AN: I have a cold and my head hurts so forgive me since I think that this chapter isn't one of my bests.
Note: Rinoa's eyes are actually brown and not blue (Sorry for the misunderstanding). Funnily, Squall's are both emerald and blue. In my copy of the game, Squall had emerald eyes while in my friend's own copy, her Squall had blue eyes! I swear that it's true people! We even ask our other friends for their opinions and they all agreed with us….Kind of weird if you think about it…Anyway, to sum it up, Squall has emerald eyes in this fic ok? Since I'm basing the whole story from my own copy of the game.
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Love Etched In Ice
Chapter : Hotdogs and Library Books
"So…what are you going to do now?"
Serenity leant against the rail of the terrace that separated the Garden from the open sea that lay before them. She gazed out at the clear blue sky, her long hair fluttering with the cool breeze. It took her a few moments to finally reply.
"I do not know, Squall. I can not fight as your Guardian Force anymore but…"
She paused, turning to face her hazel-haired companion at the corner of her eyes.
"Cid invited me to join the SeED force, although I have to learn and graduate just like the rest. Therefore, to everyone else here, I am a new student of the Garden." Serenity continued.
Squall glanced at Serenity, seeing the sorrow in her eyes, he said. "You know, you don't have to join if you don't want to."
Serenity shook her head. "No, it's alright. It was my choice to join, not Cid's."
Then an amused gleam shimmered in her sapphire-silver eyes.
"Besides, who would make sure that you don't get yourself into trouble?"
She giggled at the irked look in Squall's face. Squall, on the other hand, wanted to tell Serenity that he was not a trouble-maker but that trouble always seemed to follow him.
But he knew that Serenity already knew that; she being his former GF alias Shiva, the Ice Goddess.
So instead, Squall said. "Are you hungry? Want to go grab a bite to eat?"
Serenity shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure, why not?"
Students and faculty alike peeked over their shoulders and watched on with vivid interest at two teenagers quietly having their lunch together.
Normally it wouldn't have been an object of large interest if the mentioned pair weren't a gorgeous stranger with long blonde-blue hair and unusual eye color and a cold and supposedly emotionless hazel-haired male teen.
"Hmm…This is good." Serenity commented as she took a bite of her food and closed her mouth, savoring the taste as she chewed before she swallowed it down.
"Now I know why you guys like this…what is this called again?" She asked.
Squall smirked in amusement at the blonde's antics. "That's a hotdog," He replied.
Serenity's eyes widened and she dropped the hotdog unceremoniously on her plate. A disgusted look replaced the blissful smile previously etched on her facial features.
"Eww…you actually eat meat processed from dogs and enjoy it?"
The spectators looked on with shocked faces as the usually stoic-but-handsome emerald-eyed young man gave a care-free laugh.
Serenity raised a delicate eyebrow when she noticed the curious and wary glances thrown her way by passersby as she and Squall walked down the hallway.
The hazel-haired young man was looking straight forward, with his hands tucked in his pockets, so Serenity didn't think that he noticed the looks cast upon them both.
The former GF bit her lip to avoid speaking out her thoughts. It wasn't until they crossed to another path where they are alone that she spoke up.
"What's with the looks almost everyone we passed gave me? Had I somehow offended them in any way?" She asked.
Squall craned his neck to glance at Serenity; one eyebrow raised.
Didn't Serenity know just how much of an impact she has on people? Unlike what Serenity thought, Squall had indeed noticed the looks cast upon them but he didn't mind as much…or rather he shouldn't have whenever he caught guys staring at his former GF.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong." Squall finally replied. He turned to look forward and continued walking.
Quick footsteps followed from behind and a surprised look glazed in Squall's eyes when his emerald depths met silver-blue.
Serenity stood still in front of Squall, her arms crossed. "Then why were they looking at me?" she asked.
Squall let out a sigh. Didn't she really know?
He looked into Serenity's eyes and saw the innocence in them. Squall fought off a scoff.
So she really wasn't aware. For someone who had gone through so much, Serenity still maintained a part of her child-like innocence.
Squall didn't know whether he was thankful, envious or irritated by that.
Coughing softly, he murmured.
"We should continue walking if we want to get available seats."
Serenity cocked up a slender eyebrow, this time in question.
"Why? Where are we going?" She asked.
"To the Library, I expect that you'd want to know why the curse was dispelled." Squall replied.
"Oh…" Serenity paused for a while before she continued. "Squall?"
"What?"
"How do you feel about Rinoa?" She asked, her eyes gazing into Squall's.
Squall was silent, a small frown in his face. Then it disappeared as he answered.
"Rinoa…Well she is the one who made me open up more to other people. She is a caring person, though she can get a tad bit annoying with her never-ending questions and mood swings."
"In other words, you care about her." Serenity softly murmured; a sad tone in her voice.
Squall, who didn't notice the change of tone in Serenity's voice, nodded his head.
"Yes, you could say that." He answered.
Serenity felt a sudden weight dropped on her shoulders and weighing her down, though she didn't know why.
"Ah I see…"
Squall continued. "But, you are so much important to me Serenity. You are my first friend and companion that I had since…"
Serenity placed a finger gently against Squall's lips, as if to hush him. "I know Squall, I know." She softly replied, a small smile on her face.
Hearing Squall's words seemed to have made the burden on her shoulders lift and Serenity felt her body going lax, the tension from the earlier events vanished.
If anyone had passed by and saw the two, he or she would've thought that of the pair as a couple, with the way they seemed to be comfortable standing close to each other. Their faces merely inches apart.
Meanwhile, at a lone semi-dark corner of the Garden, two figures were seen talking.
"No kidding. Really?" asked one of the figures, the tallest of them.
The other figure replied in an almost aspirated tone. "Yes!"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" The first figure asked. "I mean, what has that newcomer ever done to you?"
"That's none of your business." The shorter figure answered venomously.
A deep scowl etched on the taller figure's lips.
"Then I won't help you."
The figure turned its back with the intention to walk away when the second figure said hastily.
"Fine. I'll tell you then." There was a hint of irritation on the second figure's voice.
The first figure turned to look at the other and gave a satisfied smile.
"Alright then, now we're talking."
Piles and piles of books stood like staggering towers around them as both tried to look for a possible explanation on as to how the curse was finally uplifted.
Serenity sighed in a mixture of annoyance and tiredness as she added yet another book to the growing stack.
They had been to the Library for almost a few hours now and still no clue.
"Argh! I can't take it anymore! If I read another single book, I swear my head will explode!"
Serenity, who had her nose buried in a book, snapped her head up. She and Squall exchanged glances.
"Did you say something?" Both asked at the same time. Serenity shook her head no while Squall grunted 'no' in reply.
Then another voice piped up. Unlike the other one, it was distinctively male.
"Well that's too bad then." The new voice said coolly. "But if you want to pass the test, you have to study."
Grumbles of incoherent words replied the male voice.
Since the two's conversation were neither of Squall's nor Serenity's business; the pair went silent as they turned their attention once more to the books clasped in their hands.
It was only when a hand placed itself atop Serenity's shoulder did her attention wavered as the blonde-blue-haired girl turned to look behind her.
"Hello, I don't believe we have met. You must be the new girl then. Welcome! My name's…"
A loud, piercing shriek emitted in the air as loud as a banshee's cry. The Library door's burst opened to reveal Rinoa.
The girl looked awful. Her long black hair was dyed into a horrid shade of fluorescent pink and her pale skin changed to a puke green color with brown liver spots all over it.
What's worse was that Rinoa seemed to be a victim of an acne outbreak; except that it was a rare and unusual case for they were lined in her forehead in such a way that they spelled out words that were enough for two occupants in the library to compensate.
"Tattle-tale." The words spelled out in angry, red boils.
In the Library, there was a full-length mirror placed at a particular corner of the room where no one could accidentally topple over it.
However, it seemed that the staff had forgotten to move it into it's proper place when they had finished cleaning up the place and unfortunately for Rinoa, the mirror was still placed in an area across from the doors, making anyone who entered the Library could see his/her reflection.
Rinoa caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and let out a scream once more before she finally crumpled indignantly to the floor.
She had fainted.
Serenity narrowed her eyes as Squall and a few others rushed to aid the fallen girl.
'I knew she couldn't be trusted.' Serenity thought as she watched as another student went out of the hall to fetch for the doctor.
Serenity closed her eyes in deep thought. Then she reopened them, their color changing into pure silver.
Now, all she had to do is to find out how much information about her Rinoa had disclosed just before the spell took effect.
And also, Serenity would also have to find out just who the person whom Rinoa told her secret is.
Serenity stifled a sigh.
What an exhausting day, she mused to herself.
A pair of eyes watched from the shadows as someone was placed in a stretcher and then hurriedly taken to the Infirmary.
Tsk. Tsk. The owner of the eyes muttered.
It seemed that the Rinoa girl had done something stupid once again.
The pair of eyes narrowed.
By the looks of the poor girl, it seemed that whoever was responsible for the girl's current condition is someone who is very capable of performing the arts of the forbidden magic without anyone sensing it; including him.
Damn if he'd lied that it didn't roused his curiosity.
To be continued
Sapphire: The chapter's short I know and I apologize for that. I seemed to get too caught up with my other works that I failed to update this one as I should. I promise that I'll make it up in the next chapter.
Until then, Ciao!