Shadow of the Sun
Ch.5: New Hopes; Old Memories...
The shrill of an alarm clock echoed throughout the hollow walls of the room. Bloodshot eyes burst open and a hand haphazardly flung about until it shut off the terrible machine.
Quistis slung a hand over her face and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh…I got no sleep last night." She said aloud as she made her way into the bathroom. Groggy eyes gazed at the hideous figure in the mirror, astonished that a gruesome figure such as that could possibly be her reflection.
Dark bags could be seen under her heavy eyes, with her hair mangled in fanatical positions. She turned on the shower and the hiss of the pipes signaled the water streaming through them. She waited for an unidentifiable amount of time before getting in.
She figured a cold shower would be the best way to start a day like today. The cool rain cascaded down her milky flesh and rain off her delicate legs, washing away the previous night's troubles.
After cleaning her body she turned off the shower and stepped out onto the bathroom rug. Droplets of water raced down her vulnerable figure and danced upon the tile floor. She reached around the corner and grabbed a towel from the closet and gently ran it across her body, soaking up the excess wetness.
She didn't even bother wrapping the towel around herself; today she could just care less. She made her way out of the bathroom and grabbed clothes from her closet, not caring if Selphie or anyone for that matter came into the room unannounced. She slipped on her clothes and made her way back into the bathroom. She ran her brush through her long silky hair, removing unwanted knots and tangles until it shone with its usual dazzling radiance.
She didn't even bother blow drying her hair, instead she dried as best she could with a towel and pulled it back into her patented ponytail. She emerged from the bathroom as ready as she wanted to be and grabbed the things she had already packed.
With suitcase in hand she walked towards her closet and slowly opened it. Artificial light illuminated its bowels, chasing off the various shadows that once occupied it. She parted her clothes to each side and tucked away in the back perfectly mounted on the wall was her lethal weapon of trade.
She cautiously removed her Save the Queen from its perch for the first time in three years. She had the same fear upon seeing it as she did the previous night, which is why she decided to train using her spare Red Scorpion, so not to dredge up past memories that could distract her.
Carefully she cradled the horrific, yet elegant weapon in her arms, as she stared at its magnificence. Dust embodied the whip from lack of use, so Quistis raised it to her face and with a forceful gust blew most of the debris off, only to cause it to give off an angelic shine.
As she gazed upon its beauty she was utterly stupefied. Her eyes fell upon a small embroidery, etched on the handle. Her eyes widen at this revelation, she saw it was a miniature engraved MiniMog.
Immediately thoughts of her past flooded her mind.
"Hey gimme that back!" A playful feminine voice yelled at her blonde counterpart.
An insanely large toothy smile played itself on the blonde boy's lips as he teasingly placed the object of the woman's desire behind his back.
"Come on Zell, I'm not joking around!" The petit blonde demanded.
"But please! It is going to be really special, I promise." Zell cupped his hands in front of his face and stuck out his bottom lip, pleading with Quistis. "Pu…pu…please, with a cherry on top…" He asked in his finest child voice as he put on his best puppy dog face.
Quistis placed her hands on her hips and just shook her head. "Fine, you win, but it's only because you asked soooo nicely." Quistis said mockingly.
"Come on don't lie, it was because of my ravishing good looks and irresistible puppy face!" Zell boomed triumphantly.
He quickly ran over and gave Quistis a small peck on the check and then took off towards his room.
"Hey where are you going? I thought you were taking me out today?" Quistis asked a little confused.
Zell kept on walking, but turned his head and gave her his trademark wide smile and wave. "Don't worry, I'll take you out tomorrow, but this is really important to me, and I can't wait to do this for you." Zell yelled back before running into one of the many benches strategically placed around the Garden.
Quistis immediately started to giggle. She put one hand around her stomach and another covering her mouth because she was laughing so hard at her uncannily clumsy boyfriend.
Zell bolted to his feat and just out of reaction looked around to see if anyone saw…As usual everyone did and were rolling with laughter. His face lit up a vibrant red and his pace quickened back to his room.
A tear stated to creep down Quistis' cheek as even more memories of Zell swam before her beautiful cerulean eyes.
"Well, can I open my eyes yet?" Quistis asked anxiously, bouncing up and down from excitement.
"Not yet…just a little bit longer…OK GO AHEAD!" Zell screamed more excited than even Quistis.
Quistis' eyes burst open and gaze upon her Save the Queen. A frown soon crosses her lips.
"It's...my whip?" She asked skeptically as she examined her weapon.
"Jeez come on, look at the handle!" Zell yelled almost bursting with anticipation.
Her sapphire eyes fell upon a small engraving etched within the gold leafed handle. It was a tiny image of a MiniMog. Quistis cocked her brow at this.
"Why did you put a picture of a MiniMog of my whip?" Quistis questioned a bit perplexed.
"It is said that an image of a MiniMog will not only bring good luck, but also…" Zell paused only for a moment and closed the small gap between him and the goddess of a woman before him.
Slowly he reached out as if not to scare her away and gently he placed his hand on her cheek and began rubbing it tenderly.
"It is also that that it will keep you safe, forever and always. That is why I put it on your whip, so anytime…any battle I am not by your side, I know you will always be safe…I…I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt, knowing it was because I wasn't there to protect you…" Zell spoke with a loving intense that bore deep within Quistis' heart.
Blood quickly rushed to Quistis' face as she couldn't find the breath to speak. "Oh Zell, you're such a child." Quistis finally managed out.
A smile washed over Zell's face, "Yeah, but that's why you love me!" He yipped excitedly and embraced his love tightly and planted a searing kiss on her lips...
Quistis fell to her knees burying her face in her hands sobbing lightly.
"Oh Zell…" Quistis cried aloud shattering the heartbreaking images in her head.
The door burst open and a worried hyper brunette burst into the room, quickly scanning it for the source of the distress. Her eyes soon fixated on the collapsed blonde weeping in the corner.
"Oh Quistis are you ok?" Selphie asked sincerely.
Quistis' tears wrenched up into her throat causing speech to be impossible for the moment. So she nodded her head in agreement.
"What's the matter?" The petit brunette questioned intently.
"Z…Zell…" Quistis coughed through ragged breathes.
Selphie's disposition immediately changed to one of slight anger and annoyment.
"Zell…Zell! Quistis I thought you've learned already, that Zell isn't coming back. He is just ruining your life, let it go." Selphie demanded rather vehemently.
Quistis was shocked, and instantaneously started crying even harder. She grabbed her suitcase in one hand and her whip in the other, and stormed out of the room.
"Quistis wait I…" Was all Selphie could say before the door was slammed in her face.
After exiting the room, Quistis dropped her things and leaned back against the wooden barrier that blocked the entrance to her room.
"Selphie…How could you...?" Quistis whispered through her tears.
Just as Quistis was about to make her way downstairs she could hear a strange noise emitting from within the room.
"I…I'm sorry Quisty, I don't mean to make you upset…I…I just worry about you… and hate seeing you in so much pain…" Selphie chocked out through tears of her own.
Quistis knew she couldn't leave when she and Selphie were like this. Slowly the door crept opened Quistis walked in and embraced Selphie in a warm and understanding hug.
"Oh Quisty, I'm so sorry…I just…" Selphie bawled, but was stopped by the taller blonde.
"Stop Sel, it's ok I know, you just care about me, and I'm sorry for making you worry. I love you too, and I could never be mad at you." Quistis cried into her friend's shoulder.
"Oh Quisty…" Selphie's grip on her dear friend got tighter with each passing moment.
"Sel…Sel…I can't breath…" Quistis choked out.
"Oh sorry Quisty…hehehe…." Selphie giggled as she bounced up and down.
"Well I need to tell Squall I'm leaving." Quistis informed.
"Quisty are you sure you're really up to this?" Selphie asked, skeptical of her friend's emotional and physical state.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I need to get back into the swing of things sooner or later…right?" Quistis smiled and left the room. Selphie called something to her, but it was barely audible. Quistis figured it was most likely good luck.
Quistis stopped for a moment and glanced down at her whip once more. "Luck…I got all the luck I need right here…Zell…I know you're always by my side…" Quistis smiled to herself softly and gripped the whip tightly in her hand.
A/N: Well sorry it took so long, just trying to get into the swing of college and work. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the next one should be up either today or tom. I just want to thank Q-n-P for the latest review, most appreciated! Please keep it up. Also anyone who reads this or any of my stories, if you have time please send a review or two my way. Thanks! Later...