Epilogue
Seifer sulked unhappily in the corner, leaning against the cold rock wall as he glared jealously at Ellone hovering over the poor, injured Zell. Shuffling his feet on the ground, Seifer inched his way towards the two with his arms folded across his chest and a permanent scowl etched onto his face.
“Seifer, can you get me the first aid kit, please?” Ellone called behind her shoulder before giving him a warm smile, which melted his frown away in less than a split second. “It’s right over by that big rock.”
With a sigh, Seifer obediently retrieved the kit and handed it to Ellone gently, making sure to avoid eye contact with Zell who was eying him with a sort of loathing suspicion as if Seifer were about to do something twisted…. not that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind….
“Oh no…” Ellone mumbled, interrupting Seifer’s train of thought. “I was hoping there was enough bandage left to wrap up at least that nasty gash, but…..”
Hey, maybe the maggot will lose his hand. Seifer smiled to himself but quickly hid his amusement as Zell suddenly gasped out in a spasm of pain.
“Are you alright, Zell?” Ellone placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.
Zell coughed and took Ellone’s hand in his own. “I’m….fine.”
Seifer examined his foe for the very first time since his unexpected arrival. A dribble of blood was running down Zell’s neck from his mouth, his hands were bleeding profusively, and bruises littered his body from head to toe. Obviously, he had risked a lot to free them, or at least to free Ellone. Maybe, Zell wasn’t really all that bad….
“I know,” Seifer stated strongly as he scooped up his favorite gray overcoat from the floor. Ellone looked on in utter shock as Seifer grinned at her before ripping one of the sleeves from his beloved coat. Continuing on, Seifer proceeded to shred his coat into strips that he let fall to the ground until a collection of gray material surrounded his feet.
“I knew he was unstable, but I think this is it….” Zell mumbled under his breath. “He’s gone completely insane.”
“Seifer?” Ellone asked curiously as she picked herself up from the ground and began to walk slowly towards him. “What are you doing exactly?”
Seifer sighed at Ellone’s questioning and dropped the remaining half of his much-loved coat to the floor. Reaching down, Seifer captured a hand full of the shreds, which he held out before him proudly to show Ellone. “They’re just right.”
Ellone wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion but didn’t resist as Seifer, holding the strips in his left hand, took her hand in his right and lead her back to Zell’s side.
Seifer casually knelt down and fingered one of the strips in his hand. “Hold out your hand.”
Zell frowned and shook his head furiously, “Get the hell away from me.”
With one quick sweeping motion, Seifer elbowed Zell in the stomach, causing the already injured SeeD to cry out in pain and Ellone, standing patiently over Seifer’s shoulder to gasp out in horror. Fortunately, in the few seconds in which his action was being registered with both parties, his work had been completed. Seifer had quickly and effectively bandaged Zell’s largest hand wound with the pieces of his overcoat in order to stop at least some of the bleeding.
“You son of a bitch,” Zell muttered as he looked at his newly doctored hand. “Why the hell did you hit me if all you wanted to do is fix up my hand?”
Seifer grinned and leaned down closer to Zell, speaking in a light whisper, “Helping you was not the only thing I wanted to do so I compromised and did a little of everything.”
With that said, Seifer patted his foe on the shoulder with a stifled laugh and stood up. Turning, he faced Ellone with a playful smile. “Any friend of yours I have to respect…as long as they don’t bother me too much.”
Ellone shook her head and leaned forward to kiss Seifer on the cheek. “Just as long as you remember to be nice….”
“Yuck, man that’s gross,” Zell’s voice rang out into the small cavern, “Okay, Seifer, thanks, but please…. no more kissing….”
Seifer raised his eyebrows mischievously, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you out.”
“Hey, what the…no! Get away! Ellone, help!!!” Zell yelled as Seifer grabbed him by the arms and pulled him up off the ground, squeezing Zell in a bone-crushing hug. “Owww, this is so not cool.
“I feel like a mummy…” Zell grumbled unhappily as he reluctantly searched through his work pack for the transmitter.
“Yeah, and that’s what you look like too,” Seifer replied mockingly, “so quit your whining and find the thingy..”
Ellone gave Seifer a warning look. “What he means is that we know you’re hurt and don’t feel especially well, but that’s just another reason to radio Jay back now like we promised we would. After all, you just gave him a brief message before saying Seifer and I were all right and telling him to go spread the good news. We don’t want them thinking something’s happened to the three of us.”
“Sure.” Zell responded sarcastically. “Now that you mention it, Seifer did kinda say something like that…”
“Exactly.” Seifer agreed with a wide grin stretching across his face.
“Anyways,” Zell rolled his eyes is disgust, “here it is.”
“What a piece of crap!!” Seifer exclaimed as he quickly swiped the item right out from Zell’s intensely wrapped hands which had begun to resemble mittens.
“Give that back,” Zell demanded firmly. “You don’t even know how to work it.”
Ellone sighed wearily. “Come on you two, please?”
Seifer looked at her with a faint, but genuine, smile. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine. Zell’s become mummified so I can radio Jaimen. After all, I had to work these things all the time when I was training to be a SeeD.”
“Thank you,” Ellone smiled warmly at him. “But remember to be nice…”
Ellone shook her head as she watched Seifer happily hook up the little radio transmitter, not even hearing her warning. He was fixated on setting up the speakers so that all three of them would be able to listen while he was in control of the head microphone.
Zell looked pleadingly at Ellone, “You’re going to let him radio Jay? Squall’s going to be so mad….”
“Shhh,” Seifer smiled deviously, “I’m going to try it now.”
Ellone stifled a laugh as Zell shook his head in disbelief.
“Ahem,” Seifer cleared his throat. “Hello this is Seifer Almasy. Jaimen, can you hear me?”
The three stared at the speakers but not a crackle of static vibrated from them.
“I said, can anyone hear me?” Seifer spoke a little louder into the microphone. “Hello?”
“…Zell?……that you……llone?” Jay’s voice wavered as it boomed out from the speakers.
“Set your radio on level 5,” Seifer responded. “Level 5.”
“Hello? Can you here me Zell?” A new voice questioned from over the radio.
“Oh god…” Zell muttered while Ellone bit her lower lip.
Seifer hesitated. It was, of course, Squall. “…Hey Squall, it’s Seifer.”
“What the hell are you doing with the radio? Let me talk to Ellone…if she’s hurt Seifer, I’ll….” Suddenly, Squall’s voice stopped and a series of rustling noises could be heard from over the speakers.
“He-llo? Mr. Almasy, are you there?” Seifer’s heart leaped for joy as a new person began to talk from over the transmitter. Anyone was better than Squall.
“I’m here.” Seifer stated casually. “Who’s this.”
“I don’t really know you…but my name’s Helen. I was wondering, Mr. Almasy, if you could tell us if everyone’s all right…especially….”
“Ellone?” Seifer finished her statement. “Well, Zell’s hands are pretty banged up from all the digging and my wounds from the trip out here are pretty much okay. Ellone on the other hand…… doesn’t have a scratch on her. She’s a real survivor so tell Squall to quit worrying and we’ll be out in less than fifteen minutes if we can squirm our way through the tunnel. All we need you to do is have some cures ready for………..”
Seifer’s mouth hung opened in shock as he looked at Ellone, who was sitting next to Zell leaned up against the rock wall. Dropping the head set, Seifer stood up slowly and began to walk towards the two.
“What are you doing?” Zell inquired in pure befuddlement.
“Nobody panic….don’t move….” Seifer’s voice wavered slightly although he tried to keep it steady.
Zell and Ellone both exchanged confused glances as unanswered calls from Helen rang out from the speakers. Ellone realized that Seifer’s wide eyes and quickened breath was somehow related to her….
“What’s wrong?” Elone whispered as Seifer slowly crouched in front of her.
Zell, who was watching Seifer carefully, noticed that he wasn’t looking at Ellone’s face but rather her neck… And then he saw it!
“Ughhhh!” Zell yelled as he leaped to his feet, grabbing Ellone’s hand and dragging her up along with him. “Get it away!! Get it off!!”
“Holy shit…” Seifer exclaimed in complete horror as Zell whipped Ellone around the room in a crazed fit of hysterics. “STOP! Zell, CALM down!!”
When Seifer’s yells didn’t help, he reached out and grabbed Zell by the hair. “Quit it.”
Turning to Ellone, Seifer sighed. The hideous red and blue spotted spider was no longer perched on her neck. Seifer had planned to gently pick the bug from her skin, avoiding any biting and panic, but maybe Zell’s idiotic method was better or at least faster….
“Oh shit,” Seifer’s face contorted in frustration and worry as Ellone’s eyes closed and she fell limply to the ground. “Elle, can you hear me? Say something…. Don’t do this! Wake up! Come on, damn it!”
Zell stood watching as Seifer examined Ellone’s bleeding neck. Three pairs of bit marks lined her neck, slowly dripping pure red blood onto the piece of cloth Seifer pressed up against them.
“She’s unconscious..” Seifer’s voice cracked. “It was probably poisonous, she needs medical treatment.”
Zell paced the floor, the color drained from his face, “Let’s get her out of here. We’ll just carry her between us as we crawl.”
Seifer looked at the motionless girl who lay before him. Reaching down to gently push away the loose strands of hair from her face, he felt the fever that had quickly descended upon her. If the poison was working this fast…..they didn’t have much time….
With a one track mind Seifer swiped the head set microphone from the floor. “Helen, we’re coming out.”
“Wait, Mr. Almasy, what happened? What was all that yelling?” Helen questioned breathlessly before he could leave.
“Do me a favor,” Seifer replied hopefully, “Try and find out how to make an antidote for the bite of a red and blue spotted spider that lives on this island. Ellone just got bitten and we’re bringing her to you as fast as we can.”
With that Seifer flung the head set to the ground and hurried over to Ellone, where Zell was wrapping her neck with some left over pieces of the gray overcoat.
“She’s ready now,” Zell stated when he finished securing the bandage. “But if it wasn’t for me, she’d be able to walk out of here unaided….”
“Shut up,” Seifer responded furiously, “It’s not your fault and she’s going to be fine.”
Seifer scooped the seemingly lifeless body up in to his arms and carried her over to the tunnel. “Zell, you go first in case any fallen debris gets in the way and I’ll crawl behind you with Elle on my back.”
Zell, in no shape to argue, nodded obediently before kneeing down and beginning to crawl through his recently dug tunnel. In turn, Seifer kissed Ellone gently on the forehead and slung her onto his back. Then, he followed Zell into the darkness with the fire still blazing behind him in the little cavern.
“This isn’t so bad..” Seifer whispered to the unconscious Ellone as he crawled on his stomach through the tunnel. “Hang on a little bit longer and I won’t call Zell a Chicken wuss ever again.”
“What’d you say!?” Zell yelled down the tunnel at the faint mumbling sound. “Is Ellone awake?”
“No! Keep going!” Seifer called back.
He absolutely hated crawling behind Zell. Dust and rocks came flying back into his face with every move of Zell’s clumsy feet, and his stomach was scrapped raw. Ellone’s light breathe on his neck was the only reason that his pace didn’t waver. She needed him…..and he needed her. For the first time, he cared what someone thought of him, or what they expected. He wanted Ellone around…..
“Hey Elle?” Seifer whispered as he crawled a few more inches. “I…..I love you very much so you got to make it, okay?”
Seifer closed his eyes as more dirt flew into his face. “Damn it!……..you know what? I’m going to get that idiot….”
With that, Seifer pushed himself even harder, trying to catch up with Zell. He was planning to just yank his feet extremely hard, but suddenly everything turned a bright yellowish white and he was being dragged across the ground as the weight previously held from Ellone was lifted from his back. Everything seemed as if it was resolved and Seifer allowed himself to be absorbed it that fact, drifting off into darkness.
“…Seifer…?”
“Hmmmmm?” Seifer mumbled as he blinked opened his sleepy eyes. “Where…?”
“Shhh,” Ellone leaned over, gazing into his eyes. “Just be glad we’re both alright.”
“Yeah, thank god for that or you’d be dead anyways.” Selphie spoke up as she popped her head in side the door. “So how ya doin’ Seifer?”
Seifer pushed himself up into the sitting position and began to examine his surroundings. He was obviously in the hospital wing at Balamb Garden where Ellone sat miraculously beside his bed and Selphie who had just arrived pulled up a chair on the other side.
“I’m fine, but Ellone I thought…” Seifer began in befuddlement.
“Helen did some research on Naoki Island earlier on the other day so she just mixed up an antidote and I was fine.” Ellone took Seifer’s hand in her own and smiled warmly at him.
“I’m fine too.” Zell stated as he walked into the room with Quistis and Irvine right behind him. “Thanks to these two, that is. THEY were at least smart enough to bring cure magic along with them on the trip….”
“Hey, you can leave if you don’t want to be here,” Seifer scoffed playfully.
“Well,” Quistis piped in, “I just wanted to tell you thank you for getting Ellone out of there…. And fainting. After all, with YOU unconscious there was no one for Squall to yell at and he listened to Zell say how helpful you were.”
Seifer laughed, “I’m sure he loved hearing that!!”
“Yeah, right.” Squall’s voice boomed confidently from the doorway. “Seifer, I see you’re awake. We need to talk, now.”
Quistis and Zell exchanged looks and fled hurridly out of the room closely followed by Irvine along with Selphie.
Ellone stood, but did not follow her friends out of the room so Squall could talk with Seifer privately. “It wasn’t Seifer’s fault.”
Squall’s eyes flashed, “In part it was, and I’ve already spoken to Zell so it’s only fair that I talk to Seifer now.”
“Squall, please.” Ellone pleaded softly. “You know how I feel….”
“Well, I do, but I don’t know what Seifer feels, if he does at all…” Squall stated coldly.
As Seifer, not at all positive of what was going on, searched for some distraction to pry Squall’s attention from himself and Ellone, the door flew opened and Rinoa followed by Raijin paraded into the small hospital room.
“Seifer!!” Raijin jumped up and down happily. “You’re alrigh’, ya know!”
Rinoa laughed. “Sorry to interrupt, but Raijin and I just wanted to tell you get well before Squall makes you turn evil by putting you down and insulting you endlessly…..oh, hi honey!”
Rinoa swallowed her words as she realized her husband was already in the room. “Squall!! When did you get here? It was nice of you to come and see Seifer!”
Seifer sighed. He knew that Squall was just going to be completely pissed now and from what he could piece together, Squall probably knew that he had fallen in love with Ellone and she returned the affection.
“..Maybe?…” Seifer muttered under his breath before clearing his throat and bring all eyes back to himself. “Thanks for coming Rinoa, but you really shouldn’t have. After all, you are pregnant and need your rest.”
Squall coughed in shock, choking on the air he breathed, and Seifer knew Rinoa had not spilled her secret yet.
“Rinoa, you’re not pregnant, right?” Squall questioned in disbelief, completely forgetting everything and one around him.
“Yeah, I am….we’re going to have a baby.” Rinoa smiled and Squall hesitated at first but then reached over and kissed her passionately on the mouth.
“Wow!” Raijin exclaimed, turning from the two who continued to kiss. “Seifer, can you read the future? Oh, oh!! Tell me my future, ya know!!”
Seifer sighed, “Well if you don’t get out of here quick, someone’s gonna kick your ass.”