Disclaimer: FF8 belongs to Squaresoft. The song "Isobel" is by Dido.
Returning to Eden
" Brrr... it's kinda cold," one girl shivered and pulled her coat tighter, " December totally sucks."
" Like, oh my god, did he hear about that guy, Seifer? He's supposed to be coming back," the blonde girl twirled her hair, as she exchanged gossip with her tight group of friends.
" Whoa... isn't he that guy who went crazy and helped the sorceress?" one of her comrades asked.
" Yeah, can you believe it? Why would they let him back in the Garden? Are they serious?! He might, you know, blow up and kill somebody," another girl replied.
" That would be so scary," a girl said with a brown ponytail, her eyes widening.
" Wait... isn't that him over there? Blonde guy, trenchcoat?" a girl wondered. She pointed to a drained guy who was walking nearby the bench.
" Come on. Let's go to the Quad now," the blonde girl led the cluster away.
------------------------------------------
I thought it was funny when you missed the train
When I rang you at home they said you left yesterday
I thought it was strange when your car was found
by the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around
-----------------------------------------
In the training center, Seifer walked past the Secret Area. He frowned as he heard the giggles of the teenage couples that had snuck out.
" Wow, that's amazing, Squall. I never knew that much about the stars," Rinoa said, fascinated.
" Look, if you squint hard enough, you can see Sirius," Squall pointed to the dark sky.
" I guess you can only see it this clearly in the winter, huh?" Rinoa smiled.
" A rose has it's thorns," Squall grinned like a smartass he was.
" It's beautiful," she leaned her head on his shoulder.
" The stars are beautiful, but they'll never be like you," Squall kissed her forehead. Flattered by his charm, Rinoa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
" I love you," she smiled when they pulled apart.
-----------------------------------
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well and hope your safe tonight
------------------------
" Hey Seifer!" Zell called from down the hall.
" What?" He turned to face him.
" Uh... Welcome back," he finally said. Seifer grinned.
" See you around, Chicken-wuss," Seifer waved and continued walking.
" Bye lapdog," Zell muttered, resented at that custom.
" What did you say?"
" Nothing," Zell started to walk away, then Selphie almost ran into him. Seconds later, Quistis came to Zell and Selphie.
" Sorry Selphie," Zell apologized.
" Zell, did you talk to him? About, you know?" Quistis whispered to Zell, but her words reached Seifer's ear and lingered in his mind.
" Yeah! Did you tell him what we talked about?" Selphie said loudly.
" I don't want to talk to him!" Zell stomped away.
Seifer shrugged at the sight and walked to his dorm.
-----------------------------
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
when it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass
by loving you more
-----------------------------
" Seifer?" Rinoa walked through the grass outside the Balamb Garden. Though, it was cold at this time of year, the sky had brought no frost. It wouldn't be a white Solstice this year. Not that many of the residents were concerned.
" Oh, it's you. What do you want?" Seifer sighed while he sat in the field, pretending to examine his gunblade.
" I know your birthday's in a couple of days. I'll be out of town so I wanted to wish you a good birthday," she replied.
" After everything, you want to wish me a happy birthday?" his stomach started to churn from guilt and disbelief.
Rinoa crutched down closer and sat in the grass next to him.
" You're not a stranger to me. I know you better than you think I do. I know in my heart that you weren't completely of your own free will, and the times you were, you were too hurt to admit the fear. I forgive you."
" You do?" he looked at her soft brown eyes. She lightly stroked his face.
" Just forgive me too and let the whole thing go," she gently touched his shoulder.
" Good luck with puberty boy. The honeymoon should be real sweet," he tried to break away from the seriousness of the critical conversation Rinoa was introducing to him.
" I really wished you would stop putting him down like that. You know he's a great person, and I care about him. It'll be hard for both sides, but, why can't you two be good friends?"
" No. I'm even a little sorry for that too. I know you're happy with him, but we'll never be friends," Seifer replied honestly. Rinoa scowled.
" You don't even want to try! You need to really get over yourself, Seifer! If you think things are going to go back to the way they used to be, you're blinder than Squall was. You need to..."
" Fade off into the background?" he interrupted calmly.
" Perhaps," Rinoa frowned, " If that's the only way everyone can get back to their lives and be happy."
" Wow, and I thought I was the selfish villain here. The whole "I care" was a nice touch. You see, Rinoa, I know you better than you ever thought I did too. Maybe after a while, Squall will see why we broke up last summer. You're one manipulative bitch!"
Rinoa slapped his cheek hard.
" I was trying to be sweet about it, but I want you to go away. Did you hear me, Almasy? Go away!" Rinoa screamed.
" Good luck! I hope your halo doesn't slip off when you don't get your way..." Seifer stormed off, leaving Rinoa alone in the field to think.
----------------------------------
And who he would become, all the things he'd have done
would he have loved you, and not let you down
and would he be stronger than his father
don't punish yourself, leave it well alone
---------------------------------
" SEIFER," Fujin knocked on his door. There was no answer.
" Time to celebrate!" Rajun cheered, with a wrapped present in hand.
" SEIFER?" Fujin opened the door and peeked inside. She glanced back to Rajun with a frightened expression.
" RAGE! GET HELP!" she ordered.
" What happened?!" Rajun demanded.
" JUST GET HELP!" Fujin shouted.
She wander cautiously into the room that was in utter ruins. Furniture was thrown against the wall. Shades were ripped off the window and slashed. Straight ahead of Fujin, there was a dresser with a shattered mirror. Blood still dripped off the shards of glass.
The open window was marked with a bloody handprint. A permanent smudge.
" Happy birthday, Seifer," she whispered to herself, trying not to cry at the scene.
-------------------------
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well and hope your safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
when it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass
by loving you more
--------------------------
The breeze rushed through the valley's pastures behind the mountains. Seifer carried his gunblade as he kept walking on through the lifeless vegetation.
He hadn't planned a journey, but there was nothing else to do. Seifer felt his breath join the wind and didn't look back.
There was nowhere to go, but forward.
Returning to Eden
" Brrr... it's kinda cold," one girl shivered and pulled her coat tighter, " December totally sucks."
" Like, oh my god, did he hear about that guy, Seifer? He's supposed to be coming back," the blonde girl twirled her hair, as she exchanged gossip with her tight group of friends.
" Whoa... isn't he that guy who went crazy and helped the sorceress?" one of her comrades asked.
" Yeah, can you believe it? Why would they let him back in the Garden? Are they serious?! He might, you know, blow up and kill somebody," another girl replied.
" That would be so scary," a girl said with a brown ponytail, her eyes widening.
" Wait... isn't that him over there? Blonde guy, trenchcoat?" a girl wondered. She pointed to a drained guy who was walking nearby the bench.
" Come on. Let's go to the Quad now," the blonde girl led the cluster away.
------------------------------------------
I thought it was funny when you missed the train
When I rang you at home they said you left yesterday
I thought it was strange when your car was found
by the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around
-----------------------------------------
In the training center, Seifer walked past the Secret Area. He frowned as he heard the giggles of the teenage couples that had snuck out.
" Wow, that's amazing, Squall. I never knew that much about the stars," Rinoa said, fascinated.
" Look, if you squint hard enough, you can see Sirius," Squall pointed to the dark sky.
" I guess you can only see it this clearly in the winter, huh?" Rinoa smiled.
" A rose has it's thorns," Squall grinned like a smartass he was.
" It's beautiful," she leaned her head on his shoulder.
" The stars are beautiful, but they'll never be like you," Squall kissed her forehead. Flattered by his charm, Rinoa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
" I love you," she smiled when they pulled apart.
-----------------------------------
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well and hope your safe tonight
------------------------
" Hey Seifer!" Zell called from down the hall.
" What?" He turned to face him.
" Uh... Welcome back," he finally said. Seifer grinned.
" See you around, Chicken-wuss," Seifer waved and continued walking.
" Bye lapdog," Zell muttered, resented at that custom.
" What did you say?"
" Nothing," Zell started to walk away, then Selphie almost ran into him. Seconds later, Quistis came to Zell and Selphie.
" Sorry Selphie," Zell apologized.
" Zell, did you talk to him? About, you know?" Quistis whispered to Zell, but her words reached Seifer's ear and lingered in his mind.
" Yeah! Did you tell him what we talked about?" Selphie said loudly.
" I don't want to talk to him!" Zell stomped away.
Seifer shrugged at the sight and walked to his dorm.
-----------------------------
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
when it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass
by loving you more
-----------------------------
" Seifer?" Rinoa walked through the grass outside the Balamb Garden. Though, it was cold at this time of year, the sky had brought no frost. It wouldn't be a white Solstice this year. Not that many of the residents were concerned.
" Oh, it's you. What do you want?" Seifer sighed while he sat in the field, pretending to examine his gunblade.
" I know your birthday's in a couple of days. I'll be out of town so I wanted to wish you a good birthday," she replied.
" After everything, you want to wish me a happy birthday?" his stomach started to churn from guilt and disbelief.
Rinoa crutched down closer and sat in the grass next to him.
" You're not a stranger to me. I know you better than you think I do. I know in my heart that you weren't completely of your own free will, and the times you were, you were too hurt to admit the fear. I forgive you."
" You do?" he looked at her soft brown eyes. She lightly stroked his face.
" Just forgive me too and let the whole thing go," she gently touched his shoulder.
" Good luck with puberty boy. The honeymoon should be real sweet," he tried to break away from the seriousness of the critical conversation Rinoa was introducing to him.
" I really wished you would stop putting him down like that. You know he's a great person, and I care about him. It'll be hard for both sides, but, why can't you two be good friends?"
" No. I'm even a little sorry for that too. I know you're happy with him, but we'll never be friends," Seifer replied honestly. Rinoa scowled.
" You don't even want to try! You need to really get over yourself, Seifer! If you think things are going to go back to the way they used to be, you're blinder than Squall was. You need to..."
" Fade off into the background?" he interrupted calmly.
" Perhaps," Rinoa frowned, " If that's the only way everyone can get back to their lives and be happy."
" Wow, and I thought I was the selfish villain here. The whole "I care" was a nice touch. You see, Rinoa, I know you better than you ever thought I did too. Maybe after a while, Squall will see why we broke up last summer. You're one manipulative bitch!"
Rinoa slapped his cheek hard.
" I was trying to be sweet about it, but I want you to go away. Did you hear me, Almasy? Go away!" Rinoa screamed.
" Good luck! I hope your halo doesn't slip off when you don't get your way..." Seifer stormed off, leaving Rinoa alone in the field to think.
----------------------------------
And who he would become, all the things he'd have done
would he have loved you, and not let you down
and would he be stronger than his father
don't punish yourself, leave it well alone
---------------------------------
" SEIFER," Fujin knocked on his door. There was no answer.
" Time to celebrate!" Rajun cheered, with a wrapped present in hand.
" SEIFER?" Fujin opened the door and peeked inside. She glanced back to Rajun with a frightened expression.
" RAGE! GET HELP!" she ordered.
" What happened?!" Rajun demanded.
" JUST GET HELP!" Fujin shouted.
She wander cautiously into the room that was in utter ruins. Furniture was thrown against the wall. Shades were ripped off the window and slashed. Straight ahead of Fujin, there was a dresser with a shattered mirror. Blood still dripped off the shards of glass.
The open window was marked with a bloody handprint. A permanent smudge.
" Happy birthday, Seifer," she whispered to herself, trying not to cry at the scene.
-------------------------
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well and hope your safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
when it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass
by loving you more
--------------------------
The breeze rushed through the valley's pastures behind the mountains. Seifer carried his gunblade as he kept walking on through the lifeless vegetation.
He hadn't planned a journey, but there was nothing else to do. Seifer felt his breath join the wind and didn't look back.
There was nowhere to go, but forward.