Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Love By Moonlight ❯ The Ship has Landed ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine.

Zell had stayed up most of the night trembling in fear, imagining the man from the park sinking his fangs into his throat and his brunette friend joining him on the other side. 'Hyne, why is this happening to me?' He wondered, 'Irvine was in Deling too, how come nothing happened to him?!' then it hit him.

"Irvine!" He didn't know why he didn't see it before. "Irvine was acting strange that night I had my encounter and he locked the door! He must have seen one of them too!"

Getting a little angry he punched his fist into his hand. "That sack of shit," He grumbled. "He's been lying to me this whole time. I'll show him tomorrow." Looking at his alarm clock he saw that it was, "5:25 a.m. Perfect." the martial artist went downstairs and into the kitchen grabbing a box of 'Lucky Charms' to fix himself some breakfast. 'The minute it hits six o'clock it's wake up time Kinneas.'

............................

Bang! Bang! Bang! Zell was standing outside of Irvine's house at six, just as he said he would be, only no one was opening the door. "Well what did I expect at six o'clock on the weekend?" He asked himself. "Irvine!" He called up to his window. "Irv-!" His words were paused when he saw the window slide open.

"Have you lost your dang mind?" The cowboy was saying.

"Open the door, I need to talk to you." Zell stated.

Irvine looked at him as though he really had lost his damned mind but he sighed giving in saying, "All right, hang on." The window was closed again and Zell waited patiently for his friend to open the door. "What is it?" Irvine asked, when the front door was opened and his little friend pushed his way in.

"I should be saying that to you!" Zell spat.

"For what? I'm not the one waking up the whole damned neighborhood bangin on doors." Exclaimed the cowboy sitting on the couch rubbing a sleepy hand down his face.

"Pay attention, okay?" Ordered Zell, smacking his friends hand from his face.

"Okay, I'm listening, now what is it?" Zell exhaled a breath then slammed himself down beside Irvine on the couch looking him straight in the eyes. "I want you to tell me the absolute truth when I ask you this question." Irvine nodded to say that he would. "When we were in Deling," He paused to see if Irvine were following along. "I told you that somebody had tried to kill me, and you didn't seem all that surprised...why?"

Irvine's jaw dropped. "You woke me up at six in the morning to ask me that?!" A laugh came out and he just blinked.

"Don't just sit there with your mouth hung open, why weren't you shocked that I was almost killed?" He asked again.

"Firstly, because it's Deling, you're either mugged or killed." The cowboy was saying. "Secondly, you're a short, easy target." This time it was Zell whose jaw dropped. "And third-..."

"Oh shut up Irvine!" The martial artist snapped getting up from the chair then gone over to the door. "I don't know why I even bothered with you, and ya know I thought you were my best friend. What's with the attitude all of a sudden?" Zell waved him off and opened the door.

"I was almost killed too!" Irvine finally said.

"What?" Zell asked turning around, seeing Irvine walk up to him and close the front door.

"I was almost killed too..." He repeated. "I didn't wanna tell you because after what you told me, I didn't wanna worry you more."

Zell couldn't believe his ears! "You didn't wanna worry me?" He repeated. "Irvine, I have been having these damned nightmares and what not since the whole damned incident, and you didn't wanna make me worry."

Irvine looked down away from his friends harsh tone. "I should have told you," The cowboy was saying. "but I didn't see what difference it made, I'm fine and the guy left me alone."

A silence fell over the room. "I'm sorry Zell, I'm kind of an out of sight out of mind person," Irvine explained. "I- I just gave you a hard time about it because I thought you'd just forget about it eventually." It was quiet again then Zell looked over at his friend.

"The guy that attacked you, what did he look like?" Zell asked and Irvine shrugged.

"I'm not really sure it was dark, he had long black hair though, I know that much."

'Well it wasn't the guy that tried to kill me, how many of them are walking around in that place?' The blonde wondered.

"I'll tell you one thing, it ain't no vampire...that guy was just weird somehow," Irvine explained. "he was kinda screeching at me."

Zell was still quiet. 'That's like those Strigoi things.' Irvine bent his knees a bit to look him in the face. "Zell, you mad at me?" He asked.

"What?" It was as if he'd just been brought back to earth.

"I said, are you mad at me?"

He looked as though he were thinking it over then he shook his head. "Nah, we're still buds." Irvine smiled and scooped him into a hug.

"Thanks man, sorry about snappin' at ya those times."

"It's fine, I'm gonna go home now so you can get back to sleeping in." Zell was saying heading towards the door.

"Thanks," Irvine said, mostly to his friend not hating him and he walked to the stairs.

"Might as well catch up on some sleep myself." Zell said heading to the door.

* * *

The vampires that have boarded the boats that night were now getting into coffins for the mornings sail. A day walker steered the boat for them so there would be no problems with traveling by light. Seifer and Squall are sharing a coffin together and the little half breed continues to stare at his lover in question.

"What?" Seifer asked when he opened his eyes.

"Where are you going when the boat makes it's first stop?" Squall asked.

"I don't know." The blonde lied. Squall cocked his head to that.

"Well, if you can't find any place to go you could join me in Winhill." He suggested.

"I'll make that my first option." Seifer replied, snuggling his face into Squall's closing his eyes to indicate that he was ready to go to sleep. Squall rested a hand on the Slavs cheek and kissed him good night, then closed his eyes as well.

* * *

It was around lunchtime that Zell found himself walking along the docks. A shipping boat was coming into the harbor, so he sat himself on a bench to watch it. Why not, he wasn't doing anything else. 'I wonder if they have more of that snapper fish?' He thought absently.

Two large men shoved a ramp downward onto the docks for everyone on board to walk on. No one else on board seemed all that interested in getting off because nobody had left the ship but the captain. "Boy if they're here to pick up an order, that must be one lazy ass crew." Remarked Zell.

"Hey!" A voice that could only belong to Selphie, boomed. Zell watched as the girl trot- bounced up to where he was sitting and plopped herself down. "Hey Zell," She said giving him the big fish eyes.

"...You're giving me that look, what do you want now?" He asked and she twisted her face up.

"Well your charming." She replied sarcastically. "I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to my baseball game tomorrow?" He looked at the idea boredly. "There's gonna be foood." She added and his face lit up.

"Oh. Then, heck yeah." Selphie raised her fist to the air and let out a cheer. "Whoo Hoo!!!!"

Jumping up from the bench she grabbed Zell's wrist. "Come with me to the batting cages so I can practice."

"But I don't- Whoa!" He was already being escorted away.

The two men from the ship were joined by six more guys and they went down below to carry something out. Each one of them had a large crate, held only by two people. Anyone watching would have thought they were full of something light enough to only need two people, but others that saw would know Balamb was about to get visitors very soon to fill what could only be....coffins.