Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Zell's Story ❯ Breaking Down the Walls ( Chapter 2 )

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

Zell's Story - Chapter 2






Zell's Story
By Elysia Erianthe
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Chapter 2: Breaking Down the Walls
''Geez, what is wrong with Selphie!?! She was so cold! Is this the same girl that practically worshipped me two years ago?!? I haven't changed any so what's the big deal. And since when is Zell her best friend and protector?" Irvine asked the heavens in a frustrated tone. He continued to pace the area around the cockpit and mentally thanked who ever invented the auto pilot system. "What in Hyne's name could have happened in the time since I left?!?" He asked again, the anger in his voice erupting into a shout.
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Flashback: The Night of Assumptions (two years ago in Deling City)
'What a perfect evening for this,' Irvine thought and smiled down at the girl that was clinging to his arm and gleefully skipping on the cobblestones. 'Yes, Selphie my dear, tonight is definitely the night.' He returned his gaze to the Griever Moon and discreetly fingered the small object in his pocket.
"Irvy?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.
"Yes, my pretty?"
" ... Can we go to the hotel and listen to the pianist and ... and maybe even sit where Sir Laguna and his men sat a score or so ago?!?"
"Well, I don't know Sefie ... you know that bartender doesn't look fondly on us under-agers ...," he said.
"PLEASE?!?!?!?" She begged, giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Well, alright! Ya talked me into it!" He said, throwing his arms up in mock defeat. One of his arms found its way to land around Selphie's waist. They walked together to the transport and boarded.
They spent the short trip in silent bliss as Selphie looked out the window, and Irvine politely nodded at the older people that looked their way.
"Kids really are so nice these days," one of the ladies whispered to her friend.
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It was still early evening, though the dark sky might make one think otherwise, therefore the bar-turned-restaurant downstairs area of the hotel was bustling. Luckily, with a little help Irvine's hundred gil, they were still able to secure "Sir Laguna's table" without a really long wait. They were seated by the gracious and greedy host and were served their sodas. The couple just quietly sipped their drinks and watched the surrounding bustle until Selphie spoke up.
"Irvine," She said in slow thoughtfulness, "Why are you doing this? Taking me out for a night on the town and all."
Irvine felt the sudden flush of blood leaving his face pale. 'What do I say to her? How can I possibly explain this to her?!?' He thought in the same sudden loss of words he experienced whenever she ever asked about his motives. However, the lighting of the restaurant was in his favor, and his date couldn't see his facial expression clearly.
"Irvy? It's not a hard question ...," she persisted with the slightest amount of amusement in her voice.
"Well ... how can I put this in words?" He mused aloud. "You are a very special girl to me, Selphie. My favorite femme out there to be exact," he whispered tenderly and reached across the table to stroke her cheek in the darkness.
"And you are a good friend as well, Irvy," she unintentionally cut him off, and placing her hand over his briefly before pulling his away from her face after seeing their waiter approaching with their meals.
'W-wha-WHAT?!?' Irvine questioned himself. It was all he could do to hold himself back from his seat in the booth and asking her if that's all he meant to her. But he gritted his teeth momentarily and decided to act as if nothing had happened for the remainder of the evening.
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The halls of Balamb Garden were cloaked in an eerie and unnatural silence at this late hour of night. The constant buzzing of the overhead security lights and the soft white glow of neon illumination mirrored the insects and full moon of the outside world.
But they didn't notice. While Irvine was still contemplating how to mend his crushed heart, Selphie considered whether she should carry through with her plan.
Soon enough, however, they tiptoed into the dormitory and to her room.
Selphie leaned against her door and gripped the doorframe, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to do.
"I um ... would you please come in my room for a while," she asked shyly, breaking the silence only for more to come as an astonished look crossed Irvine's face. In an attempt to clarify her meaning, she whispered, "I just ... need to tell you something is all." 'Tell him my true feelings. Yes, that was all,' she thought, while watching for the slightest reaction in Irvine, whose face was shadowed in the darkness.
"Well, now Selphie, I'm afraid that it is awful late so how about we just talk about this in the mornin'?" He said in a velvety tone and took a step closer to her.
"But!" She whispered harshly, and covered her mouth, hoping she hadn't woken anyone with her exclamation.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," he cooed and brought his arms up around her delicate frame in a tight embrace. He freed one arm and gently placed his cowboy hat on her head that was now nearly buried in his coat.
"Goodnight, Sefie," He said into her ear, breaking the embrace. He kissed her forehead and then was gone. He headed toward the main hallway of Garden, only pausing for a moment as he passed the door of his dorm room.
'I need to think for a little while,' he told himself and increased his pace.
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"Don't you think he would realize after all this time?" She asked Zell, frowning. The soon-to-be devilish duo was currently taking the lift down from the cockpit.
"I have no idea. Guys can be dense, Irvine in particular. The best way to find out that I can think of would be just to ask him outright. But ... I don't want you to get hurt again. How about if I ask, and I can tell you what happened later. That way, if you do decide to confront ... Irvine, you will at least be a little prepared."
"Yeah ... h-hey! You read my mind!" She exclaimed after pausing between thoughts.
"Oooooooooooof course! Zell da man!" He said in mock arrogance, rubbing his knuckles against his chest.
"Ooh! You are getting as bad as Irvine!" She said and jabbed him hard in the stomach, but Zell was completely unfazed.
"Aha! Now you see that would have hurt your average pansy, but I now have SUPER ABS!" He announced proudly, standing in the pose of a long-forgotten superhero named Superman. "Thank you 8 Minute Abs!" He said at the normal volume of his voice. "Alright, I'm done now," He said to the woman at his side who was doubled over in good-hearted laughter. "C'mon Sef," he winked and continued, "let's get back to the kids before Joshua does something terribly Seifer-ish."
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By the time the instructors reached their class, eleven students were in their seats. Whether they had been in them a second before is anybody's guess, however. Joshua was standing up and apparently trying to instruct the class. What he said was enough to raise several eyebrows.
"Now class. I have done away with your normal, extremely lame teachers so I can teach you the ways of an Almasy. First comes first. This is your god. You will worship him even after you die in battle," he announced quite seriously to the class and pointed to a wallet-sized photo of Seifer that he took out of his back pocket. "Now, does anyone have any questions with this first basic lesson?" Joshua was only answered by clapping and a groan from the back of the room where Selphie and Zell had entered unnoticed.
Selphie rolled her eyes at Joshua's glare and told him to sit down. Zell walked over to the sulking boy and ruffled his hair, which reeked of lemon juice.
"Sorry, buddy, but lemon juice won't do a darn thing for ya. If you want something better, tell Instructor Trepe in the Chem lab that I sent you," Zell whispered to the now beaming youth.
"You would think that we would have at least one Squall admirer in here. After all, he was the commander of Garden and the one who led SeeDs against the sorceresses as opposed to Seifer, the field exam flunky ..." Selphie said to no one particular.
"Excuse me, Instructor," a student interrupted coldly from the back of the room.
"Yes, Manning?" Selphie asked. Manning was quite possibly the quietest and most brilliant junior classman.
"I admire Squall, Instructor Tilmitt."
"Ooh! Is that why you are so quiet?" Selphie questioned slyly.
"Whatever."
"You know ... I really admire Miss Heartilly. So maybe..." A brunette named Airlia mumbled before plopping down in the seat next to Manning.
In return the boy brought his hand up to his bowed head in what looked like a gesture of mental anguish.
"..."
"Manny? Manny?!? Are you okay???" She asked.
"I LIKE LAGUNA! Eek! I mean President Loire," a boy, Ziven, called out enthusiastically.
At this, the young female instructor started jumping up and down and clapping. "Yay!"
"Well..." Nessa said, thinking aloud, "you are no Sir Laguna, but you are kinda cute! Hey, I hadn't noticed until now just how much your hair is like his!"
"AHHH!" Zell screamed as he noticed one of the students trying to spike up his bangs.
He promptly gave Selphie "The Look." He had had enough. 'Five, four, three, two, one!'
On zero, the two instructors ordered forcefully in unison.
"SIT DOWN!!!"
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"Hmm?" Irvine mumbled through the chocolate bar hanging from his mouth. "Wha wuz tha?" The too-loud command echoed through the metal walled cockpit area to wake Irvine from his reverie. And just in time as Trabia could be seen, standing out as a black outline against the virgin snow. The one thing the Ragnarok couldn't do was land itself.
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The important notes:
The names of the students are not original for the most part, but I did choose them for their meanings. I found these names on Alfabette Zoope Name Lists. I am eternally grateful to Wordgirl for her wonderful site. Anyhow, the meanings of the names are as follows:
Joshua : JOSH-yoo-uh : hebrew "lord is salvation" ß (the lord who he thinks is Seifer)
Manning : MAN-ing : old english "son of the hero" ß (Okay, he's not technically his son, but you get the idea)
Airlia : AIR-lee-uh : greek "ethereal" ß (ethereal as in "Angel Wing" Rinoa)
Ziven : ZEE-ven : slavic "vigorous and alive" ß (describes Laguna followers to a T)
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