Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Chasing Spring ❯ Freezing in Trabia ( Chapter 1 )

[ Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to Squaresoft, not me. But that's pretty much a given. ]

[ Notes/Warnings/Pointlessness: Chasing Spring takes place a few months after the end of the game and may not adhere strictly to the original plotline. If I change a few things, and it bothers you that I'm not calling this fic an AU, then I apologize. Just…pretend it is and don't yell or throw things at me, alright?

Currently, I have no particular pairings in mind. I do intend for this to be sentimental…but not lemon-y sentimental. Of course, I may change my mind about the pairing thing later on, but right now, I'm fine with implied couples and innuendo. ^_^

Other things to look out for: stupidity, Rinoa bashing, Cid bashing (If I get the chance), innuendo (mentioned previously), foul language, original characters (Oh, the horror!), and possibly long periods between new chapters. I'm really bad about that last one so I'll try to end chapters in as few cliffhangers as possible. But…I'm already off to a bad start… *sighs* ]

I - Freezing in Trabia

Zell was freezing his dick off, as, he had so elegantly put it, Trabia was fucking cold. He bounced from foot to foot, blowing warm air into his cupped hands; icy leather brushed against his lips and Zell rubbed his palms against the rough material of his jeans. It didn't help.

He had forfeited his shorts and simple white tee after the first day at Selphie's beloved Trabia Garden (or what was left it) and now sported a thick pair of jeans over sweatpants and a fat parka over two other shirts. Hobbling around the Garden, he looked like a disgruntled penguin, and had received more than his share of insults and sniggers in just the week he had been there. To make matters worse, Selphie seemed to be getting along just fine in her normal attire (plus a light jacket and green leggings) and kept insisting that the mountain air was good for him. Good for him…Hah! At the rate things were going, it'd be giving him an unwanted sex change in under a few hours.

Zell grumbled unhappily and stuffed his hands as deep as he could into his pockets. It was just his luck that he'd be the one Squall chose to send along with Selphie on her "Rebuild our Fellow Garden" mission. Sure, Zell felt bad for the homeless Trabadians, but he didn't feel that it was his responsibility to sit out in the freezing cold for days on end, lugging building material back and forth. He wondered grudgingly why it couldn't have been Irvine in his place.

"Zell! Quit stallin' and help me move this thing!"

The well-insulated blonde turned to the speaker. His teeth chattered as he waddled over to Snap, the unfortunate SeeD Squall had sent to accompany them. The kid was struggling unsuccessfully with a wing of the disassembled missile which had spent the previous months lodged in the stage for the Garden Festival.

Zell took up a corner opposite to Snap, and together, the two managed to lug the thing to the accumulated pile of scrap which was steadily building on the basketball court. They flung the wing carelessly to the top of the pile, almost triggering an avalanche of debris.

"Well, that's done," Snap said happily, making a show of dusting off his hands. "Now we've just got the body and second wing. Think you can manage, Dincht?"

Zell mumbled something noncommittally and followed after the younger SeeD.

Night approached as sluggishly as Zell had worked, almost seeming to crawl, fatigued, over the mountains surrounding Trabia, and heave itself up suddenly, knocking the sun all the way back to Balamb. Zell was just awaiting unconsciousness when Selphie called him to her quarters. She had been assigned the task of Party leader and was taking the whole thing entirely too seriously. She had sent the eager Snap with her summons and he hadn't left Zell in peace until the martial artist was fully awake, dressed, and just about pissed enough to pummel the young cadet to within an inch of his life.

The mismatched duo hurried down the frozen corridors of the sleeping Garden. Wisps of chilled mountain air slipped by them through cracks in the less-than-sturdy foundation. Zell wrapped his arms around his middle and quickened his step; the sooner he reached a heated chamber, the better.

Snap was chattering on about one thing or another (Most likely SeeD ethics or some shit, Zell thought bitterly) and didn't even slow down when they reached Selphie's door; Snap's witless monologue trailed behind them into the room.

Upon entering, Zell stopped abruptly in the threshold, causing Snap to collide ungainly with his back when he turned from closing the door. "What are you doing, Dincht?" he demanded, rubbing his nose.

Zell's first thought upon meeting the young cadet had been delight that Snap was shorter than he was, only coming up to his shoulder. Zell found it increasingly amusing to tease Snap about his height. Now, however, Zell was at a loss for witty insults, stunned by the appearance of Selphie's quarters.

The young martial artist had never seen such a horrendous state of disarray: books, papers, clothes, and even pink fuzzy bunny slippers had been strewn about in amazing disregard. Zell, who had only moments before considered himself the epitome of disorder, found himself gaping in awe of the tremendous mess. (Was that a lamp shade preventing the rotations of the ceiling fan?) He found it hard to believe a single human could accomplish this.

"Captain?" Snap ventured timidly, for once at a loss for words.

"Zell!"

The two men balked at the shrill exclamation from the connecting room and shuffled backwards as Selphie came into view, appearing suddenly deadly in her bright yellow pajama pants and smiley face T-shirt.

"Uhh…Selphie?" Zell questioned, backed almost completely against Snap. Feeling the younger man squirm in discomfort, he stepped forward, sidestepping the ruins of a bedside table.

Selphie grinned disconcertingly, strolling forward to take Zell by the hand and drag him into the connecting room. The martial artist spared Snap a final glance. The younger SeeD flashed him a sign of luck and retreated hurriedly. Zell gulped nervously and turned to face Selphie.

The skinny brunette was pacing amidst the mess of her makeshift study. For the most part, this room had been spared the fate of its brother. She chewed unnervingly at her thumbnail as she pivoted, walked, pivoted again, the three curls of her hair bouncing comically.

"Zell," she said at last. "We have a problem."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she echoed, still pacing, "See…I was supposed to watch this thing…And I kinda lost the thing…And now the thing might be loose."

"Thing?" Zell didn't like where this was headed.

Selphie continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "The crews found it outside the orphanage, where Ultimecia's castle had floated. They gave to Cid, and Cid gave it to Squall when he took over." Selphie was pacing faster now, her curls whipping about her face with a sharp swishing sound. "And Squall gave it to me to take to this woman Bayrer or Barbelle or something but I couldn't find the woman and now the thing's gone missing and Squall warned me not to let it go cause he said it was important and I'm gonna be in really really really big trouble if we don't find it before Squall's next call!" Selphie paused to take a deep breath, her face had started turning blue.

"Selphie…What is it?" Zell asked, feeling very ill-at-ease.

The petite SeeD froze mid-pace and turned to the blonde. "It was…uhm…" she scrunched up her face in her attempt to remember. "Actually, I don't know. Squall never told me what it was. I think that's why he wanted me to see that Barbie woman."

"But…I mean…What did it look like?" Zell mentally prepared himself for something horrible. Like a weapon of mass destruction, or a contagion that could turn the whole of mankind into sniveling mushroom-like creatures. Zell's mind strayed briefly to what it would be like to actually be a mushroom before returning to its original ponderings.

"Oh," Selphie said, matter-of-factly, "Kinda like a bunny. Or a squirrel, maybe."

Zell's bottom jaw dropped soundlessly. "You mean it's alive?" The last word echoed ominously around the room.

"Of course it is, silly! How else could it escape?"