"

He stretched out his hand to touch her shoulder when all of a sudden someone shook him back and forth by his shoulders. The world around him dissolved and he found himself in a seat in the infirmary.

"Squall, how long have you been here, man?"

He yawned and looked at Irvine. "…I…don't know. How long have I been gone?"

"Since breakfast. That's more than five hours…Hey…did someone hit you?" he added suddenly.

"What?"

"You've got a fist mark on your face. Man…bitch-slap." He smirked. "But anyway…what were you doing?"

Squall looked around and saw the clipboard.

"I was…writing my report. I must've fallen asleep."

Irvine smirked again. "Come on lover boy, time for you to get some exercise."

"…Lover boy?"

"Hell yeah. Don't go denying it. I can see something happened between you and Selphie during that mission."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened. Honestly Irvine, you need to get your mind out of the gutter."

"But you're so protective and caring. It's not shame, you know."

"Trust me, Irvine. Nothing happened. I'm just concerned about her. But you're right about one thing."

"I am?"

"Yeah. I cold do with some exercise. Let's go train."


"Squall? What are you doing?" she shrieked.

She watched petrified as the young man calmly drew his Gunblade.

"Squall! Don't! Stop it!"

"…Renzokuken."


"Nice one, Squall!" Irvine said merrily as Squall defeated a Gnat with a fire spell.

"Yeah…I guess some of Ifrit's skills rubbed off on me after all that training. I'm getting good at firaga's."

"Let's go get some lunch. I'm starved."

The two young men entered the cafeteria with smiles on their faces. They soon found a table at the back of the cafeteria where they discovered another table occupied by a few girls in Garden uniforms.

"Hey Squall. Check those chicks out."

Squall glanced at them and shrugged. "They're first years. Not SeeDs yet. Age…around sixteen."

"Exactly. They must look up to us."

Squall sighed.

"Ah, come on Squall. Loosen up. You're the Commander. Any idea how much that impresses girls?"

"I have absolutely no interest in misleading those girls, Irvine. And neither should you."

Irvine shrugged. "You're too nice, Squall. Nice doesn't get you anywhere with the ladies."

Squall snorted. "You're one to talk. It cost you more than one girlfriend because you weren't nice."

"Yeah, yeah…just finish your lunch and let's get out of here."

Squall noticed that Irvine kept glancing at the clock.

"Are you nervous, Irvine?" he asked innocently.

"Me? No, no. But hurry up, will you?"

Squall wiped his fingers on his napkin and made sure not to get up too hastily. He followed Irvine outside.

"Can I ask you something, Irvine? Why did you and Selphie…you know…I mean, you fitted together like…you two were a match made in heaven, if you trust the school's gossip paper."

Irvine merely laughed. "See, there's the problem. Selphie never was my girlfriend. Selphie and I were really, really good friends. And although I might have wanted her to be more that just that, she didn't feel that way. And frankly, I didn't want to ruin that friendship. I was happy enough just being her friend."

They stopped.

"But anyway." Irvine said. "Never trust the gossip paper. Have you read some of the other things they wrote? According to them Rinoa and Nida had something going on. They think that's the reason she's leaving."

Squall's smile faded. "…it is."

"Oh…" Irvine bit his lip. "Sorry man, I didn't know…Damn…"

"It's alright. Really, it is. I don't care anymore."

He continued to walk down the corridor.

"…err…Squall, maybe you shouldn't go-" Irvine said.

But it was too late.

"Rinoa." Squall muttered surprised.

Rinoa stood near the exit, two suitcases at her feet.

"…Squall."

"I thought…"

"Yeah…I'm leaving now."

He took her hand. "Listen, I don't want you to leave like this. I don't want us to part in anger."

"You don't?"

"I haven't forgotten or forgiven it. But this just doesn't feel right."

She smiled. "Thank you. Friends?"

He hugged her.

"Sure."

"I'd better go now. Dad's waiting for me outside."

He stared at the ground for a second. "You don't have to go, you know."

She shook her head. "No. I have to go. I staid here too long anyway. I'm not a SeeD, I'm not a student…this isn't where I belong."

"But you don't get along with your father at all."

"We'll work it out. And we can still be friends, can't we? You and me?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll come by some time. And everyone is really welcome at out place in Delling."

The car outside was impatiently driving around in the parking lot.

"I'd better go." She took her suitcases. "Bye."

A bit clumsily she hugged him with her hands full. He watched her leave though the door. He found it strange that he wasn't feeling anything. No relief, no sadness.

He turned around and saw Irvine waiting at a small distance.

"You set us up." he said.

Irvine shrugged. "I just knew you two needed to talk. Though I'm curious…why were you so calm when last time you two spoke you were yelling at her?"

"…Something Selphie said to me. Or at least…I think she said to me…"

Irvine shook his head confusedly. "Whatever you say."

"…kccht…Doctor Kadowaki to the infirmary please. Emergency in room three. I repeat, doctor Kadowaki to the infirmary…kccht."

"Room three…isn't that Selphie's room?"

Irvine turned to Squall, but Squall was already gone. He was running straight to the infirmary. Irvine followed him.

When they reached the infirmary they saw it was a chaos. Several people in white coats were running in and out of room three. Squall pushed his way through.

"Doctor, what's going on?"

But his question was lost in a loud outrage.

"Out! Everybody out! I don't want a single intern in this room, out!"

Doctor Kadowaki was making wild movements with her arms, scooping everybody out.

"Doctor!" Squall said loudly.

She looked up. "Ah, Squall. You stay."

He nodded. "And Irvine?"

"He can stay too. But all the others…" she shot one menacing glance at the interns, who left muttering to each other.

Irvine and Squall pulled up two chairs to the bed and stared at Selphie.

"She looks-"

"Worse. Yes. One of the interns called me. Said she went rigid. Her whole body tensed up. I've been monitoring this room so I was able to see it on video. She's ice cold. Her heartbeat is speeding yet also weakening. She's dying."

"What!"

Both young men jumped to their feet.

"I'm sorry, boys. But there's not much I can do…unless you have an idea." She said, looking at Squall.

"I dreamt again. She was angry with me because I had left her again. Irvine woke me up."

"And you said in your report that Selphie had told you that Koë had gotten inside her head."

"Yes."

"Did this happen to you?"

"No."

She checked the clipboard. "And an injury you got during the dream remained there when you woke up?"

Squall raised his hand to show her the cut was still there. Irvine looked at them both.

"…Dreams? You're analysing his dreams while Selphie's dying?"

"Those dreams might be able to help her, mister Kinneas. Squall, come with me. I need to test something."

He followed her dutifully and sat down in the chair she offered him.

"I'm going to insert a needle in your arm. It may sting a little."

He nodded.

"Say, doctor…how long does she have?"

"Without help - hold out your arm please – without help…she might die before tomorrow. With help…I don't know."

"Tomorrow? That's…" he yawned. "We've…got to…do…"

His eyelids drooped and his head fell sideways. Irvine looked at him and then at the doctor.

"Doctor? What did you do?"

"I'm testing something. It might save her life."


"Selphie? Selphie!"

He stared around wildly. It had been no surprise to him to find he was back in the forest. But it worried him the Selphie was no where to be seen.

"Selphie! Where are you?"

He ran through the trees, following a trail of crushed leaves. The trail led him to an opening between the trees. Scorch marks covered the ground and the dirt was roughed up as if someone had been running up and down.

There!

Her yellow dress was covered in brown dust. She wasn't moving.

"Selphie! Hyne, are you okay?"

She groaned.

Thank Hyne, she was still alive.

Her body was covered with deep gashes and cuts. Blood had dried up and cracked as she moved her neck. Her eyes opened wide with shock.

"G-Get away from me!" she stammered hoarsely. "You're crazy! Stay away!"

He watched her try and crawl away. "Selphie, it's me. Squall. I'm here to help. I'm here for you."

"Don't come closer!"

He rummaged around in his pocket for a hi-potion and forced it on her lips. "Drink this, Selphie. Drink."

She was still fighting him. "N-no! Stay away!"

He sighed. He took her nunchakus which lay beside her. It felt wrong to do it, but he had to.

"I won't hurt you." He whispered softly. He took one end of the nunchakus and softly tapped Selphie on her head.

He watched as the junctioned sleep spells worked their way into her body. Finally she stopped struggling. He put the bottle to her lips and made sure she swallowed every drop.

Slowly the cuts healed and disappeared. He picker her up into his arms and carried her back to the camp.

He started a fire and slowly watched the wood burn away. It reminded him of how he had waited for the sun to rise the day before Nida had come to take them back.

He felt himself slowly doze off. The sun began to rise again and the fire began to die. Behind him the tent opened. He yawned.

Suddenly he was struggling as Selphie had wrapped her nunchakus around his neck.

'Why is she doing this…?' he thought vaguely.

"What are you planning." She hissed as she tightened her grip on his neck. "Killing me didn't work so you decided to play it sweet? Or did your conscience bother you."

He couldn't answer, his fingers on the chain around his neck.

"Well screw conscience. I don't get a bad conscience from killing someone who tried to kill me. I really don't."



Matron Raenee: Yes, cute can get cuter :P Because the ending I have in mind is probably so fluffy that some people out there might puke…others won't, but some might :D That's the beauty of fanfiction, you're allowed to write anything that you come up with. People who don't like it simply don't read it, Don't you just love that? I know I do. I'm very glad you like the story this way. OOCness is something I had to use in order to get squall together with Selphie. I never wrote a squalfie before, so that's why I need the ooc bit. Perhaps if I wrote more I'll be able to write it more natural. See you at the next chapter!

Yes, cute get cuter :P Because the ending I have in mind is probably so fluffy that some people out there might puke…others won't, but some might :D That's the beauty of fanfiction, you're allowed to write anything that you come up with. People who don't like it simply don't read it, Don't you just love that? I know I do. I'm very glad you like the story this way. OOCness is something I had to use in order to get squall together with Selphie. I never wrote a squalfie before, so that's why I need the ooc bit. Perhaps if I wrote more I'll be able to write it more natural. See you at the next chapter!

Forsaken Fighter: aww, thank you! It's really cool to have someone call your work awesome :) I hope you'll keep reading this and perhaps even read some of my other work? Not that you have to, of course. Glad you like it this much!

Alexander Vampiro: blush I'm flattered that you call me 'really good'. That means a lot to me. I'm also glad that you think it's original. I know that it's hard to come up with something original, I've written some stuff thinking 'nooooooo that's too cliché.' But in the end you keep writing because, even though it's cliché, it's still a good concept. Anyway, glad you liked it and I really hope you'll keep reading this all the way to the end.

Thank you, all three. I'm glad I got another chapter done today. I've kinda lost track of time because I've got a holiday now and I always lose track of time then. And on top of that, I study for my exams a lot…eep…they're in two weeks already! I'm getting a bit scared now…oh well, nothing I can do about it, eh? I'll have to sit through them like everybody else.

I'll try and update within a week or so…See you all then,
love, Raven55