Final Fantasy VIII: Close Encounters
Seifer only noticed him because he had been in the library a consecutive four days. That wasn't abnormal for students, unless that student was Zell Dincht. Seifer used the library every day to study and he couldn't remember any time in the last few years when Zell had come in at all, for weeks.
What was even more interesting—or, completely strange, Seifer couldn't decide—was that Zell was reading, a feat Seifer found surprising considering the kid could rarely sit still for lectures or movies or anything that acquired attention in order to comprehend it. The fact he had spent four days bent over thick books made Seifer marvel and itch to find out why he was reading and what amazing thing had finally calmed the chicken-headed brat.
Finally, on the sixth day, Seifer couldn't stand it anymore and headed over to the table Zell was at in the corner, by all the books almost no one ever touched. He was startled when Zell looked at him before he even spoke, eyes glazed.
"Hey, Seifer," he said, and then went right back to reading.
"Are you sick?" Seifer demanded, and then felt like a fool because he didn't a crap if Dincht was sick, but he was acting out of character and screwing with Seifer's normal schedule just being in a place Seifer enjoyed his time in. It was throwing Seifer off.
Zell looked back up. "Um, no, I'm reading." He glared. "Shut up! I can read!"
Seifer shook his head, strangely comforted in the fact that he wasn't totally gone. "I didn't say anything, Dincht."
"Yeah, yeah, but you were gonna," Zell said, leaning back. "Can't a guy read?! Huh! It's the library!"
"You never study," Seifer said, crossing his arms. "I've seen your exam scores."
"This isn't studying," Zell snapped. "It's reading for pleasure, or or, enjoyment."
"Reading for pleasure," Seifer repeated. "Are you serious?" Everything suddenly felt a little off and he wondered if something had happened that he didn't know about. Dincht had gone out on a practice field mission a week ago, but he didn't look sick. That wasn't saying much, Seifer thought, because Dincht didn't look like a complete spaz, either, but he was, completely.
"I'm reading about stuff you wouldn't understand," Zell said defensively, curving his arms around his book. "Go away, Almasy, this is important stuff and you are being all rude and that's normal because you're always rude but I don't wanna mess with you today." Zell gave him a sneer, and Seifer almost gaped--he stopped his jaw from dropping, but just barely. "You're boring, anyway," Zell said, and moved his eyes back to the page.
Seifer stared another moment more, and then walked away, dumbfounded.
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It didn't change; Seifer still found Zell in the library. It got even more weird when he would find him coming out at strange hours, and then a few times standing outside Garden as he and Raijin patrolled before lights out, staring at the sky. He had almost been himself during those times, snappy and easy to rile, but Seifer didn't get any enjoyment out of it anymore.
He couldn't ask what was wrong, because they weren't friends. Not really. Zell was annoying and too loud, but now he was never around and too quiet--Seifer didn't like it. It made his days seem wrong and strange and he wanted it back to normal—now.
It was easy enough to scout out one of Zell's friends, whose name Seifer could never remember—they had gone on the practice field mission together. Seifer couldn't think of anything else that might've caused Zell to act weird and throw off Seifer's schedule, so he found the kid in the cafeteria and sat down in the chair across from him.
Seifer stared across the table as the other boy's mouth open and closed a few time. Finally he said, "Hey, Seifer, is there anything I can do for you?" Polite, Seifer thought, and he remembered his name now—Nida.
"What happened on the practice mission you went on last week?" Seifer asked.
Nida blinked. "Has the Disiplanary Committee started policing those, too?" It was said in a mild tone and Seifer was impressed. The kid was good.
"No, I'm just curious. Dincht has been acting like he hit his head the last few days."
Nida's eyebrows went up. "I didn't realize you two were friends, after all, Zell spends a lot of time comp—"
"Did anything happen?" Seifer asked, cutting him off. "I only ask because if something's seriously wrong, he might endanger other students. I can't let that happen, you know how it is."
Nida's face told Seifer he didn't buy it at all. He sipped from him carton of milk and frowned. Seifer waited, wondering if he was going to have to come up with another plan, but Nida piped up with, "Actually, now that you mention it? He did get separated from the group for awhile. We were only a few minutes away from Balamb in the mountains but he vanished for awhile and one of the SeeDs with us went looking for him."
"Oh?" Seifer thought it was odd. Zell was pretty good at following orders, at least when they had gone on practice field missions together.
"Yeah, came back all banged up and sort of jumpy," Nida said. "I guess he was okay, though, they healed him and we came back. I didn't really talk to him, though." He sat back. "Actually, I haven't talked to him since the day of that mission."
"That's weird?" Seifer asked even as he asked himself why he cared what Zell did with his strange friends.
Nida shrugged. "A little." He glanced up from where he was staring at the table. "I bet it's useless asking, but don't go bother him about it. He was pretty embarrassed and got yelled at in front of everyone."
Seifer gave Nida the most innocent look he could. "That hurts. I'd never make him feel bad after the fact." He just smiled as Nida shook his head and went back to his lunch.
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"So, Dincht," Seifer said when he found Zell in the library again that night after dinner, "I heard you fell down a mountain."
Zell jerked his head up to glare. "Stay out of my business, Almasy!"
Seifer pulled out a chair across the table and sat down. He ignored the looks Zell was giving him and leaned back, stretching his legs out. "Well, it's pretty odd, you wandering off into the mountains. Not really the making of the great SeeD you boast about becoming." He cocked his head. "So what's up?"
Zell gaped. "You're asking me what's up? No way am I telling you so you can make fun of me with it." He grabbed at the book Seifer took from in front of him. "Hey—hey, you fucker, give that back!"
Seifer looked at the spine. "The Strange and Unexplainable, Volume 4. Aliens?" He looked at Zell and grinned. "You're reading about aliens?"
Zell crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes! It's just reading!"
"Dincht, you complain about every bit of bookwork we get," Seifer said. "For you, there is no 'just reading' so spit it out."
Zell looked tempted. "You'll laugh."
Seifer nodded. "Probably."
Zell gave him a rude gesture and then sighed. "Okay, well, I guess even if you do laugh you know how to keep your mouth shut." He eyed Seifer. "Man, I will kick your ass if you tell anyone."
Seifer held up his hands. "Fine, fine, top secret, I get it." He waited as Zell fidgeted.
"Okay, so I saw an alien and I am not lying so don't even start and I wasn't on drugs either and it was totally blue and creepy and I saw it okay?" Zell said, his eyes angry and daring Seifer to call him a liar.
Seifer just sat. "An alien? Blue?" He nodded. "Why not? But it doesn't explain why you are sitting in the library constantly." Although Seifer thought it might explain why Zell stood outside staring at the sky.
"Don't you get it?" Zell said, his voice high pitched. "There are aliens, real ones! I gotta be prepared and know how to fight them."
Seifer could feel his lips twitching. "You've been studying how to fight aliens?"
Zell nodded fast. "I haven't found anything yet but I mean there's the whole library! There's gotta be something, right?"
Seifer looked up. "You know, I thought you were kind of funny before, but this takes it." He grinned across the table. "You seriously believe you're going to be able to beat aliens? Obviously the one you saw got you pretty good since you fell down the side of a mountain."
Zell made a growling noise. "It was a small hilly thing in the mountains, Almasy! And you know, if you're not going to believe me and you know, help, you can just—just go away! I hope the aliens get you with their laser guns!" His face was read and people were staring at their corner. Seifer thought this was probably a good time to leave before the garden faculty arrived. He stood, smirking down at Zell who was surrounded by books.
"Look on the bright side," Seifer said as he pushed his chair in. "At least you know they're out there. Waiting." He watched Zell's eyes go wide as he turned away, chuckling to himself. He headed out of the library, passing a hurried faculty member that was entering, and only grinned wider.
As he passed through the library corrider, out of the corner of his eye he caught movement through the windows. He stopped and looked up at the star-filled sky above Balamb, searching for movement, but the stars were steady as always. He shook off the creepy feeling and shrugged. It's what he got for listening to Dincht of all people—and to think he might've been worried there was something serious wrong with him. He was as crazy as always.
Ridiculous, Seifer thought, and headed back to his dorm room.