AN: Thank you for your reviews - they have very much been appreciated. This is the final part of this story. I hope you enjoy it!

ACT THREE: A Happy Ending

In which a happy ending ensues,

Squall thinks of a way of apologising,

Zell eats his bodyweight in hotdogs,

And a resolution is achieved.

It's been quiet for the past day since the portal debacle had been sorted out. Despite his claims, Seifer is still hanging around Garden. Squall, still out of Rinoa's favour, is too tired to even bother dealing with the potential menace and so allows him to remain. Irvine and Selphie are happy, Quistis is working (as usual), and as for Zell…

Zell: More! I need more!

Cafeteria Woman: Mr. Dincht, you'll kill yourself if you carry on!

Zell: You can't die of hotdog consumption! It's too… delicious!

CW: (resigned) It's your grave, Mr. Dincht…

Zell: Damn straight! Now… come to me, my pretties…

Zell promptly grabs the next tray of hotdogs and begins munching. His belt appears to be straining somewhat, but if he notices, he doesn't care. Music is fading in, chipper 'Return of my Beloved'.

Zell: (swallows) My hotdogs have returned,

And my heart is filled with joy,

Before, my soul was burned,

Heart churned and absent.

Zell: (frowning) … No time for singing… gotta… eat…

The music is persistent, and Zell finds his mouth half moving to the words as he's eating. His song is mangled around half-eaten hotdog and the sight isn't pretty. Cafeteria staff start to back away as Zell fights with his own body, which is attempting to dance. Irvine enters and halts some distance from Zell, whose arms are outstretched, but his head is straining to take a bite from a hotdog in one hand.

Irvine: Everyone sings but me… I've got a good voice…

Irvine frowns, feeling distinctly left out and turns on his heel. He leaves Zell to his tormented fate. We fade out of the cafeteria and fade in to Squall walking around the Garden grounds. The area around Balamb Garden was used to train students in the field, and Squall is supposed to be checking the teaching is fine. Instead he is caught up in his thoughts, something not uncommon for him after nearly an entire lifetime of introversion.

Squall: Rinoa… why aren't you as forgiving as Selphie...? What am I supposed to do?

He shakes his head, wishing there was something he could do.

Squall: A love letter? No, too… stupid. Find her and just apologise? No, she won't see me. Begging? Well… nothing short of begging is going to work…

He keeps walking, barely keeping track of where he is going. A frown begins to form.

Squall: That strange Cat girl had said that she would 'patch it up all good again', but I haven't seen any attempts to make everything better…

Music begins and Squall looks surprised.

Squall: Oh, no. No, I didn't mean like that! I won't do it!

He runs once more, but simply ends up conveniently becoming exhausted underneath Rinoa's balcony. Meanwhile, Rinoa is in her room doodling little Squalls and putting little gunblades through them.

Rinoa: Man, I'm bored. You'd think stabbing Squall over and over again would never get boring, but…

She stretches and yawns.

Rinoa: Think I'll get some fresh air.

She walks out onto the balcony and peers down. Her eyes widen at the sight of Squall tussling with himself. Music is playing in the air and Squall falls to his knees. He looks up at Rinoa, his eyes pain-filled.

Squall:I have said some things in the past,

Things that I regret in my heart,

Please let me raise the mast,

The mast of my love.

Chrous:The mast of love,

Sails the sea of pain,

To forgive is to forget,

Never forget me.

Squall has an expression of getting ready to be sick at what is coming out of his mouth. From high up, it looks to Rinoa like the two of them falling out is severely upsetting him, and she is touched. A smile breaks out on her face and Squall swallows his pride and lets the song sweep him away.

Squall:Will you return to me at last?

Let us go back to the start?

Please let me raise the mast,

The mast of my love.

Chrous:The mast of love,

Sails the sea of pain,

To forgive is to forget,

Never forget me.

Rinoa: Aw, Squall! I forgive you! I'll let you raise the mast of your love! It could be our new thing!

The music begins to fade and Squall is relieved. Her forgiveness is pleasing to him, but the idea of love mast raising as their 'new thing' sends his stomach flopping in a sickening way once more. He bravely grins and bears it, getting off his knees and fixing a painful grin on his face.

Squall: Can I come up?

Rinoa: Of course you can, silly! My mast of love is raised!

Squall: … (deadpan) Yeah.

He strolls off hurriedly, ignoring the two classes of students (instructors included) who have been watching him in horrified awe for the past five minutes, and goes back into Garden. The students shake themselves out of their fixed looks of horror and face their instructors once more.

Instructor Grayson: (warily) Now kids… that just didn't happen, alright?

Students: (nodding a little too eagerly) Yes, Instructor Grayson.

All parties seem content to live in denial and return to lesson. We fade out and hear voices.

Voice: I can't believe what he did…

Voice Two: If the stupid boy hadn't done it, he wouldn't have to have this done.

Voice: Well, after such a withdrawal, I suppose he just went crazy.

Voice Two: I shouldn't treat him as punishment, but I did take a legal-bound oath, so…

The light fades in to reveal the Infirmary. The first voice is revealed to be Quistis, while Voice Two belongs to Doctor Kadowaki. Zell is lying on a bed, clutching his stomach and groaning.

Zell: I'm sorry… I just… had to eat them. They were staring at me.

Quistis: Oh, Zell. You always were a silly boy.

Zell: And you… were on… a high horse.

Quistis: (frowning) Doctor, can I hit him.

Dr K: Go ahead.

Quistis smacks in the direction of Zell's stomach, and Zell attempts to defend himself.

Zell: Please… not the stomach… I'll die…

Quistis: Well you should have thought of that before insulting one of your caregivers.

Zell: Since when did you become a nurse, or doctor, or whatever?

Quistis: I thought it would be an interesting side project. Being an instructor didn't work out, so I decided to try this instead.

Zell: Your bed manner sucks.

She hits him again and Zell groans.

Zell: I'm sorry! Mercy!

Quistis laughs a little evilly and we fade out once more. When the lights come on again, we are in the Quad. Selphie is decorating the stage and area around it like a lunatic. There is a whole team of people working around her, decorating, putting tables out and practising with instruments. Irvine is standing amongst the bustle, in awe.

Irvine: This is fantastic! What's the occasion?

Selphie: It's a party celebrating the anniversary of us saving the world, silly!

Irvine: Oh, yeah. That would be around this time, huh?

Selphie: Uh huh. I guess that Cat business did distract us a little. Her and the swirly thing both.

Irvine: What can I do to help?

Selphie: (thinks) Um… Start by stopping Seifer spying on us. He's starting to freak me out. And then hand these flyers out and put these posters up everywhere.

She thrusts an inhuman amount of paper at Irvine, who stumbles, but holds onto the paper for all he's worth. He knows it wouldn't be worth his life to drop them, or ruin them in any circumstance.

Irvine: In that order? It's gonna be pretty hard to stop the guy, unless I paper cut him to death, or something.

Selphie: I haven't got time! You could get help… I've gotta go and prepare. Everything has to be PERFECT!

Selphie scurries off and leave Irvine looking bewildered. He surreptitiously sidles over to an unsuspecting helper and thrusts the mountain of paper into their arms.

Helper: Ahhh!

Irvine: You do want to put up posters and hand out flyers? Thank you so much!

He promptly runs away and the helper falls backwards, the paper drowning her. Irvine heads out the main entrance and heads over to beside the Quad where Seifer is hanging around.

Irvine: So Selphie was right.

Seifer: Wahh--- Oh, its you. What do you want?

Irvine: I want you to stop spying on Garden.

Seifer: I'm not spying on Garden. I'm spying on---

He falls silent and Irvine gives him a questioning look, to which Seifer does not respond. Instead, Seifer swings his Hyperion onto a shoulder and scowls.

Irvine: Well, you're up to something, so either tell me and I'll decide whether I should shoot you, or don't and I get to shoot you anyway. It's rather win-win for me, huh?

Seifer: (sighs) I was just thinking about rejoining Garden, that's all.

Irvine: So, who were you spying on?

Seifer: (deadly) No-one.

Irvine: Hmm… I'll let it slide. So, are you coming and try re-enrolling, or gonna chicken out?

Seifer: I'm no chicken! Get out of the way!

Seifer pushes past Irvine, who smirks, and marches away toward Garden. As Seifer storms along, he pulls out a photograph. It's badly taken, but you can make out that its Selphie ordering people about.

Seifer: (softly growled) God, I hate loving strong women…

Irvine follows Seifer and the lights fade again. Time moves on and its now the evening. We're back in the Quad and beautiful fairy lights trail all over the place like a hyperactive child (or yellow dress wearing girl?) has thrown them about. The stage is the grand centre of the display, where various Garden bands are preparing to play. Squall is lounging off to the side with a drink in hand and Rinoa by his side, who is delighted with the action.

Rinoa: (half-serious, half-teasing) So, the mast of your love raised?

Squall: (death glare) Don't. Go. There.

Selphie is practically bouncing off the walls, running around making sure everything is fine while Irvine trails behind her.

Irvine: (mutters) I knew I should have feigned sickness.

Selphie: Come on Irvine, we've got to make sure the bar is properly stocked!

Irvine perks up a little and follows, walking past Quistis and Zell. Quistis is dressed nicely, a peach dress swaying softly in the breeze and her hair down. She is grudgingly looking after Zell, who is sitting in a wheelchair staring longingly off to the buffet where hotdogs are being served.

Zell: Do you think---

Quistis: (interrupting) No.

Zell: Aw, but---

Quistis: You say anything else to that effect and you're going straight back to infirmary with more than what already is wrong with you.

Zell: (grumbles) Okay.

There's a silence, each looking out at the dancing and milling crowd of students.

Zell: So, why's Seifer here?

Quistis: Considering he's barely taken his eyes off Selphie…

Zell: No way! Does Irvine know?

Quistis: Would Seifer be alive if he did?

Zell nods thoughtfully, but still eyes the buffet table. Quistis sighs and goes to get hotdogs for the blond.

Zell: Thank you!

Everyone seems happy, save Seifer, who looks distinctly stalker-ish. His eyes are following Selphie's antics while he drinks fairly heavily. He's leaning against a wall, not unlike Squall, and his gunblade isn't on him for once.

Seifer: (muttered) If I don't show myself for my true worth, she'll never respect me…

A Garden band takes the fore on the stage and start to play. Rinoa pulls a reluctant Squall to in front of the stage to dance. Irvine does likewise with Selphie, getting her to stop worrying for five minutes. Even Quistis is having a little dance of her own while Zell sits eating a plate of hotdogs that rests on his lap. Only Seifer watches on.

Crowd:So we come to the end,

Of this story,

No more songs to sing,

Just glory.

The crowd seems discontent with the nonsensical lyrics, but carry on dancing and being happy. The end is nigh and the scene fades. A spotlight comes on and shows Cat sitting at her laptop, happily typing away.

Cat: I told him I'd patch it up all good.

The light fades and we are left with a happy ending; Squall and Rinoa are back together, Irvine and Selphie are happy, Quistis is enjoying herself and how can Zell not when he is in the possession of hotdogs? Even Seifer is on his way to potential happiness. And even Cat is happy, because she got back to her own reality and finished her story.

The End