Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Haunted ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Haunted

 

Three weeks have already passed in the blink of an eye. Seifer was that in the Training Center along with Zell, Irvine and Selphie, who had ended their duties early, and since it was still early before lunch, they decided to spend their time at the mentioned place.

 

Zell had been fighting a T-Rexaur and the monster finally seemed to give up and decided to leave before he fall dead on the floor.

 

“Way to go, Zelly!” cheered Selphie

“Doesn't count, the poor monster got scare of the Chicken-wuss and ran away” mocked Seifer

“What did you call me?!” cried Zell and Selphie giggled

“Zell, you should be accustomed already of Seifer calling you that” point out Irvine

“Just tell what similarity I have with it?”

“Well,” said the cowboy, scratching the back of his neck “with all respect, you do have the hairdo of a Chocobo on its early days of birth” and Selphie started to roar in laughter along with Seifer.

“Damn you, Kinneas! Thought you were by my side”

“I am by your side. As a friend, I'm just telling you the truth” said Irvine trying to contain the contagious laughter of Selphie and Seifer

“How about if we go and get lunch now?” said Selphie once she got her breathing back to normal “This training got me hungry” and they made their way to the cafeteria.

 

They arrived to the cafeteria before hungry cadets saturated it, so they were able to get some food without mayor problems. As they walked to the table, Seifer noticed Danielle sitting with the same girls of the first day. However, she didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation that was taking place, she looked somehow depressed.

 

“Anybody home?” he suddenly heard at the same time he felt a fist knocking at his head, realizing then that it was Quistis. “It's almost weird to see you thinking”

“I take that as an insult or as a compliment?” replied Seifer cocking and eyebrow and Quistis laugh as they made their way to the table.

 

“Hey, Seif, what's wrong with Danielle? She's been with that gloomy face for days” ask Selphie

“And how am I supposed to know? I'm not her babysitter” replied the blond

“Well, you're her roommate after all”

“Well, I actually don't care. Satisfied?” he answered back //Who am I fooling? I do want to know what's wrong//

“Vrt tot tu bol dow vas gon tud per” said Zell with his mouth full

“What was that!?”

“We thought you would know was wrong with her” translated Quistis

“Maybe she's homesick” suggested Irvine

“Not logical, she was in the army” went Squall as he sat down. He had just heard the last part of the conversation but it didn't take him long who they were talking about. Not only he had noticed such gloom aura on her, but the instructors that gave her class had actually pointed it out.

 

“But it's not the same. What about if she had her home back in Galbadia and now she's a thousand miles away?” said Selphie “She left her whole life back there, her family and friends”

“She'll have to get used to it”

 

Seifer was right when he supposed Danielle wasn't paying attention to what the other girls were talking about. She wasn't even hungry; she just toyed with the food of her plate as she think about Seifer.

 

//Please don't let it be that I'm falling for him…// she told to herself //Otherwise I'll never hear the end of it. And seeing him almost the 24 hours a day isn't helping me to think in other things//

 

“Oh, Hyne, a really handsome guy is heading this way!” suddenly said Nelly excited

“What?” questioned Danielle when she suddenly heard the sudden change of voice. She was about to look behind her to find out at what they were starring so much, but Meimei stopped her

“Don't look! You'll be to obvious!” she whispered

 

She heard footsteps approaching to the table and suddenly she felt a presence right behind her. “May I join you, ladies?” suddenly said a voice too familiar for her, sending shivers down her spine

 

//Oh, no//

 

“Of course, be our guest” said Lilly as she opened a space between her and Danielle.

 

She dared to look at him. He was tall with tan skin and short hazelnut hair that was combed backwards that give him the appearance of a vampire along with his penetrating olive eyes. It was really him; Danielle felt the need to run away from him, but the guy had already caught her presence

 

“Why, if it isn't Danielle Jenvian” he grinned at her “Been a long time since I saw you”

“Vandom” she whispered

“You know each other” said Kati excited

“I-I have to go” said Danielle as she tried to get up but the newcomer grabbed her hand and pull her down

“What's the hurry? Aren't you going to say hi to me properly?” said Vandom and he chuckled as he looked at the other girls “Please forgive her, I've always had this effect on her. I understand she's just very surprised to see her ex-boyfriend”

“He was your boyfriend, Danielle?” asked Nelly and the brunette nod nervously

“Oh, yeah, it was wonderful time while it last, wasn't it?” said Vandom, placing a hand on her knee with a deadly grip, thing that no one noticed.

“You know? We just remember something we have to do, don't we girls?” said Kati with a gesture of leaving

“We'll see you around guys” said Nelly as she got up

“You-you don't have to leave. Please join us!” said Danielle but she didn't convince the girls and they left, leaving her alone with Vandom

 

“Seems that Fate wants us together” he whisper huskily in her ear and she shivered “And I'll make sure this time you don't get away”

“How did you know I was going to be here?” she asked

“Ah, I love the smell of your fear” he said and kissed her ear “I heard of what happened in Esthar and I heard that you have been sent here. I just came to claim that which is mine” he added surrounding her by the waist

“Leave me alone” she said as she got on her feet again but Vandom sat her again hardly and hold her wrist in a deadly grip.

 

“You know how much I hate broken toys. And it would be a real pity to ruin such a unique toy” and moved his hand to her thigh.

 

She broke from his grip and stormed out of the cafeteria. However, Vandom went after her and held her arm avoiding her from getting away.

 

“You can't get away from me, Danny” he grinned “I'll follow you everywhere you go”

“No…”

“Yes” he replied “As I told you, I shall claim that which is mine” and he kissed the corner of her lips “We shall see around” and he walked away.

 

Danielle let herself fall in the ground, not being able to believe what was happening. She knew the true nightmare was about to begin. “Why did I have to find HIM? Why in this place? That was the last I needed. He won't let me go...”

 

*

*

*

 

It was past midnight when Seifer returned to his quarters after another visit to the Training Center this time by himself. Even thought at that time the boys lockers would be empty, Seifer preferred to shower in his own room.

 

He opened the door and realize that some lights were on, which meant that Danielle was still awake. Seifer peeked inside the girl's room, not expecting to see what he did.

 

Danielle seemed to be dressing after taking a shower, but in the moment he looked inside, it seemed she was just finishing putting on her black pants. Seifer was surprised of her body of a grown-up woman even thought she was just seventeen, he actually expected to see the built-up body of a soldier.

 

What outstood more of her back was the black tattoo that was between her shoulder blades and ended in the half of her back. It was a dragon forming an “S”, there was a certain similarity with her GF. His thoughts were interrupted when suddenly the picture was cover and Seifer realized that Danielle had put on a shirt. Before she turned around, Seifer got into his room pretending nothing had happened.

 

After he made sure he had dissipated all the current thought of what he had just seen next door, Seifer made his way to take his awaited shower. When he walked out of his room, he found Danielle sitting Indian style on the couch with a book on her lap. When she heard the door opening, she shifted her gaze to where he was, with a surprised look on her face.

 

“I didn't see you arrive” she said, thought it was more said to her

“I was at the Training Center; just got here some minutes ago” he replied and then grinned “I didn't thought you were so worried about me”

 

Danielle sighed and rolled her eyes to then go back to her lecture “I'm a lot more worry of the poor creatures of the place. It would be a pity that all the monsters suddenly died `cause they ate you”

 

It was Seifer's turn to sigh and roll his eyes. Damn, she could a pain in the liver when she wanted too. Suddenly he remembered what he had presence in the cafeteria that afternoon.

 

“Who was the guy that sat with you in the cafeteria?”

“Hm?”

“You know what I'm talking about. The guy that went to your table and then you ran away from him”

“It's none of your business” she replied going back to her book. Seifer approached to her and pulled the book out of her hands.

 

“I'm making it mine”

“Why are you so interested in my life so suddenly?”

“In the last days you've been with a really gloomy expression just as if Hyne had appeared and personally tell you you're shit, you barely talk, you don't socialize at all and suddenly, someone comes to you and ran like crazy for hell knows why”

“I don't have to tell you if I don't want to. So if you please, leave me alone” replied Danielle getting on her feet and then she locked up in her dorm.

 

Seifer once again sighed frustrate, this seemed to be turning out in routine. They would throw shit at each other, then they would argue and she would finally lock up in her room. Well, wasn't that pretty entertaining? But thinking about it, Danielle had spoke more with fear than anger. It seemed that the mention of that guy just scared her. He actually had been able to see the fear in her eyes when she ran out of the cafeteria.

 

He thought about this as water sprayed over his body. He wondered how they would be ever separated if they continued like this. They hadn't spoke that much since the classes had started, and whenever they did, they argue. He suddenly somehow wonder how she was doing, the training of a soldier and a SeeD were very different.

 

He then remembered the dream of the first day. Why did she ask for help? And why to him? But there was another dream that he quite couldn't understand its meaning… that dream where he saw Ultimecia; he was the one pleading for help. Did it mean she was somewhere alive? Will she come back to claim her knight?

 

*

*

*

 

“I'm not a showoff, I'm not a tomb-boy, I'm not a whore and definitively, I'm NOT a freak!” muttered Danielle as she walked down the hall, her eyes stinging because of the tears she was trying to contain.

 

Days couldn't be good for her, could they? She was always being criticized because of her abilities and she was already sick of it. This time she just had to beat a pair of Grats to hear what they usually said of her.

 

“Just because she was a soldier she thinks she's better in everything”

“What kind of woman would be on the army?”

“Maybe she was just a fuck-toy for the soldiers”

“She doesn't acts like a lady”

“She's not normal”

 

It hurt her, everything. The looks, the commentaries, the treatments, everything hurt. //I should have stayed in Deling City. Nobody judge me like this back there... and I wouldn't have found Vandom here!//

 

She hated the guy, the way he talked to her, the way he treat her, the way she made her feel so weak and scare whenever he got closer to her.

 

“Hello to you” she suddenly heard and froze. //Just what I needed// she thought and she didn't even reply the salute.

“Such manners, Danielle” said Vandom as he catch up with her and hold her by the arm

“Vandom, you have three seconds to release me befo- what the hell are you doing?! Let me- Mmph!”

 

Danielle was cut as Vandom pushed her to the nearest wall and then kissed her. She then felt his tongue forcefully entering her mouth and probing its walls. She tried to pull away but he took hold of her wrists with one hand and with the other he took hold of her chin to keep her mouth open and he applied more pressure on the lip-lock at the same time he pressed his body against hers to avoid her from escaping.

 

Vandom grinned in the middle of the kiss when he felt Danielle struggling as hard as she could, he enjoyed whenever he had control of the girl and he perfectly knew how well he possessed the control of the situation in that moment. He finally released her lips when he felt the need the breath again.

 

“J-Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?” gasped Danielle as soon as she got her mouth back

“I told you I would claim what is mine” he replied kissing her again

“I'm not yours” she said pulling apart and then free herself. She was just about to walk away when Vandom again took hold of her arm and again pressed his body on her back, holding her by her waist.

 

“I'm the only thing that is left for you. I've seen how they treat you, how they speak behind your back. You know I will never speak of you like that…” he whispered in her ear, his breath forming goose-bumps behind her neck. Danielle realized that it was actually true; he actually was the only person in the whole Garden that didn't speak of him in such manner.

“What you say it's true” she said “But I'm surprised you haven't done anything to change it” and once again, she was able to break the grip and she ran away, none of them noticing a distant figure that had presence what had happened.

 

*

*

*

 

Seifer was in class not really paying attention to the lesson. His mind was busy thinking of Danielle, the girl had suddenly occupied his mind for complete and since she was actually one of the main themes of conversation, it was even harder to not think about her.

 

“I can't really understand how they admit her in the army” said a girl that sat in front of Seifer

“Nothing that a good fuck can't resolve” replied the one that was sitting besides her and they both giggled

“Wonder why she didn't stay back home. She'll not become a SeeD, her grades have been decreasing considerably”

“I heard that she flirt with the male instructors and that this “decreasing” is just an act to avoid suspects that she's doing better than anyone”

“You gotta be kidding”

“I swear it. And that thing of the escort… she's just another knight. If Sorceress Edea goes mad again, she will have two under her command”

“The Knight and the Dame”

 

Seifer almost felt the need to hit both of them, there was no reason to speak like that of Danielle. Yeah, he also wondered how she made it into the army, but he was sure it wasn't because she was a slut. Hell, he even thought Danielle was even more descent than those bitches in front of him. And actually, people around Garden spoke of her the way they should be talking about him. He had tried to destroy the world and they didn't speak that bad about him. Danielle had just been a soldier and she was treated her as if she had been the one with the idea.

 

//Why the fuck I am so worried about it? She's big enough to take care of herself// he thought

 

He suddenly realized that the class had already end and he walked out of the classroom in quite a hurry. He felt so mad about what he had heard, he suddenly realized why people didn't speak in such manner of him; it was because they feared him, no matter how much they seemed to hate him. But Danielle was a different story. She wasn't feared, she couldn't even defend herself, not the way he could. He then thought about the dream he had of her; was that the reason why she asked for help? But why did she ask him?

 

//Oh shit, I hope I'm not falling for her// he thought as he punched the code that opened the dorm. He had just got into his room when a powerful earthquake begin; judging by the area, earthquakes of such magnitude like the present were impossible, but it was happening anyways. The window suddenly exploded and he covered his face to avoid the pieces of glass getting in his eyes. When he opened them again, Ultimecia was standing right in front of him.

 

“We meet again, my dear Knight” smiled the Sorceress

“It can't be” whispered Seifer surprised “You're dead…”

“I'm not, my Knight. I've come back for you”

“Squall killed you”

“Come back to me, my dear Knight. Come back to me and I shall make your dreams come true”

“Only you make your dreams come true. And I'm not your Knight anymore”

“You shall always be. My body might have been destroyed, but I shall always be where no one can aid you” and she smiled wickedly “I shall always be inside your mind” and then she laughed.

 

Seifer suddenly woke up shaking and panting at the feel of a hand on his shoulder. He looked around and realized the classroom was empty, except for Quistis who was standing by his side startled by his reaction.

 

“Seifer, are you ok?” she questioned worried

“Quistis” he gasped somehow relieved to see it was her

“You probably felt asleep before the class ended. I didn't saw you come out so I look inside and found you here”

 

Seifer closed his eyes and passed a hand through his hair.

 

“Are you sure you're ok?” questioned Quistis again placing a hand on his forehead “I can take you to the infirmary if you want to”

“I'll be fine. Just-just a nightmare” he replied as he buried his face in his hands. Quistis didn't seem to know what else she could say in the moment, so she opted for walking out. However, she then realized what she wanted him to know.

 

“Seifer” called him the blonde and he looked at her “I might sound a bit like Rinoa, but you know you can talk about it with us, understand? We are here for you”

 

Seifer nodded and forced a smile. “I'll have it in mind, Quistis. Thanks” The instructor smiled back and then she left.

 

Seifer closed his eyes and tried to calm the fast beating of his heart. <My body might have been destroyed, but I shall always be where no one can aid you. I shall always be inside your mind>

 

“What I have to do to get you out of my head?” he said getting on his feet “Why don't you just leave me!?” and he punched the nearest wall “I'm no longer the Sorceress's Knight. I'm no longer your Knight”