Anther explosion rocked the building, which was already on its last legs.
The three SeeDs raced up the stairs, desperately trying to complete the
mission. The blonde woman in front of them, obviously the leader, was
panting slightly, her hair falling out of its neat bun and sweat gathering
on her brow. The tall brunette man behind her ran effortlessly, scanning
the stairwell in front of them for enemies. The last member of the party, a
brown haired sorceress with delicate features, looked desperately behind
them, her face marred with worry.
Another large explosion threw the SeeDs against the wall of the stairs, but they quickly recovered, continuing their climb to the top of the building.
"Squad A to Squad C, do you read me?" A voice crackled over a radio clipped the leader's belt. She yanked out the radio, and without slowing her pace, responded to the voice.
"Yes Seifer, we read you. What's the situation?" She asked, trying to keep the tiredness from her voice as they hit another flight of stairs.
"Quistis, the bombs are too close. The enemy is approaching rapidly, we don't know how long we can keep our position." Seifer responded in a deadpan voice. Fighting could be heard in the background, and Quistis growled in frustration.
"Hold your position for a few minutes longer. We're almost to the top of the building. If the fighting gets too much for you guys to handle, bug out. We need to have as few casualties as possible." Quistis said, slightly out of breath.
"Roger. Over and out."
Quistis clipped the radio back to her hip as the last flight of stairs appeared. She almost smiled in relief, signaling for the two behind her to stop. Quistis silently crawled up to the top of the stairs and peered around the corner. Nodding her head, she crept back to where Squall and Rinoa crouched, each trying to catch their respective breaths.
"Here's the plan." Quistis began in a hoarse whisper. "There are three guards surrounding the item, each equipped with a hell of a lot of ammo. Scans show that each has at lease 70 thousand HP."
Squall raised an eyebrow, while Rinoa was almost floored in shock.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but I scanned them myself. None of them seem to be equipped with GFs, and they're all weak against ice magics. Squall, you and I will go after those three, while Rinoa sneaks around and uses her magic to get the stone. Each of you junction your ice magics." Rinoa and Squall nodded their heads, and began to arrange their magics. Quistis doubled checked to make sure Shiva was still junctioned, and smiled when Siren began to croon a soothing song in her mind. They sensed her worry. It was a hard mission for the SeeD exams, and she prayed silently that her cadets would be all right.
With a nod of her head, they began to climb the stairs. The guards were ready for them, though, when Quistis and Squall began their assault. Quistis immediately cast Triple on Squall and herself, and Squall followed up by using Blizzaga. One of the guards called Earthquake, and the ground began to rumble ominously. It was going to be a long battle....
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With a yell Seifer impaled the solider, finishing him off. Seifer gave the dead man a lopsided grin, pulling out his Gun blade and looking around. His squad was being bombarded with Galbadian soldiers, but they were just so... Stupid. It was his fourth SeeD exam, and Seifer felt confidant that he could pass it this time. Their orders were to defend the entrance to the large square building to allow Squad C time to recover the stone and return. They would be doing splendiferously if only-
A large bomb exploded nearby, and Seifer let out a string of obscenities as he was thrown to the side.
The Galabadian soldiers weren't the problem, it was those Hyne-damned bombs! They were infused with Firaga, which made the bombs twice as deadly as the average artillery. So far, there weren't any casualties, but a few rather serious injuries that Selphie was currently tending to.
Seifer spotted another round of soldiers coming, and with a sigh he turned to fight them. It was going to be a long battle....
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Shiva dealt the finishing blow to the last guard, and Quistis fell over with a sigh of relief. She and Squall had both sustained substantial damage, and they were on their last legs when it was finally over. Rinoa was almost done de-enchanting the protective case surrounding the stone that was causing so much trouble.
The mystery around the stone had caused the Galabadians to steal it from Dr. Odine's lab before he could fully study it. He had made the mistake of releasing the information on its power, which was so great; it could apparently blow up an entire continent effortlessly. It was not known what exactly the stone did, which got the nickname of the Vengeance stone due to the power it potentially had. Even though the function was not known, any country that could harness such power would obviously gain control of the world. SeeD had been deployed to recover the stone and return it to Esthar.
With a final shout, a faint shattering sound could be heard around the stone. Rinoa had broken the spell. With a lopsided grin, she reached inside and picked up the stone. It looked like a large diamond, reflecting the light and causing tens of thousands of rainbows to scatter about the room. A faint humming noise could be heard from the stone, and the group stared at it in wonder.
Their moment of wonder was shattered when a bomb directly hit the building. The whole group was thrown to the side violently. Quistis flew thought the air, and with a sickening thud was thrown into a wall. Rinoa was thrown into a table, breaking it in two. Her limp body fell to the floor, clearly unconscious. The only person able to stand was Squall. The building gave a shudder; it was going to collapse at any moment. Both females appeared to be unconscious, and Squall knew that he could not carry both women.
He had a dilemma.
Save the one he loved, his soul mate, the person who made him complete. Who made him smile and laugh. The person he could show emotion to, bear his soul to. The person he wanted to spend the rest of his natural life with, then the rest of forever with.
Or save the woman who taught him. Who helped him to succeed when he thought he would fail. The woman who was his best friend, his confidant. Who always gave him good advice when he didn't know what path to take. Who supported him no matter what. Who taught him to follow his heart.
"Follow my heart..." Squall whispered, looking at the two women who meant so much to him. He would have to follow his heart.
His decision was made.
He ran quickly over to Rinoa, throwing her over his shoulder. Without a second glace to Quistis he started down the stairs, thankful that she would at least be unconscious when the building collapsed. He knew that this would haunt him later, but right now he needed to save the one he loved, the one who he had sacrificed his best friend for. He would deal with the aftermath later.
Little did Squall know that Quistis was very much awake. Had he looked closer, he would have noticed her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face. She could not believe it.
The man she loved with all her being.... Had left her to die. Without even a word of goodbye. Without even a sign that she meant something to him. She felt her heart shatter. She felt the sadness consume her like a fire. Her two companions wept with her, Shiva's icy tears streaming down her face as Quistis un-junctioned her two friends. She did not want them to see her die. She held their orbs, Shiva's a cold ice blue, and Siren's a warm coral color, looking into them. She silently willed them to the person who managed to dig her body out of the rubble.
She felt the building shudder. Death would come soon. Quistis felt a trickle of blood come out of the side of her mouth. She ignored it, ignored the pain that throbbed throughout her being.
She hadn't gotten to tell him she loved him.
She thought she had meant something to him.
But he discarded her like a piece of garbage. He had used up all he needed, and now she was useless to her. A small part of her whispered comfort to her, knowing that he had to be true to himself. He had to save his soul mate. But that didn't stop her from feeling as if he betrayed her.
A small twinkle caught her eye, and she turned her head to look. Rinoa had dropped the Vengeance stone. It lay not three feet from her, shining with all its glory. Her left hand firmly clutching her GFs, Quistis reached out and took the stone into her hands. She would die with it, she decided, so that when somebody found her body, they would find the stone.
If they found her body.
The building shuddered again. It was almost time to die.
The Vengeance stone began to glow. First, with a dull sort of throb, like the pain that Quistis felt. Then, it's light began to grow. And grow. Until Quistis had to shield her eyes from the glow. The light enveloped her, and she willingly let it take her. She would follow that light. She knew her destiny waited at the end of it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Seifer cried out as he saw the missile hit the building, sending debris everywhere. His men scattered, trying to avoid getting hit by the chunks of rock.
"MOVE OUT!" Seifer call out, signaling for them to start back to the submarine waiting for them at the harbor. He watched as everybody except Selphie left. She ran over to where Seifer stood, and gazed up at the building. The silence between them was a tense one, each were waiting for Squad C to appear at the door.
They didn't have to wait long.
Squall burst out of the door, running at full speed, Rinoa in his arms. Selphie cheered, while Seifer frowned. Where was Quistis.
"Run!" Squall ordered as he continued past Seifer. Selphie followed, instantly worried about Rinoa's limp form. Squall turned to look at Seifer, who hadn't budged. "That was an order, Seifer." Squall growled, stopping.
"Where's Quistis?" Seifer asked defiantly. A brief look of loss past over Squall's face, before he turned heel and continued to run, following Selphie. Seifer blinked.
"No." He whispered, whipping around and running into the building.
----------------------------
Seifer flew up the stairs, taking them three at a time, his trademark coat flowing behind him like a cape. Something inside of him told him that Quistis was not dead. She couldn't be.
And he was going to save her.
If it killed him. Literally.
He owed her too much. When he came back to garden, she was the only one who welcomed him with open arms. Who fought on his side for him to stay. Who tutored him to get him to pass the written SeeD exam. Who put sweat and blood into him passing his test. Who tolerated his jabs and arrogance. And he'd be damned if she died without him at least saying "thank you."
When he finally reached the top of the stairs, he gasped at what he saw. There she lay, her hair spreading around her like a halo, arms outstretched. He could see her GF orbs in her left hand, and in her right was the Vengeance stone, a light coming from inside of it dying. Without hesitating he swooped down and picked her up. He placed all three objects into his pocket, and took a moment to check for a pulse.
He sighed in relief when he felt her heart beating.
He then swore to kill Puberty Boy for abandoning her to die.
It briefly crossed his mind that it might be a fairly good idea to actually get OUT of the building before swearing revenge. With a cocky grin at the unconscious Quistis, he turned around and began his rapid decent. He hadn't much time before the whole place would collapse.
And he was SO going to live.
After all, how can he kick Squall in his tiny balls if he was dead?
----------------------------------------------------------
Squall paced in the entrance of the submarine.
Seifer had defied his orders, and it would probably cost him the SeeD exam. Again. Rinoa was being treated by Selphie for injuries, silently weeping over the death of Quistis. Squall couldn't bring himself to tell them how he had chosen Rinoa over Quistis, and had simply told them the she had died from the impact, and had picked up Rinoa and ran.
Guilt washed over him. He would tell them the truth later. It didn't matter if they all hated him for what he had to do; he had to be true to himself. And in order to do that, Rinoa had to live.
They had forgotten the Vengeance stone in their haste to leave. Squall sighed. He hated failing a mission. A Recon team would have to be sent after it. Squall would make sure he was on the team, for he knew the team would also be deployed to recover the one casualty they had: Quistis.
Squall squinted at the horizon. With a frown, he made out Seifer running like hell. But what was in his arms?
A shocked look swept his face.
"Quistis?" He uttered, dumbfounded. Seifer had rescued her. He had gone back in to save her, risking his own life to save another human being. Zell, who had been on squad B with Irvine, heard him whisper the name, and followed his gaze. Zell let out a whoop of victory, and to Squall's horror, began to excitedly shout about the blonde form in Seifer's arms.
Seifer reached the boat a few moments later, panting, trying desperately not to drop the blonde woman in his arms. He was weak from running, and sweat dripped from his face. The world was spinning slightly, and Seifer fought to keep his balance.
"She's alive!" Seifer managed to pant out, before falling over in exhaustion. The team dragged Seifer's prone form into the sub, gingerly carrying the blonde woman inside, and shut the heavy doors. The mission was over.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
Rinoa's eyes were red from the tears that were still cascading down her face. They were slightly puffy as she silently wept by Quistis' bedside. While Rinoa's tears were silent, Selphie was loudly bawling, head buried in Irvine's tan coat. Irvine looked sadly down at the prone from that was once Quistis Trepe, as Zell tried desperately not to punch something. His shoulders were shaking in a carefully controlled rage. Without a word he stomped off to the Training Center. Nobody followed.
There were only two people missing from the room; Seifer and Squall. Squall wasn't far away, though. He was leaning against the wall just outside the Infirmary, his face blank. He would pay his respects to her later, when she was alone. Right now, he was content to let the others grieve.
Seifer, on the other hand, was far away from the infirmary. He was in the "Secrete Place," silently smoking a cigarette. Seifer didn't normally smoke. Oh no, he only smoked when he was severely emotional. And, needless to say, this was a time for a smoke. He exhaled softly, a silvery cloud escaping his mouth and swirling around in the air. The doctor had told them that Quistis was indeed alive, but it was as if her sprit was gone.
She would probably not wake up.
The Unanimous decision was to keep her in the Infirmary until she either died or woke up. When Squall had told them the whole truth about his difficult decision, most sympathized with him. Rinoa had started to weep when she learned that she was all but the reason Quistis was.... Like the way she was. Only Seifer and Zell found it unforgivable. Zell couldn't believe that Squall hadn't even ATTEMPTED taking her too, and Seifer just could not believe that Squall would treat a dear friend like that.
Seifer chuckled lightly. He had thrown the Vengeance stone at Squall, who had easily caught it in surprise, and stalked off. He was awaiting an announcement from Cid. An announcement that would either make him or break him. Seifer bet his money on the latter of the two. He had broken a direct order from a superior, and even if he had "saved" Quistis' life, an order was an order.
The PA system crackled on. Seifer held his breath, snubbing out the cigarette with his fingers.
"Will Seifer Almsy please report to my office. Seifer Almsy, please report to my office. The names of those who passed the SeeD exam will be announced shortly. That is all."
Seifer blinked. Why would the headmaster need to see him...?
Seifer swallowed, and headed off to face the headmaster.
------------------------------------------------------------
Seifer stood rigidly at attention, watching Cid pace in his office. His face was grim, and he looked as if he had shed a few tears himself over the fallen Quistis. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.
"Seifer. As you have probably realized, I cannot pass you on the SeeD exam." Cid began gravely. Seifer's face didn't reflect the strong wave of nausea that swept through him, but kept a blank expression. The headmaster did not look like he was through speaking.
"However," He continued as Seifer predicted, "I cannot fail you. You did save Ms. Trepe's life." Seifer was puzzled. What were they going to do with him then?
"I have decided to send you on a separate mission. This will serve as an alternate SeeD exam. Our scanners have detected the presence of a new Guardian Force. Scans have revealed only that this is a powerful GF indeed, and that it is female. The GF uses a combination of all the Elemental magics, to create a blast that is virtually undependable. It would more than certainly kill a person with one hit. You will find and gain this new GF, then return with a full report on it."
Seifer continued to be puzzled. A new GF? It reminded him of the two GFs that were in his pocket. He would deal with them later. "Sir, how and where can this GF be found?"
Cid sighed. "That's the thing, Seifer. It appeared at the Lighthouse outside the old Orphanage. Dear Edea detected it, and feared for the children. She dares not go after it. She 'feels' from the lighthouse that there are certain requirements in order for the GF to accept you. If you do not have these requirements, Seifer, report back with your findings. You are dismissed."
Seifer went into a stiff salute, then turned heel and left his office.
------------------------------------------------------
It was close to midnight when Seifer went to go and see Quistis. Her room was deserted, unsurprisingly, but filled with flowers and cards. The perfume of hundreds of flowers filled the room as Seifer kneeled down next to his fallen instructor. She looked beautiful, he thought, bathed in the moonlight. He rich blonde hair tumbled over the pillow like a golden waterfall. Her ruby red lips were parted slightly, her face completely relaxed.
*She looks so different.* Seifer marveled, staring her. *She looks so young... So innocent...* Seifer felt a wave of emotion come up through his being, and he slammed it down with his mental wall.
"Hey Quisty." Seifer whispered, feeling ridiculous. "I'm going to borrow your GF's for a bit. In fact, I'm going to go and get a new GF. It's my mission, Quisty. Cid couldn't pass me on the test cause I saved you. But don't worry. I won't fail again, ok?" He gingerly picked up her pale little hand and held it in his. It filled him with wonderment, how tiny and pale her hand was compared to his own. With a lopsided grin, Seifer picked a pure white rose out of a bundle that sat next to her, and laid it across her chest. He then placed her hand over the stem of the flower, and stood.
It was time to find the new GF.
The hairs on the back of his head went up, and Seifer immediately tensed.
"What do you want, Puberty Boy?" Seifer asked, his voice full of malice. Squall leaned against the doorframe, staring at Quistis.
"The same thing you want." He answered softly, not meeting Seifer's intense gaze. "For Quisty to be ok."
Seifer snarled in disgust and stalked out of the room, shoving past Squall.
Seifer had a GF to catch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whee! Waddya think so far, eh? I think this is going to be different from your run-of-the-mill Seiftis'... Anyway it will be in the next chapter.
R&R ^.^
Another large explosion threw the SeeDs against the wall of the stairs, but they quickly recovered, continuing their climb to the top of the building.
"Squad A to Squad C, do you read me?" A voice crackled over a radio clipped the leader's belt. She yanked out the radio, and without slowing her pace, responded to the voice.
"Yes Seifer, we read you. What's the situation?" She asked, trying to keep the tiredness from her voice as they hit another flight of stairs.
"Quistis, the bombs are too close. The enemy is approaching rapidly, we don't know how long we can keep our position." Seifer responded in a deadpan voice. Fighting could be heard in the background, and Quistis growled in frustration.
"Hold your position for a few minutes longer. We're almost to the top of the building. If the fighting gets too much for you guys to handle, bug out. We need to have as few casualties as possible." Quistis said, slightly out of breath.
"Roger. Over and out."
Quistis clipped the radio back to her hip as the last flight of stairs appeared. She almost smiled in relief, signaling for the two behind her to stop. Quistis silently crawled up to the top of the stairs and peered around the corner. Nodding her head, she crept back to where Squall and Rinoa crouched, each trying to catch their respective breaths.
"Here's the plan." Quistis began in a hoarse whisper. "There are three guards surrounding the item, each equipped with a hell of a lot of ammo. Scans show that each has at lease 70 thousand HP."
Squall raised an eyebrow, while Rinoa was almost floored in shock.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but I scanned them myself. None of them seem to be equipped with GFs, and they're all weak against ice magics. Squall, you and I will go after those three, while Rinoa sneaks around and uses her magic to get the stone. Each of you junction your ice magics." Rinoa and Squall nodded their heads, and began to arrange their magics. Quistis doubled checked to make sure Shiva was still junctioned, and smiled when Siren began to croon a soothing song in her mind. They sensed her worry. It was a hard mission for the SeeD exams, and she prayed silently that her cadets would be all right.
With a nod of her head, they began to climb the stairs. The guards were ready for them, though, when Quistis and Squall began their assault. Quistis immediately cast Triple on Squall and herself, and Squall followed up by using Blizzaga. One of the guards called Earthquake, and the ground began to rumble ominously. It was going to be a long battle....
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With a yell Seifer impaled the solider, finishing him off. Seifer gave the dead man a lopsided grin, pulling out his Gun blade and looking around. His squad was being bombarded with Galbadian soldiers, but they were just so... Stupid. It was his fourth SeeD exam, and Seifer felt confidant that he could pass it this time. Their orders were to defend the entrance to the large square building to allow Squad C time to recover the stone and return. They would be doing splendiferously if only-
A large bomb exploded nearby, and Seifer let out a string of obscenities as he was thrown to the side.
The Galabadian soldiers weren't the problem, it was those Hyne-damned bombs! They were infused with Firaga, which made the bombs twice as deadly as the average artillery. So far, there weren't any casualties, but a few rather serious injuries that Selphie was currently tending to.
Seifer spotted another round of soldiers coming, and with a sigh he turned to fight them. It was going to be a long battle....
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Shiva dealt the finishing blow to the last guard, and Quistis fell over with a sigh of relief. She and Squall had both sustained substantial damage, and they were on their last legs when it was finally over. Rinoa was almost done de-enchanting the protective case surrounding the stone that was causing so much trouble.
The mystery around the stone had caused the Galabadians to steal it from Dr. Odine's lab before he could fully study it. He had made the mistake of releasing the information on its power, which was so great; it could apparently blow up an entire continent effortlessly. It was not known what exactly the stone did, which got the nickname of the Vengeance stone due to the power it potentially had. Even though the function was not known, any country that could harness such power would obviously gain control of the world. SeeD had been deployed to recover the stone and return it to Esthar.
With a final shout, a faint shattering sound could be heard around the stone. Rinoa had broken the spell. With a lopsided grin, she reached inside and picked up the stone. It looked like a large diamond, reflecting the light and causing tens of thousands of rainbows to scatter about the room. A faint humming noise could be heard from the stone, and the group stared at it in wonder.
Their moment of wonder was shattered when a bomb directly hit the building. The whole group was thrown to the side violently. Quistis flew thought the air, and with a sickening thud was thrown into a wall. Rinoa was thrown into a table, breaking it in two. Her limp body fell to the floor, clearly unconscious. The only person able to stand was Squall. The building gave a shudder; it was going to collapse at any moment. Both females appeared to be unconscious, and Squall knew that he could not carry both women.
He had a dilemma.
Save the one he loved, his soul mate, the person who made him complete. Who made him smile and laugh. The person he could show emotion to, bear his soul to. The person he wanted to spend the rest of his natural life with, then the rest of forever with.
Or save the woman who taught him. Who helped him to succeed when he thought he would fail. The woman who was his best friend, his confidant. Who always gave him good advice when he didn't know what path to take. Who supported him no matter what. Who taught him to follow his heart.
"Follow my heart..." Squall whispered, looking at the two women who meant so much to him. He would have to follow his heart.
His decision was made.
He ran quickly over to Rinoa, throwing her over his shoulder. Without a second glace to Quistis he started down the stairs, thankful that she would at least be unconscious when the building collapsed. He knew that this would haunt him later, but right now he needed to save the one he loved, the one who he had sacrificed his best friend for. He would deal with the aftermath later.
Little did Squall know that Quistis was very much awake. Had he looked closer, he would have noticed her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face. She could not believe it.
The man she loved with all her being.... Had left her to die. Without even a word of goodbye. Without even a sign that she meant something to him. She felt her heart shatter. She felt the sadness consume her like a fire. Her two companions wept with her, Shiva's icy tears streaming down her face as Quistis un-junctioned her two friends. She did not want them to see her die. She held their orbs, Shiva's a cold ice blue, and Siren's a warm coral color, looking into them. She silently willed them to the person who managed to dig her body out of the rubble.
She felt the building shudder. Death would come soon. Quistis felt a trickle of blood come out of the side of her mouth. She ignored it, ignored the pain that throbbed throughout her being.
She hadn't gotten to tell him she loved him.
She thought she had meant something to him.
But he discarded her like a piece of garbage. He had used up all he needed, and now she was useless to her. A small part of her whispered comfort to her, knowing that he had to be true to himself. He had to save his soul mate. But that didn't stop her from feeling as if he betrayed her.
A small twinkle caught her eye, and she turned her head to look. Rinoa had dropped the Vengeance stone. It lay not three feet from her, shining with all its glory. Her left hand firmly clutching her GFs, Quistis reached out and took the stone into her hands. She would die with it, she decided, so that when somebody found her body, they would find the stone.
If they found her body.
The building shuddered again. It was almost time to die.
The Vengeance stone began to glow. First, with a dull sort of throb, like the pain that Quistis felt. Then, it's light began to grow. And grow. Until Quistis had to shield her eyes from the glow. The light enveloped her, and she willingly let it take her. She would follow that light. She knew her destiny waited at the end of it.
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Seifer cried out as he saw the missile hit the building, sending debris everywhere. His men scattered, trying to avoid getting hit by the chunks of rock.
"MOVE OUT!" Seifer call out, signaling for them to start back to the submarine waiting for them at the harbor. He watched as everybody except Selphie left. She ran over to where Seifer stood, and gazed up at the building. The silence between them was a tense one, each were waiting for Squad C to appear at the door.
They didn't have to wait long.
Squall burst out of the door, running at full speed, Rinoa in his arms. Selphie cheered, while Seifer frowned. Where was Quistis.
"Run!" Squall ordered as he continued past Seifer. Selphie followed, instantly worried about Rinoa's limp form. Squall turned to look at Seifer, who hadn't budged. "That was an order, Seifer." Squall growled, stopping.
"Where's Quistis?" Seifer asked defiantly. A brief look of loss past over Squall's face, before he turned heel and continued to run, following Selphie. Seifer blinked.
"No." He whispered, whipping around and running into the building.
----------------------------
Seifer flew up the stairs, taking them three at a time, his trademark coat flowing behind him like a cape. Something inside of him told him that Quistis was not dead. She couldn't be.
And he was going to save her.
If it killed him. Literally.
He owed her too much. When he came back to garden, she was the only one who welcomed him with open arms. Who fought on his side for him to stay. Who tutored him to get him to pass the written SeeD exam. Who put sweat and blood into him passing his test. Who tolerated his jabs and arrogance. And he'd be damned if she died without him at least saying "thank you."
When he finally reached the top of the stairs, he gasped at what he saw. There she lay, her hair spreading around her like a halo, arms outstretched. He could see her GF orbs in her left hand, and in her right was the Vengeance stone, a light coming from inside of it dying. Without hesitating he swooped down and picked her up. He placed all three objects into his pocket, and took a moment to check for a pulse.
He sighed in relief when he felt her heart beating.
He then swore to kill Puberty Boy for abandoning her to die.
It briefly crossed his mind that it might be a fairly good idea to actually get OUT of the building before swearing revenge. With a cocky grin at the unconscious Quistis, he turned around and began his rapid decent. He hadn't much time before the whole place would collapse.
And he was SO going to live.
After all, how can he kick Squall in his tiny balls if he was dead?
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Squall paced in the entrance of the submarine.
Seifer had defied his orders, and it would probably cost him the SeeD exam. Again. Rinoa was being treated by Selphie for injuries, silently weeping over the death of Quistis. Squall couldn't bring himself to tell them how he had chosen Rinoa over Quistis, and had simply told them the she had died from the impact, and had picked up Rinoa and ran.
Guilt washed over him. He would tell them the truth later. It didn't matter if they all hated him for what he had to do; he had to be true to himself. And in order to do that, Rinoa had to live.
They had forgotten the Vengeance stone in their haste to leave. Squall sighed. He hated failing a mission. A Recon team would have to be sent after it. Squall would make sure he was on the team, for he knew the team would also be deployed to recover the one casualty they had: Quistis.
Squall squinted at the horizon. With a frown, he made out Seifer running like hell. But what was in his arms?
A shocked look swept his face.
"Quistis?" He uttered, dumbfounded. Seifer had rescued her. He had gone back in to save her, risking his own life to save another human being. Zell, who had been on squad B with Irvine, heard him whisper the name, and followed his gaze. Zell let out a whoop of victory, and to Squall's horror, began to excitedly shout about the blonde form in Seifer's arms.
Seifer reached the boat a few moments later, panting, trying desperately not to drop the blonde woman in his arms. He was weak from running, and sweat dripped from his face. The world was spinning slightly, and Seifer fought to keep his balance.
"She's alive!" Seifer managed to pant out, before falling over in exhaustion. The team dragged Seifer's prone form into the sub, gingerly carrying the blonde woman inside, and shut the heavy doors. The mission was over.
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Rinoa's eyes were red from the tears that were still cascading down her face. They were slightly puffy as she silently wept by Quistis' bedside. While Rinoa's tears were silent, Selphie was loudly bawling, head buried in Irvine's tan coat. Irvine looked sadly down at the prone from that was once Quistis Trepe, as Zell tried desperately not to punch something. His shoulders were shaking in a carefully controlled rage. Without a word he stomped off to the Training Center. Nobody followed.
There were only two people missing from the room; Seifer and Squall. Squall wasn't far away, though. He was leaning against the wall just outside the Infirmary, his face blank. He would pay his respects to her later, when she was alone. Right now, he was content to let the others grieve.
Seifer, on the other hand, was far away from the infirmary. He was in the "Secrete Place," silently smoking a cigarette. Seifer didn't normally smoke. Oh no, he only smoked when he was severely emotional. And, needless to say, this was a time for a smoke. He exhaled softly, a silvery cloud escaping his mouth and swirling around in the air. The doctor had told them that Quistis was indeed alive, but it was as if her sprit was gone.
She would probably not wake up.
The Unanimous decision was to keep her in the Infirmary until she either died or woke up. When Squall had told them the whole truth about his difficult decision, most sympathized with him. Rinoa had started to weep when she learned that she was all but the reason Quistis was.... Like the way she was. Only Seifer and Zell found it unforgivable. Zell couldn't believe that Squall hadn't even ATTEMPTED taking her too, and Seifer just could not believe that Squall would treat a dear friend like that.
Seifer chuckled lightly. He had thrown the Vengeance stone at Squall, who had easily caught it in surprise, and stalked off. He was awaiting an announcement from Cid. An announcement that would either make him or break him. Seifer bet his money on the latter of the two. He had broken a direct order from a superior, and even if he had "saved" Quistis' life, an order was an order.
The PA system crackled on. Seifer held his breath, snubbing out the cigarette with his fingers.
"Will Seifer Almsy please report to my office. Seifer Almsy, please report to my office. The names of those who passed the SeeD exam will be announced shortly. That is all."
Seifer blinked. Why would the headmaster need to see him...?
Seifer swallowed, and headed off to face the headmaster.
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Seifer stood rigidly at attention, watching Cid pace in his office. His face was grim, and he looked as if he had shed a few tears himself over the fallen Quistis. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.
"Seifer. As you have probably realized, I cannot pass you on the SeeD exam." Cid began gravely. Seifer's face didn't reflect the strong wave of nausea that swept through him, but kept a blank expression. The headmaster did not look like he was through speaking.
"However," He continued as Seifer predicted, "I cannot fail you. You did save Ms. Trepe's life." Seifer was puzzled. What were they going to do with him then?
"I have decided to send you on a separate mission. This will serve as an alternate SeeD exam. Our scanners have detected the presence of a new Guardian Force. Scans have revealed only that this is a powerful GF indeed, and that it is female. The GF uses a combination of all the Elemental magics, to create a blast that is virtually undependable. It would more than certainly kill a person with one hit. You will find and gain this new GF, then return with a full report on it."
Seifer continued to be puzzled. A new GF? It reminded him of the two GFs that were in his pocket. He would deal with them later. "Sir, how and where can this GF be found?"
Cid sighed. "That's the thing, Seifer. It appeared at the Lighthouse outside the old Orphanage. Dear Edea detected it, and feared for the children. She dares not go after it. She 'feels' from the lighthouse that there are certain requirements in order for the GF to accept you. If you do not have these requirements, Seifer, report back with your findings. You are dismissed."
Seifer went into a stiff salute, then turned heel and left his office.
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It was close to midnight when Seifer went to go and see Quistis. Her room was deserted, unsurprisingly, but filled with flowers and cards. The perfume of hundreds of flowers filled the room as Seifer kneeled down next to his fallen instructor. She looked beautiful, he thought, bathed in the moonlight. He rich blonde hair tumbled over the pillow like a golden waterfall. Her ruby red lips were parted slightly, her face completely relaxed.
*She looks so different.* Seifer marveled, staring her. *She looks so young... So innocent...* Seifer felt a wave of emotion come up through his being, and he slammed it down with his mental wall.
"Hey Quisty." Seifer whispered, feeling ridiculous. "I'm going to borrow your GF's for a bit. In fact, I'm going to go and get a new GF. It's my mission, Quisty. Cid couldn't pass me on the test cause I saved you. But don't worry. I won't fail again, ok?" He gingerly picked up her pale little hand and held it in his. It filled him with wonderment, how tiny and pale her hand was compared to his own. With a lopsided grin, Seifer picked a pure white rose out of a bundle that sat next to her, and laid it across her chest. He then placed her hand over the stem of the flower, and stood.
It was time to find the new GF.
The hairs on the back of his head went up, and Seifer immediately tensed.
"What do you want, Puberty Boy?" Seifer asked, his voice full of malice. Squall leaned against the doorframe, staring at Quistis.
"The same thing you want." He answered softly, not meeting Seifer's intense gaze. "For Quisty to be ok."
Seifer snarled in disgust and stalked out of the room, shoving past Squall.
Seifer had a GF to catch.
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Whee! Waddya think so far, eh? I think this is going to be different from your run-of-the-mill Seiftis'... Anyway it will be in the next chapter.
R&R ^.^