Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Zell's Story ❯ Opening Up to Possibility ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Zell's Story Complete - Chapter 1






Zell's Story
By Elysia Erianthe
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Chapter 1:Opening Up to Possibility
"Sup?" The clean-cut, fair-haired boy asked in a voice that was clear proof of his adolescence. It was unnaturally sunny in the Quad of Balamb Garden, but none of the other junior classmen gathered there seemed to care.
The waif of a girl to whom he was speaking discreetly inched forward. "Nuttin' ...," she replied. Her tone was light and happy, almost musical. As her voice trailed off, however, her whimsical facial expression changed, and a muffled giggle escaped from deep within the girl.
"Wha-" he started to say, but the girl suddenly leapt onto her tiptoes and perfectly landed a kiss on his cheek.
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"AHHHHHHHH!" Zell screamed as he shot upright, bedclothes cascading onto the floor, temporarily out of harm's reach from his powerful limbs. But just as suddenly as he had awoken terrified, he was silent in great contrast to his behavior seconds before. Even though the immediate tension in his features---a result of his vision---had diminished, his bare chest still heaved, and his heart continued to pound. The abnormally pale Zell concentrated on the vision that was the last scene in his bewildering dream. The smiling, young girl, about the same age as young Zell, stood with her legs crossed at the ankles and index and middle fingers upheld in a 'V', winking and giggling. 'Tee-hee.'
The click of the opening door pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for later analysis being as Squall nudged the door open making enough room in the threshold for Rinoa who sleepily clung to his muscular shoulder.
"What's going on in here, Zell? You're ... soaking wet ...," Squall commented, quite obviously disgusted. He adjusted his grip on Rinoa uncomfortably, knowing that she could not stand half-consciously without support but he also felt uneasy showing affection towards her in front of his co-worker.
Zell scowled at Squall, reading an unintended meaning in the words.
'Not like that, Zell,' Squall thought and shook his head in disapproval. He was going to express his thoughts, but Rinoa spoke for him as she slipped out of whatever sleep-induced trance she was under. "No, you are drenched in sweat, Zellie," she sighed, smiling fondly.
"ZELLIE?!?" Zell asked exasperated and frightened. "I don't know what you put in her drink Squall, but-" However, he was interrupted by a barely audible low growl coming from the doorway.
"Mmm ... calm down Squall," she cooed and ran a hand through his silken hair. Squall raised an eyebrow in silent question, but was relieved when she relaxed in his embrace.
"Ugh," Zell mumbled as he began to feel sticky for the first time since it had been brought to his attention. He fumbled his way to sit on the edge of his bed. "So what are you guys up to so late doing anyway?" He raised an eyebrow mischievously, but the darkness in the room hid his expression.
"Watching a movie,'' Rinoa responded mid-yawn and continued, "and cuddling." Squall mentally thanked himself for not turning on the light when he entered because the shadows concealed his faint blush at Rinoa's last comment.
"Well, I'm going back to bed lovebirds. After all, I have to teach a class in no more than four hours," Zell broke the silence after glancing at the alarm clock. And with that, the couple silently exited the scene, and Zell probed his way back into bed, not bothering to find the bed covers scattered across the floor of his fairly large dorm room. Before he fell victim to sleep though, he recalled the vision of the girl in his dream and tried to match her face with someone he currently knew or met before. However, he had no such luck. Slowly, he drifted into unconsciousness, still questioning. "Who are you?"
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"Your mission won't be easy today. Your job is to infiltrate the office. The Trabia Garden Headmaster's office!" Several hoots and cheerful shouts were released after Zell let the cat out of the bag about his students' next mission. "Now, don't be too nervous," he said trying to calm the junior classmen down, but he was struggling to suppress the boyish grin that was his trademark.
"After all, this is only a minor grade," Selphie piped up after she couldn't resist feeling the students' enthusiasm. "You can access the team arrangements through your instruction panels. Remember to meet with your teams and arrive at the front gate at thirteen hundred hours. Class-"
"Dismissed," Zell chimed in a sent a reassuring wink in Selphie's direction.
He walked over to the perky 22-year-old as she stacked up the remaining paperwork she hadn't finished while Zell was instructing the class. "This was really a wonderful idea, Zell," she commented as she straightened, cradling the bunch of papers in the nook of her arm. "I just hope it teaches them something."
Sensing her concern, Zell reached over, and after taking the papers from her, patted her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. She smiled at her best friend and took his arm after he offered. Then they proceeded out of the classroom and into the silent second floor hallway.
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"So do you think it worked?" Rinoa whispered in Squall's ear as she saw Zell and Selphie walk out of the elevator. They stood behind the directory map of Balamb Garden, occasionally sneaking glances towards the elevator.
"I don't know," Squall mumbled nonchalantly.
"That's all?" Rinoa asked, obviously not content with the answer of her unwilling partner in crime.
"..."
"Well?!?" Rinoa questioned again, even more frustrated than before.
" ... I just think this is silly. I mean, do you really think we need to be hiding behind this thing?" Squall reluctantly responded, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone nearby noticed the once-commander of Garden lurking behind the directory, with his girlfriend acting like a cheesy undercover agent. After receiving a glare from her, his mind returned to the matter at hand. ''Either way, Ellone must have come through on her end of the deal because Zell was petrified last night.''
"He was?" Rinoa asked innocently and cocked her head to one side.
Squall let out a rare sigh. "Yes, Rinoa. You were there."

"Oh! Hehe! Oops!" She exclaimed giddily and winked at Squall. It was time for the acting to begin. They stepped out from behind the directory, and Rinoa discreetly pulled the collar of her khaki trench coat closer to her.
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"Rinoa! Squall!" The duo called out in unintentional unison. They joined the other two that were strangely loitering near the Garden directory.
"Hi you guys!" Rinoa chimed excitedly.
"Whoa! Rinoa, why are you wearing a trench coat? Spying on someone?" Zell asked, raising an eyebrow in emphasis.
"Princess forgot to do her laundry," the deep masculine voice stated, catching everyone off guard.
Zell grimaced. Squall grunted. Selphie giggled, and Rinoa was the first to respond in words. "Seifer ... how did you---hahahaha!" Rinoa was overcome by a fit of laughter. But then again, who wouldn't laugh at the sight? Seifer, the self-proclaimed almighty warrior, was now dressed in something similar to hospital scrubs with a rubber gloves and a hairnet to complete the ensemble. Small particles of lint were visible on his clothes, making it blatantly obvious what he had been doing this morning---laundry. His two proteges followed at his heels, dressed in similar garb but also brandishing empty buckets and cleaning detergent.
"So Seifer," Zell said cockily while sneaking up behind the blonde, "where's your toilet brush?" He said as he ducked under the boy's arm and snatched an object out of his pocket. All of this was executed flawlessly, finished with a double backhand spring. Zell examined his latest acquisition and let out a whoop.
"Whoa! Seifer! You dog!" He screeched, dangling a pair of small, pink silk panties from the frilly white lace.
"Ooh Seifer! You baaaaaaad boy," Selphie chirped, shaking her head at him in mock disapproval.
However, in the midst of everyone's laughter, Rinoa's eyes widened and her face colored scarlet. "HEY! Those are mine!" She exclaimed, much to the surprise of the small crowd that had formed. But her anger had not hit its height yet. "AND THEY'RE DRY CLEAN ONLY!"
"Say wha ... ?" Zell asked, directing his attention toward the red-faced sorceress. But it was too late. Seifer and his crew had already scampered away with Rinoa in pursuit. Squall smoothly caught her by the waist and steered her back towards Zell and Selphie. "Don't worry about it, Rinoa," he whispered holding her close. "I'll take care of HIM later." He smiled faintly, and Rinoa remembered what their mission was once again.
"So Zellie ... I haven't seen you around with the pig-tailed girl lately ...," she commented slyly.
"What?!? Where is she? Don't let her see me, Selphie!" The obviously frightened chocobo-haired boy exclaimed and knelt behind Selphie.
"Oh, heheh. He always does this when he thinks the pig-tailed girl is walking nearby," Selphie said and chuckled, perhaps a little nervously. "I think he might actually be afraid of the poor girl," She mumbled patting Zell on the head, managing not to mess his 'do.'
After a minute, Zell realized the girl in question was nowhere near, and he stood up shakily. "Don't joke like that, Rinoa! I'm trying to avoid her."
"What? Why? Aren't you two dating?" Rinoa asked, putting on her innocent act. She already knew the answer to her question.
"No. We broke up a couple weeks ago," He mumbled glumly. "She got so upset one night while we were in the training center, and she ran off crying. I don't know what I said or did, but I feel terrible still."
A forced, sympathetic frown came to Rinoa's lips at his gloomy explanation. 'I feel terrible about tricking him like this,' she thought, 'but there's only one way to cure that kind of melancholy!' She added with renewed enthusiasm.
"Poor Zellie," Selphie cooed and put her arm around his waist.
"ZELLIE! ... The hell is with everyone calling me 'Zellie' all of the sudden?!?" He exclaimed in frustration.
"Oh! You don't like it?" Selphie asked in a seductive tone, winking at Rinoa and wrapping her arms around Zell's middle at the same time. He had grown substantially in the five years since the fall of Ultimecia.
Zell groaned, realizing his defeat. Affection from basically any attractive girl made him melt even if he knew it wasn't sincere. 'Damn hormones. I was never good with girls. I think I am getting even worse at it,' he thought aggrievatedly.
The tandem of Rinoa and Selphie were unstoppable when they wanted something. Rinoa, having some knowledge of the minds of men, taught Selphie everything she knew on 'how to get anything you want from them,' as she put it. Of course, since Rinoa was very much with Squall, the perky brunette did most of the "dirty work."
Zell sighed after a minute when Selphie tugged at his arm and gave him an urgent look. He looked down at his watch and responded to her silent pleas. "Well, it looks like we better be off. Selphie needs to finish up our paperwork, and I, for one, need to clean up my room after last night. It seems I thrashed quite a bit before I woke up. So, ... later!" He waved his hand and left with Selphie in tow.
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Selphie waited until they were inside Zell's dorm room to speak again. "Zell," she questioned almost wistfully, ''what was Rinoa talking about? 'Last night?'"
"Oh, heheh," Zell laughed, obviously embarrassed. "I just uh ... had this dream, and for some reason it really scared me, I guess. So uh what do you say I get you a drink before you start that paperwork? Heheh ..." He had his hand clasped on the back of his neck in his characteristically nervous and embarrassed gesture.
"Really? That's kinda creepy. What was the dream about? You don't usually get scared easily like that ...," She replied and frowned. Such an expression was so unnatural for her face.
"Well you know how they always have all the junior classmen from all the gardens come here for an annual party of sorts?"
"Yeah! I remember those! They were like a junior Garden Festival. Is that where this dream took place?"
"Yeah," Zell mumbled almost wistfully, completely lost in thought.
"Zell! Hello! Earth to Zell! On you on the Lunar Base right now or what?!?" Selphie asked in jest, waving a hand in front of his face, attempting to get the blonde boy's attention again.
"Huh? Uh ... what?" He looked back at her, perplexed.
"Just tell me exactly what happened ... from the beginning, kay?"
"All right ...," he grumbled and started the tale in a low voice as if he was afraid someone in the hallway would overhear.
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"Alright class, now that you are with your groups ...," Zell pronounced through a wicked grin and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"We will inform you of what exactly is going to take place here. First, your group leaders will be assigned. That means Peony, Finn, Bella, and you, Joshua. And no, I'm not out of my mind if that's what you are thinking," The petite girl nodded at the vivacious junior classman and sent a reassuring smile towards his other group members, Eereiah and Nessa. Joshua was so much like his mentor that it was uncanny. Unfortunately for the two young instructors, his mentor was Seifer. "Speak of the devil ...," Selphie mumbled to herself as the aforementioned approached the ensemble of junior classmen.
Seifer slowly nodded in the martial artist's direction and walked toward him. He stood close and whispered in Zell's ear. "Man, chicken-wuss! Why'd you have to go and take Rinoa's panties out of my pocket? Squall's gonna mutilate me! I bet you would have the guts to steal your girlfriend's underwear!"
"Seifer!" Joshua called out hopefully. Seifer smiled and waved at the boy.
Zell winced inwardly then spoke while Selphie continued to explain the scavenger hunt at Trabia. "I don't have a girlfriend anymore ...," he grumbled forlornly.
"I wouldn't be too sure if I were you!" Seifer smirked ran in the other direction before the other man had the chance to ask any questions.
'This is really beginning to creep me out,' Zell thought, a shiver going down his spine. 'How come everyone knows something about this mystery girl, and I don't when I'm the one that's supposed to be paired up with her!?!' He thought, though the frustration was barely evident on his face as she continued to explain the mission.
"So ... let's go troops!" Selphie exclaimed happily and donned her patented smile. She quickly latched onto Zell, and with much effort dragged him out of Garden and to the Ragnarok.
"You do have to entertain and control the students while I'm flying you know," she reminded him before they boarded the spaceship.
In return, Zell just sighed.
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"H-hello! What are you doing here, Irvine?" Selphie asked in a surprised, but tentative tone. 'Too surprised to be happy, too scared just to jump into his arms like I used to, too hurt ...,' she thought with some amount of sorrow.
"What, no hug or kiss? I must be losing my touch with you, Sefie," He said with a confused expression, followed by a confident one as he advanced on her. He gently lifted her chin and lowered his head until their faces were inches apart. "What's the matter, Selphie my dear?"
He had the most peculiar look on his face. 'Was it concern?' she wondered. No, she had seen that look on his face before, and it wasn't concern. Lust, maybe, but definitely not concern.
"Hey, get a room you two!" Zell chided, angrily. Anger was one of many emotions that were barely evident in his voice.
Selphie turned her face away quickly and made a mental note to thank her knight in shining ... err SeeD uniform later.
"Chicken-wuss," Irvine greeted icily.
"Womanizer," Zell countered, his temper threatening to erupt should Irvine even just slightly provoke him. He stepped up to Selphie, who was still flushed, and placed his arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture. "C'mon Selphie. I'll fly if you like ..."
"Hey now! Wait a minute. I was sent here from Deling to fly the Ragnorak for you. I think Cid thought that I was spending too much time in the bar of the Deling Hotel. I would have told you that before, Sefie, but Blondie Boy here interrupted me. So if you please, let me fly. I'm in deep enough trouble as it is," Irvine said without even a hint of an accent.
Zell smirked and thought, 'So you do only use that Southern drawl to woo the ladies.' "Hypocrite," he snorted aloud. Then turning to the porcelain doll of a woman next to him, "Is that alright with you?" His voice was completely devoid of the sandpaper harshness of his earlier exchange with Irvine.
"Yes," she whispered, and she and Zell proceeded to the door. "It was nice seeing you again, Irvine," she said as coldly as she possibly could before exiting the room.
Irvine just stared dumb-foundedly at the door through which they left.
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Flashback: The Morning After (two years ago)
'Funny,' Zell thought as he entered the classroom he and Selphie taught their students in. 'She is always here before I am. But then again, she was with Irvine in Deling this weekend. Can't blame her for wanting to sleep in on a Monday morning. So I'll just let her sleep for a little while. She'll come in to teach eventually,' he thought with a little smile.
But after several hours had passed, and the perky brunette still had not made her entrance. Zell hurried through the rest of the material and dismissed the class for an early lunch.
He walked down the halls of the dorms until he reached the door of Selphie's room. Before knocking he glanced at his watch. 'It just wasn't like her to play hooky like this,' he thought with a great deal of concern. He shook his head, attempting to get those thoughts out, and knocked. There was no answer so he slowly opened the door, giving her plenty of time to respond to the creaking of the door. Still no answer. He shyly stuck his head in the door and gasped.
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There she sat on her bed. Her form was slightly rocking to and fro as she quietly sobbed into her knees. She was pale as the full moon. She was whispering something indecipherable to herself between sobs and sniffles. When he thought about it, the scene wasn't all that surprising, if it had been anyone else crying her eyes out. 'No, not Selphie,' he thought, rushing over to her side.
He wrapped his arms around her gently shaking form and pulled her close, hoping to comfort his friend. He was close enough to be able to hear her trembling voice.
"He's gone. He knows I love him, but he won't stay. Not for me. He doesn't love me. He's gone ..."