A/N: Don't own, don't sue.

Just a little dark 'what-if' one-shot. Found it between my stories and felt I should post it. You tell me what you think of it ^_^.

Game Over

 In. Out. In. Out. In…

 It was getting harder to breath. Every time his chest moved, it felt like sharp knives punctured his lungs. It wouldn't be long now.

 The castle had collapsed around him, seemingly hours ago. She was dead. The bond she had created between them told him so. It made him smile. Finally, after 13 years, Squall had fulfilled his destiny. The game was over. Finally…

 In. Out. In. Out. In…

 His eyes slipped shut. He was tired and there wasn't anything to see anyway.

 Out. In. Out…

 The knives stabbed him time and again. A few hours ago, he realised, there had been wind rustling the dirt. Now even that had gone. It signalled the end, he knew. Time compression would collapse soon, just like his left lung had some time ago. It was strange to be so unaware of things, yet so aware of slowly dying. Ultimecia had promised him he'd die a slow death. She hadn't lied…

 For a moment his mind dwelled on the one person his life had revolved around. Squall. His rival, the boy who he had put in his own custody from the moment he knew what the future had in store for the smaller brunet. He never regretted the things he had done, and now it was over, he even felt relieved. His task was done, and as a reward he would be freed.

 From where he lay, drawing ragged breaths, he could sense someone coming now. He knew what it was, he had sensed his presence often enough, be it in different shapes and sizes.

 Death.

 And he would face it head on. He opened his eyes as much as he could, just enough to make out a black figure towering over him. Then his focus slipped, and he shut his eyes again, allowing the darkness to wash over him. Soon he'd leave this place…

 He was barely aware of his body now, too close to unconsciousness to be aware of anything, really. Still, he felt two hands touching him, and heard a voice that spoke his name.

 "Seifer…"

 His mind fogged as it was, he barely recognised the voice as being Squall's. The realisation surprised him enough to give him the strength to speak. Yet nothing more than a whisper came out as he acknowledged his rival's presence by returning his name.

 "Don't speak. You're hurt badly."

 Seifer felt his face pull into a faint smile. If the rest of Squall was in as bad a shape as his voice, the bitch had given him a dire beating yet.

 Hands touched his body, searching for injuries, yet nothing hurt.

 "She did this to you, didn't she?"

 It was a rhetorical question, of course. Still, Seifer felt he owed it to him to open his eyes again and give his lifetime rival what he deserved.

 "…she didn't…like the truth…," he breathed. "Her Knight… the one who…fought her hardest…"

 Through fuzzy eyes, he could tell Squall didn't understand.

 "Seifer, save your breath. I don't have anything left to heal you with, but I'm taking you home. You'll be fine."

 The truth hung between them, but Squall chose to play ignorant and carefully lifted Seifer's body in his arms.

 "…no. Don't…don't move me…" He swallowed hard. "First…you should hear…what really happened…"

 The younger man complied, settling the injured blond against his chest.

 "…I've always known you'd defeat her… ever since… I saw you as you are now, talking to Matron… Now thirteen years ago… I saw her appear, give her powers to Matron… How Matron realised who you were… I knew since then… you'd one day fight… a Sorceress…"

 It took all what was left of his strength to hold on, and say what needed to be said. Squall deserved to know. It would be easier to die knowing he had learned the truth. He inhaled as deeply as his broken thorax allowed, and continued.

 "…but you were…never much of a fighter… only fought when you had to… So I forced you, pestered you into fighting… you had to learn… you had to… had to…"

 He trailed off, he knew, but he couldn't find the way out. The world was gone. Still, he forced himself to focus again on finishing his story.

 "…I kept training you, challenging you…right until the war started…I accepted to be her Knight, to be sure she… wouldn't lay hands on you…" He coughed, tasting another wave of blood in his mouth. His other lung, too, had collapsed, due to talking so much. But he was almost done, anyway.

 "…I never was her Knight, Squall…I was…"

 His eyes were open, but he saw nothing. In the distance, he registered something soft prodding his arm and something smooth toughing his face, but it soon faded. All feeling was drawn away from him. His senses failed him, and the darkness was ready to swallow him whole. One last word resonated in his mind, which he tried desperately to pronounce.

 Yours.

 His part was played. Time had come for total shutdown…