Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Snow Drift ❯ No guts, no story ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

1 week later. Zell, as promised to his mother, with the help of Squall and his boyfriend are getting ready to paint the living room of the Dincht home. They've got the supplies needed for the job, paints and newspapers- some brown bags from the market are taped together with painters tape, rags to clean off any mess they might make during the job and the three of them are dressed in orange jump suits to protect their clothes- not that they wore anything of any value should they have gotten paint on them. This was all done after Seifer and Zell helped move the things in the living room to upstairs minus the little things that could fit in the tiny den.

"So the police took the I.D. and still haven't managed to find the mother?" Zell asks; opening a bucket of paint with a flathead screw driver. The lid pops up being removed with care of pinched fingers before its place on a full newspaper covered floor. "What about other relatives? Its been a while now and Kait's still here... its getting kind of sad, his not having a real home."

Squall felt a pang of guilt over that since the baby's home was sort of with him and Irvine in that rat hole in the barracks. Grabbing a brush he tries to put it out of his mind, though, he can hear the seven month old speaking in long vowels while banging a rattle on a walker made only for standing or spinning in a circle as the seat moves; it also has a few built in toys- balls that are filled with smaller balls to make sound, a tiny keyboard- which, Squall was sure would have driven him nuts if the kid kept banging on it for too long, there's a stuffed giraffe that squeaks when squeezed, and a bunch of other noisy toys that have babies at a loss for boredom when playing with them.

Seifer rolls his eyes saying very casually. "Zell, out of all of us, you're the only one with a real home- you don't find that sad."

From his crouched place on the floor he cocks his head looking up at his lover to say. "No, not really." He blinks suddenly as some paint is flicked his way. "Well, we're all adults here. Kait's just a baby." He shrugs to Seifer's mutter. "Hey, did the police find out the kids name? He got his blood tested Thursday, didn't he?"

"Would you believe it- the kid wasn't born in any hospital so he was never registered anywhere, I guess his name will have to be Kait since no one else gave him one." Squall adds as an after thought. "At least he has Redfield."

"That's even worse than not having a home!" Zell declared looking through the opening of the living room into the den where the child is sitting. "Poor little guy, we should bring him into our family- you know, the orphanage gang." He snickers at the term.

Brushing paint onto the wall, Seifer says. "We stopped being 'the gang' the moment we moved into Garden."

Looking as though Seifer had just sprouted three noses on his face, the stunned male says. "I hope you don't mean that."

"Of course he does, he's Seifer." Comments Squall getting some painting done on his wall.

"Shut up Leonhart," He flicks paint at him as well, but the glob only splats a bit on Squall's back.

"Real mature." He continues to work with no intention of further riling Seifer.

"Don't fight you three, work goes faster when you're actually doing it." Says Ma Dincht passing by after coming from upstairs.

"Yeah, Ma, we're working." Says Zell. "Knock it off you two." He warns. "We're supposed to be working."

Scoffing with a smirk Squall comments. "Says the only guy not working."

Seifer chuckles to himself.

"Tch. I'm working, who do you think opened all the paint cans?"

"Keebler Elf?" Says Seifer.

"I was gonna say a paint troll, but good answer."

Smiling Seifer says. "Where're my cookies dinky?"

"I'm partial to the peacan sandies." Squall says to himself.

"No, I've always been a fan of the elves with the cream inside."

Rolling his eyes to their laughter, what is it about those two that they can only get along for a while when insulting something. Zell dunks a paint brush into the can then spreads it on the wall in long brushes. He couldn't believe his mother wanted this blue, though, its so... dark. Maybe he's just too used to the original color. They work in moderate speed and occasional conversation, they have the window open already to keep the paint smell out of the house but when the baby pooped in his diaper they made sure to pass by the window as much as they could to keep the smell of that from their noses. Ellone came to the doorway only to put down a small radio to give the 3 some music to work to; a pop star by who knows what name sings the second verse of her song raising brows as they wondered if the girl were singing out being nervous on stage or if it were secretly about her first time having sex.

"Do you kids want lunch?" Martha asks.

Looking over his shoulder to where his mother stands he asks. "What are you making?"

"We were going to have warm biscuts and baked beans."

Grimacing at the thought of beans, Zell straightens up from his crouch on the floor. "Naah, Garden's making chowders again today, we're gonna go eat that- can we break now?"

"Ha! Suddenly your mother's cooking can't compare to a what's prepared by a cafeteria woman."

"Aaaw." He wraps his arms around the woman giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Its not that, we just want something warm in our system. We'll have some when we come back- if we have room." He smiles innocently.

Shaking her head, she waves them off. "Go on, go eat your lunch, then hurry back and finish up."

"We've only got one wall left." Squall says removing the jump suit then folding it up to set on the bench beside the door. "Bye Mrs. Dincht, bye Sis'." Folding his scarf in half he sits it around his neck pulling the two divided parts through the loop he opens the door. Looking up at the sky he wonders if its going to snow again, they had a little earlier in the morning but it wasn't enough to give any height to what has stuck to the ground.

"Bye Squall, bye you two." Replies Ellone, who's feeding the baby.

Kait looks as though he's ready to call the meal quits and drop off to sleep and who wouldn't be exhausted after the afternoons bathroom break. Squall held his stomach feeling it attempt to turn on him; the one other time something got to him this badly was when they were in the Tomb of the Unknown King and he killed his first Armadodo, the thing released a monster-sized shit that nearly choked them to death in the dank air trapped within the catacombs.

Leaving his suit in a bundle on the bench Seifer leans over kissing the woman on the cheek. "I would have eaten your lunch Ma."

"Aaaw, you're a good boy Seifer." She swats at the back of her son's head when he passes her by but he ducked from contact.

Zell scoffed wrapping himself, unceremoniously, in his scarf by placing it around his neck then folding it forward and back tucking the two end pieces behind his head in a one of the tightened folds once his mouth is covered. He then zips his coat as high as it will go to keep the scarf from falling. "Butt kisser." He mutters through the materials.

"What did you say?" Seifer punches his love in the shoulder as he's exiting the house.

Laughing, Zell dashes off down the street with Seifer chasing after him until the taller male caught up with him wrapping his arms around his boyfriend from behind, threatening to dump him over in a trash can while carrying the shorter blond bridal style. Squall watched the scene with a smile, with that he wondered where the hells Irvine was. The mission must have gotten serious, they should be calling for back up in no time then if he and the cadets can't handle it alone- although, knowing Irvine he will most likely try handling it alone. He's the same way, actually- worse even, but Irvine has those days when he just wants to do things by himself.

'I'm sure all that southern sunshine isn't slowing their pace to return.' He stuffs his hands into his pocket following after the two lovebirds.

...

Humming a Christmas song she heard on the clock radio earlier that morning in her room Selphie- in her scarf, gloves, boots and semi-long skirt bounces from toe to toe waiting for the man behind the small cart to fix her an ice cream cone. Used to Trabia weather she doesn't feel the cold as easily as everyone else does and judging by the way some of the other people in Balamb are dressed they come from the same area. Its nice to see other natives visiting around the holidays.

"Here you are little lady." Says the man behind the cart.

"Thanks!" She offers him a smile. Turning away she gives the chocolate ice cream a lick; normally she'd get peach but since the man only makes tiny hot fudge sundae's in the winter season he only offers vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. Walking to find a bench to sit on the girl cocks her head spotting a group of cadet returning from the peer. They look terrified- positively spooked.

"...What are we gonna say to him?" Eurydice asks her team.

Max only shakes his head, but Luna started to cry.

Watching the sad sight, Rakuta sighs feeling hopeless; spotting a familiar face he points. "There's Selphie."

The three others look over to the girl then hurry to her side calling her name. "Selphie! Selphie! Commander Tilmitt!"

"Creepy; they're dirty too! Should I run?" She thinks out loud as they approach. "Whoops, looks like you caught me." She slips her free hand behind her head. "I wasn't really gonna run. So, what can I do for you?"

"We need to know where Commander Leonhart is?" Says Rakuta looking as though he were going to faint just by letting out that much of their shame.

Curious, she asks. "Squall? I think he's at the Dincht's- no... no I saw them leave a little while ago, they may be at Garden by now." She shrugs. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Its urgent, we can't stay long. Sorry." Says a blond boy before they hurry away.

"Hope its nothing serious." Selphie suddenly feels a shiver run up her spine. Shaking it off, she turns herself towards the Dincht home. "I should probably go warm up, its gotta be cold if even I'm getting chilly."

Thick bright gray clouds loom over the sky bringing with it a group of flurries that twisted and twirled through the town of Balamb as the nipping winds carry it along to the fields and ocean. Though its twenty minutes to Garden on foot Eurydice Montego, Phineas Max, Rakuta Baron and Luna Cates choose to walk; its sort of like a punishment for them they figure, besides, catching pneumonia isn't anything compared to what Commander Leonhart will do to them once he finds out. Why did this have to happen? The mission was over, over! But Irvine... Irvine disappeared maybe not right before their eyes but he's gone all the same and after a week of searching they knew it was hopeless for them and it was time to bring in the big guns. If only one of the 'big guns' wasn't dating their missing commander.

All 4 of them take a hard swallow when the tip of Garden rose in the distance they'll be there in eleven minutes... each step seemed like it would become their last to the point of them taking hands with the person next to them: Phineas and Luna, Rakuta and Eurydice. He's just one person, they can handle this.

In the cafeteria. The three hired painters are having their meals while playing Triple Triad off to the side of their trays- minus Seifer who's watching but eats as though only interested in the rich stew before him. Taking one of his cards from the pile Squall sets it down on the board; it flashes beneath the cards clear background behind the monster then turns blue changing three of Zell's cards from red to blue.

"Shit." Zell complains. "You always pick ultimate weapon, change it up man."

"Hey, if you don't like it we should play with the rule to pick each others cards."

"Then you'd pick all my bad ones."

Squall snickers knowing his deck has maybe 1 bad card which is a Creep. "Buy better cards then- or capture them."

"That is too much trouble." He opens his mouth to Seifer's chowder coated cracker taking a bite, raising his hand to catch the crumbs falling about. "Wanna play again?"

"Yeah."

"No walls, let's play with Balamb rules."

The 4 enter the cafeteria; unfortunately, yet fortunately, the girl with one pig tail- they forget her name, watched Zell and the others enter the cafeteria. Approaching, they stand idly behind the lion of Balamb, all with knots in their stomachs and lumps in their throats.

Being team commander Eurydice figures its up to her to say something. "Um.. commander Leonhart?"

Without turning around Squall says in a bored tone. "If you wanna hear war stories find someone who likes to talk." He shifts through his deck picking 5 cards.

Grinning Zell puffs up his chest as if to say 'I'm right here, up and coming cadets, ask me anything'. The four give each other nervous glances.

"Commander, its not about that."

"What's with the commander thing?" Zell comments absently. "You're not on duty."

"Not that I know of." Replies Squall still focused on the game frowning when two of his cards are flipped.

That only made it worse, they feel sick to their stomachs seeing this. Look at how close they are- they've probably seen each other naked!

"Max, you say something." Luna gives the male a shove. He always acts so brave, time to put it to better use then puffing up his chest and acting as though he's Hyne's gift.

The blond looked ready to wet himself. "Uh, commander-.."

"Squall." Corrects the distracted male.

"S- Squall," He swallows hard. "Its about Irvine."

Zell snickers hearing that. "Was he showing off again?"

"Probably. Just tell me what hospital he's in and we'll go see him."

Chuckling, rich and throaty, Seifer jokes. "I'll bet he broke his leg or something, he's in the hospital crying like a baby."

"Don't make fun of him, you cried like a baby when you broke your leg last year." Retorts Zell being cut off.

"He's not in a hospital." Phineas says his tone growing desperate. They wouldn't be taking it this lightly if they knew.

"He's at Garden then?" Squall finally stops playing, turning in his seat he stands from the chair.

The group cowars under his blue-gray gaze, especially when it fell on the cowboy hat in Luna's hands.

"No." Says the team leader.

This got the attention of Zell and Seifer now. "Then where is he?" Asks Squall, though, his tone still wasn't quite sure what to think yet.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you... Irvine's not at the hospital or Garden because... because..." Closing her green eyes Luna says. "He disappeared!"

Squall blinks thoughtfully trying to figure out what that could possibly mean.

Standing as well Zell asks. "What do you mean 'he disappeared' what the hells happened?"

Whimpering, Eurydice explains in what she hopes is a calm tone. "We did the mission, everything was going great, but when Irvine tried to seal away a G.F. a bolt of light shot out and... he disappeared. We searched for him for a full week but found but his hat."

The air around Squall suddenly became very still as his haze hardens and the slight touch he had on the table turns into a fist.

"Hyne its cold!" Shouts a kid.

"What happened? Did the heating system break again?!" Shouts another kid.

The entire cafeteria, once a very relaxing 83 degrees, has now dropped in temperature so drastically it had to be 45 and dipping.

"Squall!" Zell grabs the males arm in hopes to stop him from turning the place into an ice cave and freezing statues out of everyone in it. "Squall stop, the more time we waste here the less likely Irvine will be found. Come on!"

Blinking the male polar male nods. "Right. Let's move." Moving away from the table he, Zell and Seifer exit the lunch room in a hard pace.

Luna released her held breath as the anticipated beating didn't come.

"Guys look." Points Rakuta.

The table had small clumps of ice where Squall's fist once rested and it remained there melting slowly as the students all wonder what that sudden bought of cold was but figure the heating system must have just malfunctioned for a moment since the room is now warming up again.

Clutching his chest Phineas jokes as best as his nerves allow. "Well, that wasn't as bad as it could have been." He reminds himself to thank Zell later only to have said male snatch him up by his collar. "You're coming with us."

The other three watch as their friend is practically dragged off with the martial artist.

"Poor guy." Says Luna, though, glad it wasn't her.

The team made haste to pack some things since you can't just go to a place like Centra and expect to be alright, the place is a wasteland and a few hours without water could be costly to your health. Zell filled the girls in calling them once they informed matron that they're leaving. She couldn't believe what they said, wanting to go look for the male herself but being headmistress that would be a bad decision. She knew if anyone could find Irvine it was her children, though, she now had to re-schedule or flat out change teams for missions any of them were going to take. Hopefully the search would not as long though.

"He's ready to fly. Are you buckled up?" Selphie looks over the seat she's in to ensure the others weren't just standing around during take off. Squall said he'd co-pilot, though, Selphie was pretty sure the male had no clue what to do she didn't dare tell him no.

The engines came alive as fire burned behind the large dragon shaped ship and with a few levers pulled and buttons pressed the ship is up in the air. Heading towards the Centra Ruins the ships passangers are silent. The only sound if wind whipping around the craft as it speeds through the sky at record breaking speed.

Though terrified, Phineas can't help but be in awe of sitting among the higher ups. The rulers of Garden, the ones that fought the great sorceress war. He'd like it more if he weren't in trouble with the commander of the commanders. Lowering his head after stealing a peek at the silent and angry male seated up front diagonal to his vision.

"Mr. Max, was it?" Says Quistis calling the males attention.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'm still not clear on what happened. Tell me again, from the beginning."

Nodding the male swallows hoping to dispel the dry lump in his throat; where's that stick of gum Irvine gave him when he needs it? "We were waiting for the worshipers to show, we all took our positions before they did, commander Kinneas remained on the highest cliff where we climbed up from to just- I don't know, keep an eye on us without interferring."

"Go on."

The others, Rinoa, Seifer, Zell, and Selphie are all listening in as well.

Feeling a bit of pressure he continues. "Well, the men showed up as scheduled but they were carrying a small stone in a cage- it had a bird inside."

"A small stone?" Quistis wonders to herself.

"That's where the bird came from!" He pipes up.

"This isn't a fucking hero story boy, focus on Irvine."

Blushing he keeps his eyes to his lap to avoid the scrutinizing gaze of Seifer's. "Right, sorry. Well, they hooked the bird up to a machine beside the satelite- I guess they were getting power from it or something but, when the fight broke out I got lost in the woods for a bit helping Rakuta- I mean, cadet Baron, or maybe he helped me... its fuzzy but when we came from the woods more guys showed up. We split up a little bit I was told to help the woman they were trying to transfer power into and I heard shots being fired off and blood was getting on me from the G.F. ...anyway, the last thing I heard from commander Kinneas was to take cover then Siren put everyone to sleep." He shrugs lamely. "I helped the woman to a safe spot to rest; we went to the cliff but he was gone."

Seeing how torn up the boy is Rinoa reaches across the lane touching the males hand reassuringly. "We'll find him. You're cadets after all, you don't know these fields as well as experienced fighters do."

Turning to meet the girls friendly gaze he blushes for a reason other than embarrassment.

"Guys, we're here." Announces Selphie as the ship engines die down for a landing.