Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ moving on ❯ 7- seeing into a soul ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Seven: Seeing Into A Soul

<i>'(I don't know you and I don't really care to)

We're the sedated in their celebration

Sell the slaves for their skin until it dries

I cannot take myself, cannot tolerate myself

Beautiful servant, you are perfect in demise' - Amen, 'Piss Virus'</i>


Seifer stood at the door to Cid's office, sweating slightly. It was pretty nerve-racking, just waiting. Waiting. He'd been waiting so long for- what? He wasn't really sure. All he wanted right now was to get this over with.

After an eternity, the door swung open with an ominous creaking. Seifer gulped and stepped into the bright room, trying to keep up his bravado.

Headmaster Cid Kramer sat at his desk, busily writing what appeared to be a letter. His assistant, Xu Terfall, merely looked down her nose at Seifer, then stomped brattishly out of the study, slamming the door as she left.

Cid looked up at Xu's noisy departure and sighed as he saw Seifer. Gesturing for the tall man to take a seat, he looked almost worried for a moment before visibly relaxing as he realized Seifer was no longer armed.

'They took my Hyperion when I asked to see you, sir.' Seifer explained, seeing Cid's momentary look of relief.

'Right, right....well, anyway, Seifer. Let's cut straight to the point here. *Why have you come back to Garden?* You must understand, no one here is particularly happy to see you.'

'I know that, sir.' Seifer replied politely. He had to keep a straight face here- it was pretty damn obvious he wasn't very welcome-duh! 'But I-I... I've really come to ask for another chance.'

Cid looked bemused for a second. 'Seifer, surely you had enough chances before you left for *greater* things.'

'Sir, I only wanted to ask because-well, you know that I was controlled by Ultimecia, right?'

When Cid did not reply, Seifer continued.

'Well, not having control over myself, it kind of- it changed how I see things. How I see myself. Without strength, I realized that the way I'd been acting wasn't right, it was just- arrogant. Just because you're stronger than someone else, doesn't mean you're better than they are. So-' He swallowed, steadying himself- 'So I want to start SeeD training again. Because I want to learn how to be strong without being so aggressive. Because I don't ever want to be used like that again.'

Seifer waited, head bowed, for Cid's verdict.



Seifer had succeeded. He could barely believe it.

He was back at Garden.

How had he done it? It hadn't really sunk in yet; Seifer did not dare to let it.

He had been given another chance.

As he strolled down Garden's corridors once more, he smiled to himself. He'd done it. He'd finally got rid of Ultimecia. Of course, Puberty Boy and his crew stole all the credit, but if, as her powers weakened in her last few moments of life, he hadn't refused to heal her, the world would be a darker place today. And now... he was back at Garden too. It was almost as if the clock had been turned back, back to when the world had been at peace.

To make this perfect, he only needed.... a certain someone.

Ultimecia had promised to make his romantic dream come true. Like all the other empty vows she had made, he had never possessed the woman he couldn't have.

But maybe, just maybe...now he was back at Garden, his luck with the ladies might return. The thought was enough to make his permanent smirk widen into a grin in the split second before-

'Hey!'

He was hit by someone fleeing at full speed to the dormitories, his own destination. Their features were blurred by speed, but Seifer could make out a tear-smudged face, lips parted in a silent scream. The figure was lost in a swirl of fair hair as she entered a cell (as he liked to call the Garden accommodation) at a run.

It couldn't be...could it?

*Nothing* made the Trepe show emotion. Nothing and no one...except Puberty Boy. Seifer grimaced, his happy mood spoilt.

His first day back and already he was clearing up the Pube's messes.

'Look on the bright side is suicide
Lost eyesight I'm on your side
Angel left wing, right wing, broken wing
Lack of iron and/or sleeping
Your scent is still here in my place of recovery'- Nirvana, 'Milk It'


Quistis lay on her narrow bed, sobbing quietly into her pillow. Sitting up suddenly, she said out loud, 'Why can nothing go right?-' she broke off as her voice caught. Tears spilled from her eyes once more, and she made no effort to brush them away. She couldn't get the awful memory out of her head- Squall over her, arrogant, aggressive. Everything she'd thought he wasn't. Hopelessly, inevitably, she reached for her sharpest knife.



No one can be my protector
You gotta learn for yourself
You wanna be my investor?
I think you need some help
Just leave me on the shelf
Just look after yourself' - 'All My Heroes Got Arthritis' y


Seifer knew what he had to do. He tentatively advanced to Quistis' door. Knocking gently, he paused, waited for a reply. Hearing none, he knocked again, louder this time. Waiting again already...Seifer sighed and turned away, but as he did so, he heard soft, muffled crying.

<Oh Hyne, what's the Pube done to her?>

Abandoning all pretence, he hammered at the door. When Seifer paused, the sobbing had faded into total silence. Chilled, he put his ear to the door. Hearing nothing, he frantically pushed at it until its bad carpentry forced it to give way.

Quistis had descended into a murky haze, a soporific state where there was nothing but darkness and a peaceful, erratic heart beat. She was unaware that she was sprawled on the floor, or that her lifeblood was pouring away.

She looked up dimly as a tall figure burst into her room, but was too exhausted even to be afraid. She was so tired. Her eyes fluttering slightly, she let the darkness take her.





Ha ha!!! does Quisty die?? ...wait and see.
'all my heroes got arthritis' is by me. theft=death.