A/N: OK, looks like I get to make more apologies to all the readers of my other fics. This one started tickling the back of my mind in the itsy bitsy hours of the morning, and it wouldn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to work on Stories or I Came Back For You. So, here it is. Hopefully it will leave me alone for a couple of days so that I can get something done on I Came Back. I hope. But, read on loyal fans and let me know what you think of this one too! Since my muse is back from vacation, I promise to update all my stories at least every two weeks.
Eerian
DISCLAIMER: The only part of FF8 that I own is my copy of the game, purchased second hand from the video game trade store I work for. Props to Squaresoft/Square-Enix for having such a cool game series tho. But unless they decide to hire me for my story writing talent (yeah right!) then all my final fantasy work will be for nothing but fun.
Free As a Bird
"You're just going? Just like that?"
"I thought you would understand."
"Understand what?" She throws her hands out to the sides. "What's to understand? You're just letting them take you away!"
"I have to do this. Someone has to pay for what happened because of the Sorceresses."
"But it wasn't your fault! You weren't even in control!"
He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. Even if they were controlling my mind, I still killed people. I still destroyed lives and property."
"But…"
"And I enjoyed it. No, Quisty, its better this way. Let it go."
"We can think of something. We can convince the courts that it wasn't your fault."
He shakes his head again. "We can't and you know it. Besides, maybe all those years of thinking I was so much better than everyone made it my fault. Maybe made me weak enough that they could control me. 'Cause they sure as hell couldn't control you guys."
He smirks then, something that he could have trademarked by now. "Besides, without me around, maybe the 'great commander' can get some work done."
She isn't amused by his weak attempt at humor and they both know it. "Seifer, please…"
He places a finger over her lips to stop her plea. "I'll write. I promise. It'll be over soon." He places a kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye, Quistis."
She can't respond as he turns to leave. Talking will make her lose control, and then he'll know how she truly feels about this.
She stands alone in his room for several minutes after the guards escort him away before she can speak again. "Goodbye, love," she whispers to the empty room.
Quistis Trepe lay awake in her bed trying to escape her memories.
Seifer Almsay had been put in prison three weeks ago for his actions during the Sorceress' attempt to take over the world. She'd been his defense council at the trial six weeks ago. It had been a slow trial for the amount of evidence presented, due largely to the fact that SeeD insisted that he was innocent. In the end, Seifer had ended it all by changing his plea to guilty.
He'd come away from the control of Ultimecia a changed man. She'd been more than a bit intrigued by that. By the end of the trial, she'd been stunned to realize that she'd fallen in love with him.
She, Quistis Trepe, was in love with Seifer Almsay.
But by the time she realized it, it was too late. Seifer was in prison and she was teaching at the Garden again. She'd been so devastated by his leaving that she hadn't been able to tell him how she felt. She cursed herself for that.
Maybe things would have been different if she'd said something. But she hadn't, and now her guilt kept her awake in the wee hours of the morning.
Just like it had every night for the last three weeks.