Title: To Protect
Series: FFVIII (Final Fantasy 8 for those who don't know their roman numerals)
Genre: AU, Possible Non-Con, Yaoi, het & Yuri pairings, General Adult Themes (i.e., blood, sex, drugs, violence), and possible slight OOC behaviour
Pairings: You'll find out eventually, but at the very least there will definitely be SxS among others.
Disclaimer: I own ….nearly nothing, I be a poor student and while I wish any of squares lovely creations were among them sadly they are not and therefore I cannot profit from whori…err….lending them out to other…. appreciators.
To Protect
Chapter 01
A collective gasp rose from wandering crowds before cheers and loud rumbled explosions mingled while the sky above came alive with colours enough to make the most vibrant and colourful gardens wilt in shame.
Throughout the streets of Balamb people sang and danced, tankards of spirits were raised and emptied as quickly as they were filled as the people of the proud yet small nation celebrated an end, an end to a war that had raged far to long, and end to a war that had cost far to much, too much gil, too much blood, too many lives.
Along the streets nobles and common soldiers celebrated side by side, forgetting petty differences in view of something far greater and meaningful then pride or self-righteousness.
Away from the revelry, laying down in the depths of the 'Olde Run', an old underground section of Balambs [iGarden[/i, the decorative castle that served as the hub of activity and decision making after the first Sorceress War many years passed. The 'Olde Run' itself had been part of the old castle which had been all but destroyed during the war and seemed to have been part of the servants' quarters but since the rebuilding it had been converted into a prison of sorts, used mostly by SeeD, Balambs secret police.
A young man stood in one such cell, one arm bound in a splint and dressed here and there with bandages that were pristine with the exception of dusty smudges that had been picked up from navigating through the dark corridors while having to use the walls for support. His soft brown hair was partially covered by the bandages that bound a head wound that he wouldn't have bothered to wrap had it not been for the constant 'worry' of his closest friends and advisors. His icy blue eyes however, remained clear and visible as he stared across the cell at the man shackled to the wall opposite the door.
Blond hair, once primly kept and maintained hung raggedly around a proud masculine face that seemed to have lost most of its haughty appearance, only fitting since the owner of said face had long been unconscious, the brunette had no doubt a smug smirk would be back on those split, dry lips as soon as the man were conscious again baring the first few seconds of wakefulness, those few telling moments before anyone could place up a barrier, could school the emotions they allowed to show on their face. In these few moments it was eerily easy to see the haunted suffering that lingered behind tired emerald eyes. Casting his gaze down his frown deepened as he took in several fresh bruises, ones that would otherwise go by unnoticed upon the battered and weakened body that had once been so perfect, so virile and strong, except to someone trained to see, to someone that was looking with the intention of seeing.
Taking a deep breath before releasing it slowly through his nose, the young man bowed slightly, bending over just enough to pick up a small bucket of water that sat near his leather booted feet and swung his arm enough for the water to sail free from its confines to splash against the slumbering prisoner, forcing him into uncomfortable consciousness.
Pausing for a moment he watched as the other sputtered and shifted, bare, dirty feet kicking slightly at the ground he sat on in an effort to push himself up, trying to take the numbing pain out of his shackled arms before the prisoner finally stopped moving and instead glared up at him from beneath a veil of dirty, wet strands of shaggy blond hair that had once been as golden as the sun itself, a slow smirk creeping its way onto his lips.
"Well, Leonhart, to what do I owe the pleasure of your esteemed presence?"
Sir Squall Leonhart, Knight Defender of the Sorceress Rinoa and Commander of the armies of Balamb glared down at the blond man, folding his uninjured arm around his waist, settling it on the hilt of his blade as he watched the other. "…"
"What, just going to stand there? Oh, I forgot, you like to watch, that's how it was, wasn't it, sitting in the dark watching through spying spells while another man entertained that whore you call a wife." Seifer Almasy sneered, taunting and leaning forward against the shackles that bound him despite the stinging pain it caused to race along the nerves of his arms.
In an instant the point of Squalls gunblade was leveled just a few centimeters away from the blond, silently drawn and offering a silent warning against further behavior.
The smirk grew yet changed, taking on a slightly bitter but angry turn. "Keeping your distance this time? How's your arm?" He leered as he leaned back against the cold wall he was confined to.
Stormy eyes dropped for a moment, flickering to his splinted and bandaged arm, the self same one that the blond hand broken two weeks previously during one of these meetings after somehow managing to get free, it was then that Squall had earned his other cuts and scrapes, fighting against a half mad and desperate prisoner that had once been amongst the greatest knights on Gaia. This night however, this night was different, the celebrations taking place marked not the end itself but an anniversary of the end and as a symbol of new beginnings now that the damage from the war had been repaired, now that five years later the dead had all been buried and prayed for, the soldiers brought home to their families, the land re-tilled and the buildings rebuilt and little by little, the economy returning to a healthy level.
Five years, he thought as he gazed at the blond, had hardly changed his attitude, no matter how different his appearance may be.
"Enough of this."
Shifting slightly Squall gazed over his shoulder, his expression returning to its normal apathetic state as he watched a small robed court officer march into the cell, unfolding a piece of parchment as he moved. "Seifer Almasy, previously Knight Protector of the Sorceress Ultimecia and Commander of the armies of the nation of Galbadia, from this date you are released from any and all obligation towards Galbadia and are exiled from its blessed soil. Their Majesties Cid and Martine have come to the agreement that as such you shall serve the rest of your sentence here in Balamb for as long as His royal Majesty, Cid of Balamb deems necessary." The man recited before neatly folding the parchment once more and spinning on his heel to exit the cell, pulling a perfumed kerchief from his sleeve to ward off offensive odors.
They stayed there in silence, night and day, mirror images of each other as they contemplated the news before heavy iron chains clinked as the blond shifted, straightening against the wall, trying to find the same comfortable position he had been looking for, for the past year and a half since he had been found, captured and imprisoned. "So…in other words now that they don't have their precious sorceress they don't want me…huh…figures…" He murmured absently as he considered the ramifications the decision would likely have on him.
"Galbadia doesn't want you…no." Came the reply, so soft in the silent room that it was almost covered over by the soft sounds of their breathing.
Frowning the blond stared up at the dark knight, watching him with a slight frown on his features. "What do you mean?"
Remaining silent for a short period of time, the brunette stared down at the blond before half turning to leave the cell before his lips parted to speak once more. "It means, the king has decided to free you…"
One blond eyebrow raised as silence hung between them, both weighing the other, digesting and re-digesting the news, considering the possibilities the news brought to light before slowly the blonds split lips drew tight as the man grinned, his green eyes slipping closed as his head leaned back to rest against the cold stone wall while a soft rumbling sound worked its way free from the depths of the larger mans chest. "Hyne…this must be eating you up inside." The blond murmured before opening his eyes to stare across at the near mute knight. "So, what's the catch?"
Well, what to say, firstly i should probably explain what's going on for those of you that are looking at this and going 'wha...?' Basically take FF and shove it into a medieval setting because the knight and sorceress themes were teasing me. So, essentially take FF mix with olde school themes and set watches 5 years after the 'end'. Squall the knight hero got married to Rinoa although their relationship has turned rocky at best over the last couple of years, Seifer had been on the run and in hiding since after the war and yup Cid and Edea are king and queen of Balamb.
Secondly fear not if this intro chappy didn't make too much sense be cause i was only half conscious while writing it (no sleep " ) and this was only meant to set the stage, as it were.
To those who read this and have been bitting nails waiting for an update on my other fics, you all deserve clouds next to Buddha for your patience, i have none of my planning or research materials (horrid hdd failure in the gross extremes) but i will be trying to possibly put things back together to continue and i am very very sorry it has taken me this long to get to it.
Last but not least, as standard procedure please give me a review and let me know what you think, be it the idea of the AU setting or just that you think i'm being OOC or some such, i like and need these opinions from my readers to let me know if i need to work on things more or not and i don't have a beta so if you see an error pls let me know TTTT "