Disclaimer : I do not own anything thing to do with with final fantasy, be it the characters, places or abilities.

Chapter 1

It's not real ... it can't be real. Why must I still suffer even after her death? Her magic has long since vanished from this world. Maybe it's because she's still alive some where ... no, no, I saw her down fall with my very eyes. Through the thick veil she placed on my mind, which had begun to weaken after Adel was defeated.

Then what was happening ... think Seifer ... think back. How did this start, why is this happening ...

He thought back to where it had started and ended. He had been chained and placed through court proceeding not long after her defeat. His friends, enemies and him; sitting and discussing his life as if he was not present in the room. He said nothing; his head down, letting them make their own conclusion. Many people took to the stand to bear witness to his crimes, damning him. And they have the right to do so. His life up to the point when Ultimecia casted her veil of control upon him was not but a sinners lie trying to make himself look righteous in the eyes of other, but all the while never losing his ability to cause grief and mayhem where he walked believing above all else he done no wrong. That's what his life was and only then did he realise that.

He was surprised when not only Matron took to the stand in his defence but also Rinoa. Both claiming and understanding better than most that he too was under Ultimecia spell.

He only looked up once during this whole three day event and that was to look at Squall. Squall sat there hunched forward resting his elbows on his legs and hands weaved together covering his mouth. He starred at him with unfeeling, unchanging eyes. They looked to one another for a long moment and Seifer would have continued to gaze at him had it not been for his guilt.

By the end of the proceedings Seifer was sure that he would have been found guilty of the crimes he had committed. But he was not. He had been exonerated from all he had done.

After the hearing Cid had gone to him and stated that he was more than welcome back to the Garden to resume his training. But even with being found innocent he could not believe anymore that his life was nothing but a sin, and so refused the offer.

He joined Fujin and Raijin as they travelled to Fisherman Horizon and settled into a new way of life.

After about six months he was invited to go and visit the orphanage where he had grown up. Matron said that there was an event happening over a couple of weeks to rebuild the wreckage. Even though it was the place where he was raised, he could not bear to go and be near the people he had hurt in his life.

But a few days after he had refused the offer, Seifer began having nightmares. Always waking at the same time during the night. The nightmare was pretty much the same each night. Ultimecia appearing to him in the form of Adel. Adel's red eyes peering at him on top a throne of gold. Her red eyes edged with gold, a sign that Ultimecia had control of this sorceress. She sneers and laughs at him, asking if he truly wanted to that the form of Adel. It's meaning always confusing him, inciting her to laugh more; and all the while Squall Leonhart is lying by her feet, bloodied and bruised. Seifer tries to step forward to reach the younger man but is held in place by an invisible bond. Seifer struggles to get free as he watches Ultimecia slowly descend the stairs toward Squall's limp body. Seifer call for her to stop. And just when he thinks it is all over for the brunette, his invisible bonds release him. He runs as fast as he cans, watching as Ultimecia raises a hand and pulls the magic from the air, building it together. Just as she throws the ball of energy towards Squall, Seifer leaps onto his body covering him from the blast. Only to wake, in a cold sweat.

For weeks Seifer told himself that it cannot be true, for a damn good reason. The bitch was dead.

But as the weeks progress the dreams continue. Seifer also learn that Squall and Rinoa had spilt up, which in turn makes Rinoa gain another knight releasing him from their bond.

He thought nothing of it at the time but as his dreams to increase in occurnases, he satarted to believe it might just happen. He began to fear for not only his future but also that of my childhood rival. From there, slowly but not slow enough it seems, Seifer fall into a madness he was now firmly wedged in. Fujin and Raijin had no other option but to place him in a mental hospital.

And that's where he was now. Sitting, wrapped up in one of those white coats and sitting on the floor of a white padded room. There is another person there in the room with him. A doctor. Although Seifer was not entirely sure, as since hearing the news of the separating bond he had a mix of coherent day and days were he wasn't even aware of what was happened.

Guess this must be a good day.

The doctor looked to be around his age, with long brown hair, which was tied in a braid. Seifer could tell that the man was shorter than him. But then not many people seemed to reach his height of 6'2. Seifer also found it a little amusing that when he squinted his eyes to a point of near blurriness, the man kind of looks like Leonhart, but clearly a little leaner in muscle stone. He was speaking to him but Seifer seemed to have missed most of, or rather all of what he has said. He turned his head to look the doctor straight on. "Sorry doc, could you repeat that?"

He sighs, "I just asked you if you remembered who I was. When I got no response I thought it would be best to inform you again."

Seifer snigger a little at his words. "Sorry doc, no clue as to who you are. But I think I'm a bit more able now to understand your word, so do you want to try again?"

He looked at Seifer for a long moment and then down to his clip bored he is holding in his right hand. He writes something down, hmm left handed, and then look back to Seifer. "One more time then shall we." He laughs. "I am Doctor Alec Drakcoon; I am a dark magic psychologist. I have been asked to come here from Esther in order to review your case."

"What the fuck is a dark magic psychologist?" Seifer says twisting his face in confusion upon hearing the title.

Alec closes he's eye and pushes his glasses further up his nose, to a point where it looks like he was pushing the little soft plastic bits into the side of his eyes. "A dark magic psychologist is someone whom deals in the treatment of psychological disorders created by dark magic." He lowers he hand and looks at Seifer with hard eyes. "It seem from what we can determined, that the after effect of the mind control place on your during the last sorceress war has twisted your mind to a point that no one has seen before. For that I was called."

"That's all well and good doc, but just how are you going to fix this?" Seifer ask with a defected sigh.

Alec shakes his head, "Unfortunately, it seems even with my knowledge I am unable to help at this present time." A huff is heard from Seifer as he lowers his head, residing to his fate. He had come to the conclusion long ago that he was beyond help; he knew this even back when he was at Garden. Hearing the doctor say something through ringing ears and once again ask him to repeat what he had just said. Alec seems to wait until Seifer made eye contact with him to speck again, making sure he had Seifer's full attention. "As I said I am not able to help you at this present time, due to lack of equipment. So you are to be moved to my privet lab in Esther. From there we may be able to find a way to reverse what has been done to you." He looks over his chart again. Seifer was really starting to wonder what had been written on it. "However, due to you're ... let's say hostile nature. The only way you can be move to my lab is to be escorted and then detained by guards."

Seifer shakes his head. "Listen doc, that ain't going to work. You do realise that half the world wants to kill me right. Thinks the whole mind control thing is made up just to save sorry ass from a firing squad, right?"

"I am aware of this fact, which is why I requested the aid of SeeD from Balamb Garden."

His back straightens as his eyes glare daggers at the doctor, "YOU WHAT!?"

Alec seems to back off a little at Seifer raised voice, in fear or surprise, Seifer couldn't tell. "Headmaster Kalmer has been watching your progress since you arrived here. When I figured I would need my own equipment in order to help you I sent him a message for aid." Seifer was angry, and not the regular angry, this was the seeing red Angry. "Mr. Almasy, please calm yourself!"

'Calm myself?' ... 'CALM MYSELF!' Seifer could not believe what he was hearing. There was a good reason that he had refused Cid's offer to return. Not only did he know that he had no right to become SeeD, but he also had no right to be around them either. How could he, after what he had done. Ultimecia had used his dream of becoming a SeeD and gaining fame against him. The fame he sorely wanted more than anything in the world. He had thrown aside everything could have help him get what he wanted most in the world, all because he wanted it all to himself. He had been selfish and people suffered for it. Seifer had even hurt one of my closest friends for it. No, Seifer had no right to be anywhere near that place or the people that resides in it. He slowly stands, only having a little difficulty in his restrained state. With his head bowed. Seifer hissing through his teeth due to the anger that he was feeling towards this man. "get out." he says through gritted teeth.

"Mr. Almasy please, the movement and guards are for ..."

"GET OUT!" Seifer had enough of this guy, and was just about ready to leap forward and bit the man's throat out.

Alec steps back step with a look of absolute fear in his eyes. Even when bound, people know that Seifer was not one to be messed with. "By Hyne, y...your eyes." Is the only thing Alec says before he falls back onto the floor.

Seifer slowly begin to step closer to him, all the while telling him to 'get out', but Alec doesn't move. He only stares at his with open shock clear on his face. And just as Seifer lifts his foot off the ground in order to kick the shit out of Alec, the door fly's open and Seifer is thrown back to the wall he started from. The impact doesn't hurt; it's a padded room for fuck sake. What hurt was the left over power from the mid level thunder spell that had thrown him. Seifer shakes it off and look up with a sneer, which quickly turns to shock and horror as he meets the cold stare of Squall Leonhart. They stare at each other for what felt like an eternity. That connection only braking when a small sound is heard from Alec still sitting on the floor staring at me. Squall bends down picking him up in one fluid motion. He looks the man over with careful eyes. When he seems happy that no damage was coursed, he specks. "Are you ok?"

The Alec still stares at Seifer as if he had grown a second head or something of the like. He slowly nods his head. "Y..yes cousin, I'm fine."

Did that guy just call Squall ... COUSIN?

Squall just seems to nod at this answer and then turns his eyes back to Seifer. His face, as always, showing nothing. He slowly starts to back out the room pushing the Alec behind him and Seifer was left alone to try and process what just happened.

TBC

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