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..:2 CORINTHIANS 2:5-8:..
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Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and all of its characters are property of Square Enix. I do not profit from it, apart from getting entertainment from doing my fanfiction and improving on my language and writing skills. Also, all events and characters are purely fictitious and any similarities to people or events in real life are purely coincidental.
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Author: Azarethian Titan
Beta-Readers: Leontillybalambgirl, Celestial Rage
Listening to: Nothing
Pairings: A possibility of SeiferxQuistis and a bit of the other pairings
Warnings: Some (a lot?) swearing on Seifer's part
Author's Note: Ah yes... this is a special Christmas story done for well, Christmas. So... hopefully, I'll get it done by then. Yes... I'm aware that the title is from verses in the Bible, but this is not a Bible-bashing session or a story where I go blatantly pushing Jesus into everyone's face. Inevitably, my Christians beliefs will somehow come into this story... but that's pretty much about it. I just feel that the verses really relate to Seifer and theme of this story: Forgiveness and Redemption (Well... hopefully I stay on track.) Have fun... and remember to review! They really encourage me and keep me going!
Summary: If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent - not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted upon him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, NIV version
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.:Chapter 1:.
---:Homecoming:---
Going to battle makes one feel truly alive... coming home after the war, confirms that you are alive. -Azarethian Titan
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Seifer smirked with sadistic amusement as he prodded the side of the pitiful lump of clothes and body before him, none too gently, earning him a pained grunt.
"Now, now... who's the one who's worthless now?"
Drawing out Hyperion, he jabbed her side with Hyperion's hilt and smirked once more in satisfaction. The lump shuddered slightly as she weakly raised her head and glared at Seifer balefully with golden eyes, snarling, "Shut up worthless slave of mine... your existence means nothing!"
Chuckling mirthlessly, Seifer turned around with deliberation and sauntered off into the distance. Halting for a moment, Seifer turned his head around and smirked at Ultimecia once more, "Well, seems like you have nothing better to say... I'll be off now."
Waving a hand mockingly at Ultimecia, Seifer continued on his journey. Walking with a slight swagger in his step, Seifer looked around, taking in his surroundings. Everything was grey and brown... that would probably change as he continued on. Moments passed as he walked on. And on. And on. And on... and on... ... ...Everything was a lovely shade of grey and brown... with nothing else in sight.
Peachy.
Rolling his eyes and cursing the circumstances that had been forced upon him, Seifer turned around once more. He'd have to squash his pride for now, even if it'd probably come back at some later point to bite him in the butt, if he wanted to even have a chance to get out of here.
Grabbing Ultimecia by the hem of her outfit, he spoke in a voice that demanded compliance, "Tell me the way out."
Dark humour evident in her eyes, Ultimecia sneered, "And why, do you want to find a way out? I have nothing better to say after all..."
Rolling his eyes, Seifer merely placed the tip of Hyperion upon the barren ground and leaned upon it. There, he waited.
Ultimecia stared.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Spit it out! Where's the way out?" Seifer demanded.
Ultimecia merely stared.
Feeling the danger of anger overriding whatever little good sense he had, Seifer quelled it, choosing an alternative method and promising his pride that he'd find a way to compensate it later.
Softening his tone to something akin to pleading, Seifer looked at Ultimecia and spoke, "I really want to get out of here…"
Ultimecia just stared.
Gritting his teeth, Seifer growled and shook her wildly. Feeling extremely disorientated and in deep pain, Ultimecia pointed Seifer to the direction of a brown door.
Staring at the brown door that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, literally, Seifer raised a blonde brow. I never noticed that before... he thought as he moved towards it and snorted, Ah... what the hell. It's probably more of her magic.
As he made to open the door, he heard derisive laughter from behind him, goading him. "And what do you gain from going bakk to your time? Everyone knows you as my Knight... you will be treated as an outkast. You have no hope."
Feeling immensely irritated at Ultimecia, Seifer merely opened the door, purposefully ignoring her. Before him, through the door, a gigantic blue building stood out from the mountain range and beach.
Just as he was about to step through the door, Ultimecia's voice rang out once more, "Wait!"
Snapping around, patience dangling on extremely thin thread, Seifer roared, "What?"
"I have one question," Ultimecia started, eyes hard, "Why do you seek so desperately to return to Gaea?"
"Fuck it if I ever stay around here giving up hope in the middle of nowhere! Seifer Almasy never gives up!"
"I see…" Ultimecia voice lowered to a whisper as her eyes softened momentarily, "Perhaps some might have hope for themselves… that they kan grasp and hold onto what I kould not…"
"So be it… walk through the door and do not ever stop to look bakk. If you ever do, you might never ever get out of this place."
Nodding his head, Seifer turned back towards the door. Licking his lips in anticipation, he took a step forward and everything went black.
"Good luck… my knight…"
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"Where am I now?" Seifer muttered darkly to himself as he walked around aimlessly, black surrounding him all around.
Feeling irritation creeping up on him, ever so slowly, Seifer glared off into the blackness before him, "Wonderful... that bitch Ultimecia decided to play me one last time and send me to the middle of nowhere."
Flopping down onto the dusty ground, Seifer brooded at the blue sky above him, face scrunched up in concentration. Seriously, how was he supposed to get out of this? Moments passed as Seifer continued staring up at the blue turned to deep green, leaving only tiny pinpricks of light to filter through. Taking a look at his surroundings once more, he noticed that he was surrounded by trees. Very leafy trees.
I'm still in the middle of nowhere... Seifer thought glumly as he poked at the damp pile of leaves that he sat upon, Stuck here... poking at leaves while I'm still in Time Compression...
Wait... leaves? Seifer perked up slightly, green eyes taking in the sight of trees before him.
Jumping swiftly to his feet, he snatched up Hyperion from where it rested and marched briskly down the crude path that stretched out before him. Not daring to get his hopes up, yet everything within him screaming for him to find out if he was out of Time Compression; he broke out into a brisk jog.
The path seemed to stretch out forever as he continued running through near-darkness. For a moment, he considered just giving up before a bright flash of light blinded him momentarily. Stumbling slightly, Seifer blinked for a few times, trying to get the hazy image swimming in front of him to sharpen, before his vision cleared.
Balamb Garden towered before him, tall and proud. Soaking in the sunlight that he had been denied for so long, Seifer allowed a small tired grin to appear upon his face.
He was struck by the sudden urge to sing "Honey, I'm home!" at the top of his voice.
Alright... this chapter was hell of short. But yeah. It's just an introductory chapter. Again, this story is not a Bible-bashing session. And I would like to thank Leontillybalambgirl and Celestial Rage for looking through this. Thanks a bunch!