Re-vamp number 1. Apparently FF.N doesn't like me playing with font sizes, cause it made all my fancy-schmany formatting the same size. Here's an alternative, I guess.

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Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, Squaresoft, blah, blah, blah, not mine.

Author's Note: This can be seen as a companion piece to Aftermath. Seifer's POV this time. In case you don't recognize the description, he's running through the Time Compression mess post-Ultimecia.

Dedication: To the people who told me I write a mean (definition: good) characterization of Quistis. Let's see if you'll still love me after I put our beloved Seifer through the figurative guillotine.

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"To us, you're just another enemy, like one of those monsters."
"You're comparing ME to one of them? I ain't no monster. I'm the sorceress' knight...You guys are the monsters."

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Heart
by Wravyn

One-step. Two-step.
Left-foot. Right-foot.
One-step. Two-step.
Left-foot. Right-foot.

Everywhere around him, this whiteness.

Blank and empty. Blinding and absolute.

It was madness, this whiteness. Madness.

He was swimming, no Drowning in So much white and he had to get away but he Can't see and there was no escape there was no escape!!! but he (just run)

He was going mad.

One-step. Two-step. (He told himself.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (Just keep pace.)
One-step. Two-step. (That's it, keep moving.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (You're almost There.)

It was like, here he was, and there he was again, and he Seemed to be here and there and there at the same time and that and the Whiteness it was madness madness Madness he was going Mad.

(Monster.)

No.

One-step. Two-step. (He told himself.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (Just keep pace.)

Eyes parched, throat parched, heart parched.

One-step. Two-step. (That's it, keep moving.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (You're almost There.)

(Monster.)

Stop it.

One-step. Two-step. (He...told...himself.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (Just try to keep pace...)

Everywhere around him, this whiteness...

He'd have shielded his eyes, at least, had he the strength, the willpower to do so. But he did not.

Run.

One-step... Two-step.... (Please...keep moving.)
Left-foot... Right-foot... (You're...almost...There.)

(MONSTER!)

STOP IT!

He was going mad.

And still... (one-step, two-step)

...he ran... (left-foot, right-foot)

Step by weary step. Breath by labored breath. On he ran, mindless of direction, mindless of reason. All he knew was that he had to get There, There where he would be safe, free from the despair that threatened to overwhelm him. On he ran, and in his head a scornful tempo drummed his consciousness into merciless oblivion.

One-step. Two-step.
Lap-dog. Fail-ure.
One-step. Two-step.
Lap-dog. Fail-ure.

(Monstermonstermonstermonster...)

NO!

I was a knight I was her knight her knightknightkni her warrior serving matron my sorceress my cause my dream mydreammydrea

(Monster.)

No.

One-step. Two-step. (He told himself.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (Just keep pace.)

Runrunrunrunrun his broken heart told him. So he did.

One-step. Two-step. (That's it, keep moving.)
Left-foot. Right-foot. (You're almost There.)

And on he ran, to get away from the hurt, the lies, the betrayals, the pain. He ran for what seemed like forever and an age and eons more beyond that.

Run.

He ran until his lungs were threatening to implode and his muscles were beseeching him for respite, until his blood hummed, sang, screamed with the torture of each stride.

Just keep pace.

He ran until his legs were threatening to collapse from irrepressible fatigue and his arms...his arms too felt weighted like his head his lungs his soul...

That's it, keep moving.

His heart pounded so desperately he knew he was to die from the pressure, but all this did was propel him on...further, faster, closer towards his (sanity) goal. And every unbearable pulse he bore because it sent warm blood coursing through his thirsty veins.

Blood. Veins. Heart.

Everywhere around him, this whiteness.

I.... Still.... Have.... A Heart....

But he closed his eyes and ran.

You're almost There.

FIN

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I know what you're thinking, but the formatting is exactly how I intended it to be, so don't worry. I like to experiment with rhythm and structure. Plus I was in one of those moods. ;)