Crazy things "Are you certain the dress’s will be ready." Selphie frowned. Celest looked up from where she sat surrounded by several piles of cloth and partially completed dresses. "Yes!" She barked in annoyance. "Sheesh you don’t have to yell at me." Selphie pouted, backing off. "Will you come on." Irvine chuckled, grabbing her by the arm. "But, but, but?" Selphie stammered. "There’s still so much to do here." "Everything’s being taken care of." Quistis assured her while waving her away. "Now shoo, let us get back to work." "You know what to do right?" Selphie asked as she was dragged past Xu, who was busily matching colored strips of cloth. "Yes, you just get everyone who’s going ready, and we’ll be back to get you all as soon as we return from Eshtar." Xu said in the bored tone of someone who’d been asked the same question a thousand times. "See, they’ve got it under control." Irvine sighed. Tired of her stalling he scooped Selphie up off the ground and slung her over his shoulder. "See you guys in a couple of days." He smirked as he hurried off. Quistis waited for them to leave then looked over at Celest and Xu. The three women then let out a collective sigh of relief. ******************** "What kept you? Nida’s about ready to have a fit." Rinoa laughed as Irvine approached with the steadily cursing Selphie in tow. "Miss perfectionist here doesn’t trust you guys to take care of things while we’re gone." Irvine explained as the three of them headed towards Balamb’s front gates. "I just want to be sure they know what to do is all!" Selphie babbled defensively. "Squall said he’s made the arrangements and everything is nearly done here, so there is nothing to worry about." Rinoa assured her. "I dunno." Selphie said warily still draped over Irvine’s shoulder. "What church is it going to be at, surely there’s a waiting list! I called around and most of the places are booked for months! I told you I should’ve been the one make all the arrangements! So help me if you guys muck up my wedding I’m going to be furious!" Selphie wined. "Bye," Rinoa sighed, ignoring the steady stream of doubts coming from the small woman. "See ya." Irvine grinned as he hurried out. A group of Selphie’s former schoolmates rushed forward to greet them and soon swept them away into a waiting car. Rinoa giggled and waved goodbye and headed back inside. As soon as she sealed the front gates Balamb Garden began to rise into the air. "Rinoa!" Squall called to her as she headed towards the elevator. Looking around she found him jogging towards her. "Hey stud." She grinned playfully, causing him to blush. "Stop that." He stammered awkwardly. "Everything okay with them, I heard Selphie raving?" "Yeah, she’s just worried we’ll mess things up, I told her we have it under control." She said with a gleam in her eye. Squall tried not to notice and pressed the button to call the elevator. "You’ve been so moody lately." Rinoa pouted. "Talk to me?" "I’m okay, I’ve just been out of sorts." He said quietly. "I don’t buy it." She giggled, pinning him against the elevator door. "Hey?" Squall gawked in surprise at her. "I missed you, last night." She purred. "Rinoa!?" He stammered, looking around nervously. "Oh say my name again." She grinned wolfishly, pressing herself against him. "What’s gotten into you!?" He blurted unsure how to react. "Nothing yet." She said with uncharacteristic lewdness before pressing her mouth against his. The elevator door opened and the two of them stumbled backwards haphazardly. "Right here." Rinoa breathed eagerly, pulling at his jacket. Flabbergasted and totally taken aback Squall reached for the elevators control panel, but to no avail. "LET ME." Fujin said blandly, pressing the button. "Shit!?" Squall blurted shoving Rinoa away. Rinoa bounced off the wall lightly and burst into laughter. Fujin stood impassively, eyeing the two with and expressionless calm. "Um...we..." Squall stammered, fixing his coat, his face glowing crimson with embarrassment. "DON’T BOTHER." Fujin said bluntly then ignored them. Rinoa wiped her lips and giggled as Squall gave her a look of stern disapproval. "Where are you off to Fujin?" Rinoa asked cheerfully. "BRIDGE." "She’s helping me and Zell with some rewiring." Squall said in a dark tone. "Oh that’s nice." Rinoa smiled as the doors opened. Squall was first one out and took long strides to get away from the two women. Rinoa giggled and arched a brow at him before look back at Fujin. "I think he’s mad at me." She said smirk. "INDEED." Fujin noted as they followed him. "Ladies." Zell smiled upon seeing them and approached them with arms spread for a hug. Fujin socked him in the stomach firmly as he neared her but not enough to cause any real harm. Zell doubled slightly and winced at her. "Nice to see you too." He grumbled. "Hi Zell." Rinoa bubbled, patting him atop the head as she passed. "How’s the work going?" Squall asked Nida curiously. "Fine I guess." Nida responded with a shrug. "When do we arrive in Eshtar?" Rinoa asked. "We should be there tomorrow sometime, we’re taking it kind of slow to be on the safe side. I don’t want to tax the system any while we’re making adjustments." Nida answered, trying to concentrate on his work. "We’re on a tight schedule I just want to make sure we have time get everything done." Rinoa sighed, picking up a odd device which Fujin promptly took away from her. "We’ll be fine." Squall groaned, still flustered by her earlier antics. "You guys need any help?" Rinoa asked, this time watching over Zell’s shoulder as he worked. "You’re in my light." He said with an edgy politeness. "Sorry." She squeaked and moved over to Squall who was preparing to crawl under one of the terminals. "Squall." She called quietly. "What?" He grumbled. "Need any help." She offered, kneeling by him. "I’m fine." He sighed. "Just tell me what to do, it can’t be that hard." She smiled, picking up a another odd looking device that she had no clue how to operate. "Put that down." Squall said quietly, trying not to show how aggravated he was becoming and his failing attempts to remove a stubborn panel weren’t helping. "Fine." She pouted and rose. "Rinoa, we’re trying to work. You’re off today, go enjoy it or something. Xu and Quistis probably need help, go give them a hand." He suggested. "But I want to be with you?" She sulked sadly. "Rinoa." Squall started, then his hand slipped. Raking his knuckles painfully across the insides of the terminal he gave a shout. "Damn it." He blurted and crawled back out from under the terminal in a huff. Rinoa shirked and pouted. "Sorry..." She said meekly. Taking a breath he took her by the shoulders and tried to look sympathetic. "I’ll see you later tonight okay?" He sighed. "Kay..." She murmured. "Okay then." He smiled woodenly and let her go. With a sigh Rinoa stood and walked quietly from the bridge. Zell watched her go then looked over to Fujin with a look of surprise. "Trouble in paradise eh?" He whispered. "APPARENTLY." Fujin grumbled quietly and went back to work. *************** "I made brownies!" Nicole bubbled cheerfully as she let herself into Celest’s apartment. Quistis, Xu and Celest looked up then exchanged knowing looks. "I saw that." Nicole frowned. "I can cook." She added defensively. "Of course." Xu grinned. "So can Irvine." Celest mumbled. "That’s not funny!" Nicole pouted. "Guys be fair." Quistis sighed and walked over to Nicole. "Thanks Nikki." She said cutting a scathing look at Xu and Celest. "So how far along are we?" Nicole asked, looking over the neat pile of dresses. "Almost done." Celest winked. "I told you I was good at this." "They look wonderful." Nicole smiled, holding one up. "Oh don’t encourage her, her heads swollen enough as is." Xu chuckled. "You’re just jealous, you have the fashion sense of a troglodyte." Celest giggled. "Ah what?" Xu glared. "Ohh these are good." Quistis said around a mouthful of brownie. Nicole hopped merrily and pointed a vindicated finger at her tormentors. "See!" She giggled proudly. "Fine, I have the munchies anyway." Xu sighed, walking towards Quistis. "Oh no." Quistis chuckled, holding the shorter woman at bay with one hand. "Hey!?" Xu squawked. "You guys want to make fun, then you don’t get any." Quistis grinned holding plate high with her free hand. Taking after her brother, Celest was a good deal taller than Quistis, who wasn’t short by any means, and easily snatched the tray from her. "Hey?" Quistis frowned in disappointment as Celest retreated tot he far side of the room. "Now that’s just juvenile." She huffed. Nicole watched the exchange with a look of merry amusement. "Hi guys." Rinoa said, quietly knocking on the still open door. "Hey Rinoa." Celest waved as Quistis and Xu stalked after her. "What are they doing?" Rinoa asked Nicole, somewhat at a loss. "Being silly. How are you doing, why the long face?" Nicole responded, noting the young woman’s downcast expression. "Nothin." Rinoa said, pouting slightly. "Oh what happened." Nicole sighed, gesturing her to the couch, carefully dodging the trio of madwomen. "Squall’s ignoring me." Rinoa huffed as they sat down. "Aw no, he’s being moody again." Nicole frowned. "Who is?" Quistis paused from her antics. "It’s nothing guys, really." Rinoa mumbled, not wanting to make a fuss. Xu and Celest ceased their chase and walked over to join the conversation. "Not buying it." Quistis huffed, sitting down next to her troubled friend. "I dunno guys he’s just being distant... I..." Rinoa sighed and looked up at them slowly. "I don’t think he loves me anymore." ******************* "Laguna." Kiros said quietly as the two men stared quietly looking out over a grand terrace behind the presidential palace. "My boy is getting married." Laguna smiled with a look of pride showing on his weathered face. "This is going to cost a fortune, you know its not right using tax dollars on this." Kiros sighed, as a truck hauling supplies lumbered into the clearing. Laguna looked as if he wasn’t paying attention. Kiros frowned and looked over to Ward, who stood nearby. The huge man simply shrugged. "Laguna." Kiros said again, holding up a list. "I did a tally of what you set up in just the last twenty four hours. This is going to cost tens of thousands...if not more." He said warily. Laguna nodded and smiled, happily watching the sea of workers as they prepared for the wedding. "My boy is getting married." He mumbled in a somewhat goofy tone. "Laguna!" Kiros said sharply, raising his voice. "It’s taken care of." Laguna said, his smiled fading briefly, obviously displeased with being distracted from his bliss. "What?" Kiros frowned questionably. "To think I’d use tax money... I’m doing this out of pocket." Laguna scoffed then went back to his cheerful daydreaming. "Oh..." Kiros said quietly and pursed his lips, feeling slightly foolish. He glanced over to Ward who chuckled in silence. "Who asked you." Kiros huffed, wrinkling up the peace of paper. "My boy is getting married." Laguna chuckled to himself, obviously thrilled by the notion. *************************************** "I think you’re exaggerating." Quistis frowned, looking worriedly at Xu. "He still loves you, he’s just stressed out." Nicole said hopefully. "Really, you guys just need a vacation, hell, take a trip somewhere go to a resort or something." Celest suggested. "Snowridge was nice, Fujin and I had a ball." Quistis nodded in agreement. "I don’t think its stress... I’m getting the impression he doesn’t want me around. I’ve tried everything to get his attention lately. Cooking, slinky clothes, I even tried to be spontaneous..." Rinoa sighed in exasperation. "Spontaneous?" Celest blinking, giving Quistis a worried look. "Yeah...I tried to seduce him in the elevator..." Rinoa mumbled shyly. Quistis buried her head in her hands, as Xu’s eyes grew big as saucers. "Oh dear..." Nicole blushed. "Well?" Celest prodded. "Well what?" Rinoa sighed. "What happened, with the elevator?" "Fujin caught us." "Fujin!?" Quistis blinked, looking up in surprise. "Oh no." Xu mumbled, trying hard not to laugh. "Its okay to laugh, it was funny." Rinoa said with a faint grin. "I take it Squall didn’t approve." Quistis sighed. "No, not at all, he was so mad, I’ll probably hear about it later." "Poor thing..." Nicole pouted, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I wonder when he’s going to just come out and say it..." Rinoa sighed sadly. "I can see it now... I wonder if he will try to explain or just tell me to get out..." "Rinoa don’t think like that." Quistis frowned. "Yeah hon, I’m sure he loves you, I’d bet on it." Celest nodded. "They’re right, ya know." Nicole smiled. "I dunno..." Rinoa mumbled then looked up with a forced smile. "Enough about me... how are the dresses coming?" Celest smiled sadly and looked over her shoulder at the stack. "They’re about done, all we had to do was make a few alterations." She said, trying to sound cheerful. "That’s good, anything I can do to help?" Rinoa smiled hopefully. "Sure is." Celest grinned then tossed a dress at her. ******************** "Hyne they won’t leave me alone!" Selphie whispered to Irvine, wiping her brow as she shut the door to their guestroom. As soon as the two arrived in Trabia they were waylaid by a mob of Selphie’s oldest friends. It was well into the evening before they were able to settle into their quarters. "They love you." Irvine chuckled, plopping heavily down onto the bed. "Get you old funky smelling hooves of the bed." Selphie scowled, slapping him on the foot. "You’re going to get mud all over the bedspread. "Bah." Irvine mumbled. Sitting up he quickly slipped off his boots and stretched back out. "Ew what a stench." Selphie giggled, setting the discarded boots over by the door. "Well it’s gonna get worse. We’ve a long day ahead of us if we want to get these guys ready for the trip. How many are coming with us?" Irvine yawned. "Let’s see." She answered thoughtfully. "Um...forty-eight." "Yow." Irvine whistled. "That’s not so many." She grinned, then frowned. "It should’ve been more though..." She added quietly. "Tsk." Irvine frowned, sitting he pulled her onto his lap. "Now, now none of that. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Besides, they’ll be with you in spirit." He said quietly. "Yeah...you’re right." She smiled softly, kissing the tip of his nose. "That’s more like it." He grinned devilishly, moving in for a better kiss. "Ohhh no mister." She giggled, putting up an intervening hand. "What?" He pouted. "These walls are paper thin and we’ve youngsters camped next door so I hope you will behave yourself." She said sternly. "Okay, okay, calm down." He chuckled, before stealing a quick kiss. "Beast." She giggled and slapped him playfully. "You calm down yet?" He asked, changing the subject. "About?" "Cid and Squall making the final arrangements?" "Eww... Cid I trust, Squall though.... I just get a funny feeling. I mean, yeah he’s responsible, but its not like he’s batting a hundred in the social skills department, much less what’s needed to plan a wedding." She sighed. "He’s not even twenty percent." Irvine added with a chuckle. "What an awful thing to say." Selphie gawked at him. "You said it, not me." Irvine laughed. "Be nice." She grinned slightly then sighed. "Still though, I can’t help but have a funny feeling." ************************* "Aw man this sucks." Gustav grumbled, kicking an odd bit of rubble up the darkened corridor. He’d graduated to SEED right after the defeat of Ultimecia and yet he was still stuck doing grunt work. While not top of his class, he felt he did a respectable job and could not understand why he was stuck doing the jobs no one else wanted. "Are you still bitching about being down here?" Rafael, another graduate from Gustav’s class groaned. "Its not half fair." Gustav grunted as he checked the bottom of his boot. "You don’t see the others down here." "What others?" Rafael frowned. "Squall and his merry gang." "Please, he’s been down here several times I’ve seen him. Hell, Zell and Irvine about choked to death down here just the other day. "What are you going on about?" Gustav scowled. "Pocket of gas or something, I had to run security detail for the clean up." "Bah, still though, I think we should get to do more important things." "Have you applied for a different position?" "No... why bother." "See, it’s that kind of attitude that’s holding you back." Rafael laughed. "Me, I like this kind of hands on work, it’s where the action is, know what I mean." "Yeah, whatever, I just wish I got to do something important." "Hey, we do our part, we’re all in this together." Rafael laughed, slapping his friend on the back good-naturedly right before an oily black tendril slithered down around his neck and yanked him into darkness. ************************ Quistis arrived back to her apartment fairly late, she had hoped Fujin would’ve stopped by to help with the dresses after she got of work. She was mildly disappointed but reasoned her to be tired or held up somewhere. Opening the door she was greeted by the pleasant scent of sautéed vegetables and delicately cooked whitefish. The apartment was dark except for strategically laid perfumed candles that bathed the room in a romantic glow. "Oh my." Quistis smiled, loosening her blouse as she looked around in wonder. Music was playing quietly, something silky, and soothing enhancing the mood even further. Quistis was beside herself as she stepped lightly around the room looking for the culprit. "Fu?" She called out softly as she slipped off her shoes. The small dining room table was laid out elegantly with dinner and servings of wine. She peeked into the bedroom with a giddy smile. Fujin was curled up waiting for her, draped in black silk sheets, the dark fabric contrasting sharply against her bare skin. She looked up slowly gave a shy smile as Quistis stepped into the room. ***************************** Life: the continuation of existence. Death: the cessation of being. Survival: defying that which would deny ones existence. A game played since time immortal, and even now continues on. "Leave me!" Rafael screamed, a bloody froth sputtering from his lips as Gustav slung him over his shoulder. "Ain’t goin down like that." Gustav grunted under the weight as he started running. He had managed to pull his friend free from whatever creature had snagged him. But the damage had been done. The thing had all but crushed Rafael’s throat, he was lucky to be alive but it wouldn’t last, Not unless he got help. It was madness, the darkness, and the pressure building in the tunnel behind them. Something was coming, something unimaginably big. A sound, like pigs screaming in the slaughterhouse echoed after them. "What the hell is it!" Gustav bellowed, his mind refusing to let him look back to see. Rafael gurgled incoherently and started thrashing in horror as he raised his head to see what stalked them. An oily sea of black, sludge, glistening wet and lined with pulsing red veins. Roiling and slithering after them like a octopus created from a madman’s nightmares. "Rafael! Stay with me!" Gustav huffed. "DEATH!" Rafael gurgled, as a gush of blood sprayed from his lips. Gustav banged on his headset as he ran, trying to get a signal out. "Is anyone there!" He bellowed into the communicator. A sound, like a thousand screaming infants answered him, screeching in his ears and clawing at his sanity. Jerking wildly with his free hand he ripped the headset off his head and tossed it away, even as it laughed and screamed obscenities at him. "It’s death...it’s come for us all!" Rafael garbled, and began thrashing anew. Gustav was unprepared for the shift in weight and toppled over wildly, and cracked his skull on the concrete walls of the tunnel. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. Rafael was fairly unscathed from the tumble and pulled himself up out of the sludge. The darkness descended on the two men and tendrils of wire and sinew began slithering along their bodies. The tunnel wall creaked and began to pulse as if alive and a pair of pinpoints of red light gleamed out of the darkness. "Fushururur.......Mine...." A voice gurgled from the darkness. "All mine..." Rafael smiled and sat down laughing wildly as madness swept him into sweet oblivion. *************** "So when are we getting married." Nicole grinned as she sat on the edge of the tub, shampooing Zell’s hair as he lounged lazily in the hot sudsy water. "You ready to get married?" He grinned, opening a eye to regard her. "Not really, I just wanted to see what you’d say." "Aw, you tease." He joked. "You’d marry me then?" She smiled shyly. "You bet!" "I never knew you felt like that." "Are you serious?" He gawked, looking at her in surprise. "Well I mean, I just never knew you thought about it before." She shrugged. "Think about it, do I ever." He chuckled and settled back down. "I just figured you weren’t ready. "That’s funny." She smiled, a she carefully soaked his head. "Why? What’s so funny about it?" He frowned under the fall of water. "Nothing really, I’m just surprised, I never would have guessed you were ready." "I can’t see myself without you." He smiled warmly. "So I say, why the hell not." "Logical." She giggled. "Pah!" He scoffed and wagged a indignant finger in the air. "Yooooou thought I was just some joker who never thought about serious things like love and marriage." "Now, now, don’t look at it that way. Well... okay perhaps the marriage part." She grinned and hugged him. "Oh, oh, so I am so joker then?" He scowled playfully. "Hey, you know what I mean!" She protested. "Oh, oh! Now you’re gonna get it!" He proclaimed, then promptly dragged her into the water. *************** Pulsing, growing, learning, hating, gnawing, raging, suffering. All these things and more it was doing. Even now its influence had spread through very being of Balamb Garden, it’s Garden, the way is was supposed to be... A large opalescent sac hung from the ceiling, in some dark forgotten corner deep in the bowels of Balamb’s core. The sac, huge in its entirety, pulsed and quivered with unnatural life as shapes, horrible and alien roiled within. A ripping sound issued from it, wet and terrible as a cascade of putrid sludge flowed out and splattered thickly on the barren floor. Two figures, human in appearance, slid out of the ruined sac and landed limply in the vile afterbirth. The first lay on its back, naked, gibbering incoherently as the other struggled to its knees and let out an unholy scream that echoed into the darkness, a gruesome foretelling of things to come. ******************************* The night was a restless one and Selphie lay on her back, staring into the darkness, lost in thought. "Irvine..." She called quietly. Irvine shifted slightly in his sleep and opened his eyes. "Humm....?" He mumbled incoherently. "I’m sorry...go back to sleep." She whispered. "Mhaztswrong?" He mumbled, sitting up and shaking his head slightly to clear it. "You okay?" He asked worriedly. "Yeah, can’t sleep." She sighed. "Sorry, you want me to go get you something, some cocoa perhaps? That usually settles you." He smiled, rubbing his eyes. "It’s okay hon, go back to sleep." She smiled then kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Something’s bothering you, talk to me." He sighed, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I dunno." She grumbled, curling close to him. "Scared?" He grinned softly. "Yeah..." "Me too." "It’s kinda overwhelming." She said quietly. "A lot...you still okay with it?" He asked, the worry evident in his voice. "Oh, oh! Of course." She responded quickly, hugging him tight. "It’s not that I’m having doubts. I just wonder how we’ll do... I just hope I’m ready." "You? Don’t forget I’m in this too." He chuckled. "I know babe." She grinned, tweaking his nose playfully. "It’s just that...We’re young, barely grown ourselves..." "Speak for yourself." Irvine grinned smugly. "Be serious." She frowned, giving him a look. "I am... sorry." He shirked. "I just don’t want to mess up." She sighed. "We’ll do fine, if not, we’ve plenty of people to help us along the way." He said reassuringly. "You’re right. I guess I’m just a worrywart." "Nah, I feel the same way." "I wonder what we’ll have." She said with a thoughtful smile. "I hope it’s a girl." Irvine answered nonchalantly. "A girl, really? That’s a surprise." Selphie blinked. "Why?" "I dunno, just seems like what you’d want." "Heck no, I know how I was when I was a kid. Hyne knows if I had a son he’d be just as bad." Irvine chuckled. "You have a point..." Selphie nodded solemnly before the to broke into laughter. ************************* Xu yawned as she waited for the last of the search teams to return from the core. She was optimistic, it had been awhile since any of the teams encountered any hostile creature. It would seem the situation with the Training Center escapees was at an end. Two figures strolled out of the darkness towards her. "There you are guys, I was about to send someone down to dig you up." She smiled as they approached. "Sorry Ma’am." Gustav nodded. "Ma’am?" Xu grinned. "Learning to respect your elders finally." She laughed. "What took you guys so long anyway?" "We got lost." Rafael explained with a shrug. "Oh okay, no problem, how’d it go?" She asked curiously as she scribbled notes in a small notebook. "Quiet as a mouse down there." Gustav said blandly. "Boring really." Rafael added. "I bet. The other teams pretty much said the same thing. I think we’re done then. I’ll let Squall know, he’ll be glad to hear it." Xu nodded happily. "Well guys, you two go clean up. Not to be rude but you both smell like rotten meat." The two young men nodded quietly and lumbered off. Xu started to go back to making notes then paused to look at the two as the left. Something seemed odd, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. ****************** Squall opened the door to his apartment as quietly as possible. It was well after midnight, he’d purposely worked late in hopes to avoid getting into it with Rinoa about the events that had transpired earlier that morning. He breathed a sigh of relief as he entered, it was dark and all seemed quiet. Slipping off his coat, he quietly hung it up and took off his shoes. There was note from Rinoa on the dining table. He picked it up looked it over curiously. You said I’d see you tonight so I made dinner. I should have known better. It’s cold now, just heat it up if you want. We need to talk... Rinoa... "Shit" Squall groaned and rubbing his head wearily. ************************ By sunrise Balamb crested the horizon and cleared the mountains leading into Esthar. The glimmering city of glass and silver lay before them like a city made of diamonds. Nida smiled at the site, one he never got tired of seeing. A small fleet of hovering police craft drew along side Balamb as it drifted slowly over the spires and towering skyscrapers. "At least they’re not threatening to shoot us down this time." Cid chuckled as he walked onto the bridge. "Morning sir." Nida saluted. "They’re hailing us, do you want to answer, or shall I." "Oh, patch it through, I’ll talk to them." Cid yawned, before sipping his morning coffee. "This is Bravo One, to Balamb. On behalf of President Lore we welcome you to our fair city." A voice crackled over the com. "Much obliged Bravo One. We’re glad to be here." Cid smiled, peering out the bay window to the lead craft. "Just follow us, well lead you to landing zone Zeta Sigma." The Officer said cheerfully, flashing the lights of his vehicle. "I thought we were going to the presidential palace?" Cid asked, looking at Nida with confusion. "Restricted flying zone, only government vehicles are allowed. We’ve transports waiting for you and you’re people." "Ah, understandable." Cid nodded. "Lead the way then." **************************** Within an hour, everyone from Balamb who’d be helping with wedding were gathered outside and packing their gear into several large Limousines. "Wow!" Celest bubbled, bounding eagerly to one of the impressive cars. "This is all impressive, Laguna went all out didn’t he." Quistis grinned, looking about in amazement. "This is going to be awesome dude! Check it out we’re on the news!" Zell shouted, running over to Squall and pointing to a sea of reports that were shouting and flashing pictures, from behind a security fence several yards away. "Looks like he has the entire city involved..." Squall mumbled. "Selphie’s going to love it." Rinoa said quietly, looking around. Not terribly eager about having her picture take Fujin made sure to stay behind the others. Quistis caught her skulking about and grabbed her hand. "What’s with you?" She grinned. "MEDIA." Fujin groused. "Oh, what? Tell me you’re camera shy." "NOT FUNNY." Fujin soured. "I beg to differ, but you’re secrets safe with me." Quistis winked. A large Limousine approached the gathering, surrounded by security crafts. "Here’s Laguna." Cid smiled, waving as the cars pulled up beside them. Ellone was the first one out and all but tackled Squall. "I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!" She screamed laughingly. Squall was completely taken off guard and staggered back so bad that Zell had to hold him up. Rinoa giggled and looked at the exchange curiously. "SQUALL!" Laguna bellowed, as he quickly climbed out of the limousine, only trip and fall face first onto the tarmac. A mod of security guards engulfed him to make sure he was okay. "I’m fine, I’m fine!" Laguna grumbled, breaking free of the crowd. He then proceeded to rush over and hug Squall, even while he was still entangled by Ellone. "This is interesting." Quistis remarked. Fujin folded her arms and nodded, something was amiss. "Um Quistsy." Xu said quietly as she walked towards the two of them with her portable PC in hand. "Look at this." "What?" Quistis asked, looking at the monitor. "INSANE." Fujin blurted, then looked in amusement at Squall, who was oblivious. "What’s all this about." Squall babbled prying Ellone and Laguna from him. He was flushed with a healthy mix of anger and embarrassment. "We’re so excited for you!!" Ellone screamed excitedly as Laguna wiped prideful tears from his eyes. "What!?" Squall growled, truly confused. Xu and Quistis walked over to him and held up the portable PC, which was displaying the local news broadcast. Squall glanced down, thankful for the distraction. He saw himself on the screen along with Rinoa as a reporter jabbered on about the upcoming wedding of the president’s son; Squall Leonheart to Rinoa Heartilly. Looking up slowly he met Laguna’s smiling visage and wanted nothing more than to cry.
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