Well, here it is. Of course, I could have written about that duel, but since it's been covered by so many fanfic authors, you can hardly write it without plagiarizing anymore, so I won't. Although I'm supposing interest in the whole thing is falling off, judging by the falling hit numbers, I'll continue to write and post this for those who want to.
Oh, and one more thing. From the hit numbers and review numbers (and the reviews themselves) of my fics, I've come to notice that more people seem to read tearjerker fics. Isn't that strange? Or maybe not... I like tearjerkers myself. Well, since you want tearjerkers, I'll write tearjerkers - 'Deep Water' and 'Forever' aren't 'happy forever ever after' fics. Just hope the saifuu club doesn't murder me in my sleep for not having certain things happen.
The Elemental Cycle VIII: Dreamseeker
'I have to help Rinoa!'
Seifer was angry. The table in the Disciplinary Room was ample evidence of that fact, having been kicked and pounded on a few times. Despite that, the petite instructor faced the 6"2 blond squarely and coolly, her only sign of discomfort the flickering of deep sapphirine eyes.
'She'll be fine. Headmaster Cid sent a SeeD team over.' Deep blue sea met jade-green fire. Neither backed off.
'SeeD tem?' he scoffed. 'Puberty-boy, chicken-wuss and the messenger girl?'
'Squall, Zell and Selphie. SeeDs, Seifer. They passed the test. You - didn't.'
Fuel on the fire.
'Dammit!' The table suffered through another pound. 'I'm going after them!'
'Seifer, you can't!' A slender body interspersed itself between Seifer and the doorway. The young man glared in anger and shoved her aside, slight body hitting the floor with a thud. The SeeDs guarding the room responded automatically.
The point of no return.
He charged.
***
Trees. Bushes, plainsland. The occasional canyon or river. To put it shortly, the scenery.
Seifer Almasy stared out the train window, unseeing. The tall blond barely felt his surroundings at all, his mind focused inwards.
Damn Cid! How dare he send three inexperienced (all of them), overeager (Selphie and Zell), completely unfeeling (who else?), young SeeDs to aid Rinoa! That was... downright stupid! Or perhaps he didn't think she was serious? Some people made that mistake sometimes. They were soon rid of it after they had talked to Rinoa a few more times.
He would put things right. Aid his lady in the liberation of Timber. Be her knight.
Yes - that eternal dream.
He dreamt.
'Seifer!'
That voice - it was familiar. A glance behind him proved him right. Irritated, he broke into a run down the alleyway, not even stopping for the draw point, past the half-rusted gates, and up the stairs to the TV station.
'Seifer!'
Damn, she's persistent. Another quick glance showed that Quistis was still some distance behind him. Seifer sped up, charging into the TV station and surprising all the soldiers and technicians.
He was just in time. Deling - goddamned Vinzer Deling - was standing at the podium, blabbering something about peace ambassadors. He was just about to introduce the ambassador, a Sorceress, when Seifer, taking advantage of the surprise, grabbed him and laid Hyperion against his neck.
Backing away slightly, Seifer kept Deling's body between his and any possible attackers. Quistis Trepe ran to the camera, hurriedly summoning Team B.
Hah! The team of morons and children. Pansies all.
There was a place near the back where people had once repaired things and made sure shows ran smoothly. It was there that Seifer decided to go. As he stepped backwards, Squall, Zell and Selphie ran into the studio. The dark-haired boy was unperturbed (imperturbable would be closer), but Selphie appeared slightly bothered, and Zell was in a state of inarticulate rage.
'Whaddya think ya're doin', asshole?' Zell roared, punching air. Squall turned to Quistis. Just like him, the pansy. Turn to Quistis when he can't think of anything. Teacher's pet!
'Instructor-' Squall started to say.
'He broke out of the Disciplinary Room, injuring many in the process.' Well, how the hell else was I supposed to get here short of going through the wall?
'Are we gonna take this asshole back to Garden for punishment?' Zell sounded eager for that.
Idiot!
The others seemed to share the same sentiments. Quistis frowned, Squall slapped his forehead and Selphie rolled her eyes.
Deling smiled. 'So you're all from Garden. If anything happens to me, Garden will suffer.'
'Great work, chicken-wuss,' Seifer snarled. To Deling - 'Shut up.' He ran to the back of the studio, dragging Deling with him. the rest trailed him, Zell looking like he'd swallowed a live and particularly twitchy fish.
Entering the place he'd planned to go, Seifer felt a peculiar resistance to the air around him, almost as if he were walking through t protect or barrier spell. As he stepped into the center, Quistis rounded the corner and ran up to the slightly raised area-
-and froze. The other three came up behind her as well and all stopped as if hit by stop spells. Seifer, unaffected, swiveled, scanning the surrounding area for the threat-
Part of the wall to his right rippled, a woman stepping through.
Seifer jumped involuntarily, gunblade drawing blood as Deling winced. The Galbadian President appeared strangely calm, as if he saw women walk through walls every day of his life. 'Who are you?' Seifer demanded angrily, although the true meaning of his words was 'What are you?'
The woman appeared to ignore him. She was dressed completely in black, black hair bound up in an elaborate hairdo, in a clinging dress with heart-shaped neckline and skirt that flared out slightly at the bottom.
'Such a lost child. Such a confused, frightened child.'
Her voice startled him. A rich, seductive voice, it held a faintly hypnotic quality, the promise of dreams fulfilled. He replied savagely to ward off the spell she seemed to be casting on him by voice alone.
'Shut up!'
'The child in you is telling you to run. The man tells you to stay. Which one will you listen to?'
'Shut up!'
He was losing control. He didn't like that. With words, the woman seemed to rob him of will and control, until the only thing he could do was yell 'shut up' to ward off the chill that was rapidly closing on him.
'Will you be a child forever, or will you be a man?'
No! I'm me - I'm already a man! Leave me alone, go away! Shut up!
He was scared - couldn't deny it anymore, although he'd sooner bite his tongue than admit it to someone else. The woman was strange. She insulted him, she pitied him, she lured him, all in a few sentences.
Help me, Hyne. Who is this... witch - a creation of yours?
'Come with me, to a place of no return. Leave your childhood behind, and serve me...'
Seifer hardly felt it when he let go of Deling, the man sagging pathetically to the ground. His feet moved of their own accord, moving him to the wall that the sorceress had emerged from. Sorceress - he knew that now. Sorceress - his lady, and he her knight.
What he'd always wanted.
Even if it means going against your friends?
... I'm beyond that... beyond childhood friends...
As his body melted into, and through the wall-
... I'm beyond help...