Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Until the End of Eternity, and Longer ❯ Chapter Thirty-Four ( Chapter 35 )

Lunatic Pandora1: Rereading, I guess you're right. That last paragraph sure felt angsty though. Meh. I'm not worried. And…chaotic thoughts. Man, my chaotic thoughts should get together with your chaotic thoughts, they'd probably have a lot to say to one another…haha. Thanks for reviewing, as always.

Don't own ff8, do own…shoelaces…lots and lots of shoelaces…

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Until the End of Eternity, and Longer

By: Banshee Puppet

Chapter Thirty-Four

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"…Winhill, and he didn't remember anything? Nothing at all? But so much happened there," Zell said as he shoved his dinner into his face. Laguna was off somewhere with Kiros.

Irvine shrugged. "I don't really know much about it. But…fact is…"

"…there isn't anything that holds any meaning to him there any longer," Squall finished for him. "We thought, Kennedy still lives in Bella Maure, and there's Jace's statue…so maybe…"

"Aren't you overlooking the most obvious route," Seifer commented idly, spinning some spaghetti around his fork as he watched the noodles go round and round and round.

Quistis looked up at him, a little surprised. He'd been so quiet lately, ever since Christmas, or even before then. Maybe he didn't remember how he was before, or maybe the sorceress had beat it out of him when he was brainwashed, but sometimes, like now, he still looked like the little boy she remembered. Sure, he was a bully then too, but sometimes…sometimes he almost acted human…just like now.

"The most obvious route?" Kiros asked as he walked in with Laguna, who was chewing his lip and furrowing his brow, looking sort of thoughtful and upset, as he pushed some hair behind his ear before pasting on his usual plastic grin and saying, "so what's for dinner!" as he flopped into the chair at the head of the table, where he always sat.

"Deling City," Seifer clarified. "Irvine's old man is in an asylum there, right? Anyway, it's a heck of a lot safer than trying to fly through a sandstorm."

Kiros furrowed his brow. "Bad idea. There's no telling what might happen if those two see one another again," Kiros said, giving Seifer a look that very clearly said, 'back down kid, I'm not joking.'

"Guy'd deserve it anyway, right?" Seifer said, giving Kiros a look that very clearly said, 'I think you've forgotten who you're giving visual cues to.' "You want Laguna to get his memory back, don't you, Kiros."

"Of course I do! Don't be ridiculous, Seifer. I find it hard to believe that you're still so insecure as to believe otherwise. However, I'm not young and foolhardy and I know a bad idea when I hear one. Max Kinneas is bad news. Bad for Irvine. And even worse for Laguna."

"I wanna go." It was hardly a whisper, and Kiros had to blink. He'd never heard Laguna's voice sound so small, nor had he ever seen those lost puppy eyes looking up at him whilst tugging on his sleeve.

"Laguna?" Kiros asked, almost heartbroken by the expression.

"I-I wanna go, Kiros. I wanna remember. So…give Squall one of those tranquilizer pistols, and…he can shoot me if I try to do anything bad, okay?"

"Laguna, there's no guarantee that you'll…He may not even be in Deling any longer. Technically, we don't even know if he's alive, or…"

"But it's the best shot we've got, right?" the other man said, the helpless moment passing, and him looking suddenly grave and old and tired. "So, if that's true, then I have to go. Irvine, this guy…he's something to you, right? If you don't want to go…"

Kiros sighed. He knew that look, and protesting further would be pointless. He only hoped Laguna would forgive him, if he ever found out where Max Kinneas really was. 'It was for your own good, Laguna.'

"I'm going," Irvine said steadily, though his voice cracked slightly. "Whatever else he is…he's still my father. I think I need to go, to meet him. If I don't, I might never have any closure, or…well, you know what I mean…so, yeah, it's going to be the three of us again, huh?"

Squall stared at Seifer through the whole conversation, but now, he spoke, remembering a rooftop conversation of not terribly long ago. "It was your idea, Seifer. Are you planning on coming along?"

"No," Seifer said, softly, but without any hesitation. "I made a promise to someone important, so I can't go anywhere right now. I think I'm gonna follow Jynx around a while longer."

"What is your obsession with that creepy girl anyway?" Selphie asked rather blatantly, shrinking back behind Irvine's shoulder when she earned both a glare from the blonde, and a pout from Laguna.

"She's not creepy," Seifer insisted. "She's just…sad. And I want to know more."

Quistis watched his expression shift, listened to the tone in his voice, and smiled slightly. 'You really are such a kind person, Seifer. Deep down.'

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A FEW HOURS BEFORE:

"Why can't I just go inside Kiros? I'm the President, for cryin' out loud!" Laguna protested, bouncing in his seat while he waited for Jynx to be brought out to him.

"I told you, Laguna. No one is allowed in there," the other man sighed. 'Not to mention that there are things in there that you don't need to know about.'

"You go in there all the time!"

"That's for security purposes."

Laguna was about to protest more when Jynx sat down across from him and…stared. It wasn't uncommon of her, but without her sunglasses, it was a little unnerving to be looked at with those eyes.

"H-hi. How are you?" Laguna asked.

Jynx turned her eyes to Kiros then, putting her hands in her lap, proceeded to stare at the wall behind Laguna. "I thought you would be Mr. Almsay," she stated, and for a moment Laguna wondered, 'was that disappointment just now?' "What's on your mind, President Loire?"

"You're doing okay?" he tried again.

"I'm the same," she answered. "Have you changed your mind about killing me?"

"N-no!" Laguna said, horrified by the very thought. "How can you think like that all the time. It's disturbing."

"I choose to look at life honestly. It wouldn't kill you to try to look at life a little more honestly as well. You might learn a few very interesting things."

"I miss having you around, you know. I wish things could be different."

"They can't."

Sure, Laguna knew that, but…

A long silence passed between them while Laguna chewed his bottom lip. "Well, it…it was nice seeing you again," he finally said, standing and moving to the door, which Kiros shoved open for him. "You always had a way of keeping me in line, Jynx. I really do miss that," he said softly before passing through the doorway and whispering, "maybe I always will," before the door closed between them.

Kiros stared Jynx down, but it was a battle that he was destined to lose. If there was anything that Jynx was good at, it was staring. "You would be wise to not say anything about that again," he informed her.

"I have no intention of doing so," she replied. "But do not be so foolish, Mr. Seagill, to believe that even a gentle soul like Laguna Loire will be so forgiving as to overlook some twenty years of lies, when he finally figures it out."

"…" Kiros glared at her before turning on his heel and joining Laguna, looking at the young man by the door and saying, "we are done here, Leiutenant."

"Yes sir."

When the two men were alone in the hall, Laguna looked up at Kiros and cracked the strangest little smile. "Did you see?" he asked, a giddy edge on his voice.

"See what?"

"She was wearing it."

"Huh?"

"Her present. She was wearing it, the necklace I gave her. There might just be getting through to that girl yet," he said happily. "I'll have to visit her again soon. I don't want her to think I've forgotten about her, after all." …

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"Laguna told me he stopped by today," Seifer said.

"…"

"He said that you were exactly the same. He said that you'll be just fine."

"He tells you everything, does he, Mr. Almsay?"

"Well, not when he's going the bathroom, or jacking off or anything gross, but hey, it's not as if I wanna know!" Seifer joked before reaching across the table and touching the onyx pendant she wore. "But, he said, you're heart is starting to heal. It'll take a while. It's in pretty bad shape, but it isn't broken."

"… … … don't say thinks like that. Things like that are really…completely meaningless."

"Hmnh. I think I'm finally starting to understand you, Jynx Arashi. But I still want to know more."

Jynx stared at him for a long moment, into his eyes, as if trying to figure something out.

'It's because you never think of yourself that you are the way you are. That's why, all those years ago, you didn't cry, now it makes sense. I think, knowing that, I envy you, Jynx, being able to act so totally selflessly, but I also pity you some too,' Seifer thought.

"I had a dream about you last night, you know," he said as she continued to stare at him. "You were crying. Silly, huh? You'd never do that for real."

Her voice was hardly a whisper when she finally spoke, her eyes shifting downcast to well-worn hands.

"You don't remember either, do you?"

"What?"

"You don't remember either, do you?" Her eyes shot up onto him so suddenly that he flinched.

'Those eyes just now. So haunted. So much pain.'

"You really don't remember at all, do you? Just like her. You've forgotten there was ever even a memory there at all." 'That day. Why am I the only one who remembers that day?'

"Jynx, what are you talking about? I know my memory of the war is still foggy, but…"

Jynx shook her head. "What I'm talking about is from long before that. You should remember, but you don't. Only I remember."

Seifer reached his arm across the table again and touched her hand, concern etching his features. She was behaving so strangely. It was the same expression, the one from his dream. It seemed as if she had, but he would remember those glass-like eyes, wouldn't he?

"Seven years ago. You followed me around a lot back then too," she told him evenly. "I don't know why you did that."

Jynx looked up, finding pity in his eyes, on his features. "That expression doesn't suit you at all," she said. 'Don't look at me like that, Seifer. Not you.'

"Jynx…"

"…"

"Jynx?"

"It was snowing, that day."

"What are you talking about?"

"That day, the day we went to the fire cavern, it was snowing."

'The story. Jynx's story. Is she actually going to tell me?'

"The day that…" he tried to say, but he couldn't get passed the shocked expression he wore, like his mouth just suddenly wouldn't work properly. He never thought that there was any possibility that she might actually open up to him, for all his efforts otherwise.

"Alright, Seifer Almsay. You win. I'll tell you a story, just this once." 'It's not as if we'll be together much longer anyway.'

His stunned expression gave way to a small, smirk, almost a smile, but a little too bittersweet. He won. But why was it that winning against Jynx always felt so hollow?

"Your story," he said, more softly than was his habit.

"…yes. The story of…that day."

This sort of thing was out of their realms, both of them, so Seifer didn't know why he squeezed her hand so gently, how he knew to comfort her like that, saying nothing. Where did he learn it? From who?

"September 27th. It got cold early that year. It was snowing. Not much, but enough to leave a slight blanketing on the grass, enough to see breath mist when you spoke, which, of course, you did plenty of. You haven't changed much, in seven years."

"Hey!"

"It's true. You're the one who wanted to hear this, remember. If I don't tell it all now, I may never tell any of it," Jynx said. As usual, her tone bordered on clinical, but her eyes, as he watched them, the light shifted. There was so much there, in the eyes. She must feel naked without her black sunglasses, he realized, like everything is laid out on the table.

"Go on." …

'That day, it was snowing. The first snow of the year. It was so quiet before Ruvie stormed into my room. I had told them I was going to study, but really, I was watching the snow-just like I used to do at home.'

"It was the first snow of the year. You snuck up on us in the hall. You were the only person who could sneak up on me like that. It makes no sense, really, as loud as you are, sometimes. I suppose I just got accustomed to the sounds you made, so it was easy to ignore them."

"Is that why you always seem to know when I'm close by these past few months?"

"When a person becomes very accustomed to one particular thing, and then it's gone all of a sudden, they notice, even if they're…like me."

"Like you?"

"It isn't important. Besides, you've interrupted me again."

"Sorry. Keep going."

"…you snuck up on us and asked me where we were going so late after curfew. I didn't think to wonder what you were doing out, just being disobedient, I suppose."

Seifer blinked, then blinked again. "Ow." He brought his free hand up to his head. "Man, that headache came out of…nowhere?" He closed his eyes against the dizzy pain, just barely registering her voice saying his name before he passed out.

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"Seifer?" "Seifer." * "Seifer. You're obstructing our progress," Jynx said, staring at the young man who stood in front of the front gates, blocking the girls' exit.

"I'm not moving out of the way until you tell me I can come," he stated defiantly. Sure, he knew he'd go anyway, she knew he'd go anyway, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"Do what you like. Just move," Jynx stated.

"Alright! Let's go kick some monster tail!" he cheered, hopping over the top of the gate and waiting for the two girls to join him.

Seifer looked up at the night sky, opening his mouth to let a few snowflakes fall in before taking a deep breath. The air always smelled so fresh when the snow was falling.

"It was snowing that day."

He looked over his shoulder at the two girls, Jynx looking at Ruvie, who refused to look at Jynx, and stomped of ahead. Jynx just followed, leaving Seifer with an almost impotent feeling. 'Oh! I get it! She can't stop her, so she's tagging along!'

'September 27th. It was snowing, on that day.'

It was definitely cold, cold enough that the walk to the fire cavern had Seifer pulling his trench coat tight around his body, and seeing Jynx walk with only a short-sleeved shirt made him shiver. "Hey, Jynx, aren't you cold?" he asked, getting closer to her and noticing the goosebumps covering her arms. Of course she was cold.

"Yes. But worrying solves nothing, and thinking about it won't change anything. I have more important things to concern myself over now."

"The kid, huh?" Seifer asked, watching the young girl that stormed some distance ahead of them and out of earshot.

"She is…more important than she realizes."

"So are you, you know."

"This isn't about me."

"You're like a knight, or something. Only you're not a fairy tale, you're real. I think that's pretty cool. So, let me help you protect her, just this once."

'Alright…you win…just this once.'*

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"Jynx?"

Jynx stood and stared at Laguna. "How is he?" she asked.

"Still unconscious. You want to see him?"

"It isn't really the best idea, Mr. Loire, from a security standpoint."

"Doesn't matter," Laguna said. "You've always looked over Seifer, for as long as I've known you. I can't say I understand why that is, but if you want to see him, I'll make it happen. Consider it repaying the mountain of favors that I owe you, if you want. I think I'll just call it helping a friend."

"President Loire…"

"Just for now, just between us, I'm just Laguna Loire, ex-soldier. At least for a little while. Until my memory comes back all the way, I think me leading a country is probably a bad idea, so I'm on vacation right now. All the same…"

"Is he going to be alright?"

Laguna was stunned by the question. She'd never asked anything in such a matter of fact way before. She almost seemed…genuinely concerned.

"It's too soon to tell. But…he's pretty strong. As long as he doesn't lapse back into a coma, I think he'll pull through. You wanna check up on him?"

After a long moment, Jynx nodded. "Just…one last time."

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well, that chapter took forever. But that's sort of because I hand-wrote half of it, and that always takes longer when I do it that way. We haven't gotten to the fire cavern yet, but I think we will in the next chapter. Once again, this story seems to be writing itself into a direction I hadn't initially intended, but…such is life. I had a plan…once. Alas, it was not meant to be. Haha! R&R.

Happy Haunting,

~Banshee Puppet~