Hope this is to likies, I figure it's getting better as it goes along because the earlier stuff is at least two or three years old...r&r!
Chapter 9 – Discovery
"We have just under an hour until the next train." Rinoa said to Irvine after looking at the train timetable.
"D'you wanna look around for a bit?" Irvine asked, burying his hands in the back pockets of his trousers. He looked pleadingly at Rinoa, making it very clear that he was bored.
"Sure!" Rinoa replied cheerfully, just then realising that her engagement ring was in full view. She quickly moved both hands out of Irvine's sight.
"What was that?" Irvine asked, as if on cue.
"I…It's nothing." Rinoa replied, embarrassed. She didn't want anyone to know yet.
"C'mon, let me see!" Irvine laughed, playfully trying to grab Rinoa's arm. She was far too quick for him and she moved away.
"No!" Rinoa exclaimed, laughing as she tried to pull her arm away from Irvine, who now had a firm grip on it. He was now trying to pry her hand from behind her back.
"Let me SEE!" Irvine laughed. He nearly had it. Rinoa was putting up one hell of a fight.
"IRVINE!" Rinoa shouted as Irvine finally released her hand from behind her back. Then he saw the ring.
"Oh…" was all he could manage to say.
"It's n-n-not what you think…" Rinoa lied, trying to hide the ring again. She knew it was pointless though.
"You…and Squall?"
"Mm-hm."
"Well that's…great! I-I don't know what to say!" Irvine said. He was so happy for Rinoa.
"Well," Rinoa began, "You could say, 'I promise I wont say anything because it's meant to be a secret and no one's meant to know yet.'"
"Okay, I promise I won't say anything."
"Right," Rinoa said, "Now let's look around like you said we were going to."
"Are you alright?" Dr. Kadowaki asked Zell as he woke up from his slumber.
"TIRED!" Zell exclaimed, yawning.
"You feeling better?"
"Not really," Zell answered, "I've got a headache…"
"You'd be better to just sleep it off," the doctor advised, "You can stay here if you want"
"Thanks…ARRGHH!" Zell's scream was followed by the pitch-blackness of unconsciousness. He couldn't see or hear what state of panic Dr. Kadowaki was in.
Images flashed around Zell's subconscious mind. They were about him. Him and the people he knew.
Squall and Rinoa sitting on a bench together. The area was quite dark and Zell could only see the silhouettes. At a second glance, he wasn't so sure it was Squall. Maybe it was Seifer…
Zell himself actually getting his hands on another hotdog. The sweet taste of the sausage inside the cob with the squirt of mustard on top…No…that would never happen twice.
Quistis. Lying motionless on the floor someplace. Stone cold. Not moving. Motionless and icy cold in a place that Zell was sure he knew somehow…
"But why? Why Zell?" a voice said out of nowhere, "You can stop the bad things happening before they do, Zell…"
"No! NO!" Zell screamed painfully, sitting bolt upright in the hospital bed. He'd broken out in some sort of cold sweat and he could barely breathe.
"Zell!" Dr. Kadowaki asked, rushing towards Zell, "Are you alright?"
"FIND SQUALL!" Zell screamed, shaking, "PLEASE!" tears ran down Zell's face as he watched Dr. Kadowaki through his blurry eyes.
"We must be nearly there by now." Seifer said to Squall as they both sat in the library.
"SQUALL!" a voice called, coming from the hall leading to the library. The voice belonged to Selphie.
"What?" Squall asked, as Selphie caught her breath.
"It's Zell," Selphie explained, "Dr. Kadowaki…told me to go and get you. You…you…need to see Zell! It's really urgent!"
"Zell!" Squall exclaimed as he ran into the Infirmary. He rushed to the side of Zell's bed where Zell, who seemed to not notice Squall, lay.
"Wh…What's up…wi-with him?" Seifer asked, having just caught up with Squall.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Squall shouted, shaking Zell with both hands. He continued to shake frantically but to no effect.
"Where's Dr. Kadowaki?" Seifer asked.
"She must've gone to get Headmaster Cid or something." Squall replied shakily. It was all he could do not to panic. He began shaking Zell again.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Seifer said, looking on the bright side of things.
"DOES HE LOOK FINE TO YOU!" Squall screamed at Seifer. He then turned to Zell and yelled, "ZELL! WAKE UP!"
Zell stirred. To look at him, anyone could tell he wasn't well. Still, he managed to turn and face Squall.
"Quistis…" he mumbled, almost incoherently.
"What about her?" Squall asked, confused.
"And…and Rinoa…"
"Zell what are you talking about?" Squall asked, now twice as confused.
"Rinoa…" Zell said weakly and then, with disgust, he pointed to Seifer, "…and HIM!"
"What the hell!" Seifer half shouted.
"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH HER!" Squall shouted, turning to face Seifer. A mixture of anger and rage burned furiously in his eyes.
"I haven't done anything!" Seifer exclaimed, holding his arms up in defence. He was telling the truth.
"Yet." Zell said clearly.
"What?" Squall questioned.
"I…dreamt it. Seifer and Rinoa were…together."
"That's RIDICULOUS!" Seifer shouted.
"What about Quistis?" Squall urged.
"When I dreamt of Quistis," Zell explained a tear struggling to escape from his eye, "She was…she was…dead…"
"What happened?" Squall muttered. He was in shock.
"I…I was standing over her," Zell began. He repositioned himself on the bed before continuing, "She was lying on the floor. I'm not sure where we were but when I touched her arm…she was cold. So cold.
"You were there too, Squall. You said, 'What's up? Is she alright?' and I told you she was dead and you cried. We both did.
"Rinoa was there as well. She comforted you and said, 'It'll be alright. Everything's gonna be okay'. Only it wasn't okay, 'cause Quistis…"
"But it was only a dream, Zell." Seifer said, now feeling quite uncomfortable.
"It was so real," Zell insisted, rocking on the bed, "So, SO real…"
"I think we'd better leave him be," Squall said, "We must be getting near to Winhill by now."