Disclaimer: I do not own anything you see from FFVIII, I do own anyone you don't recognize.
'BLAH'-Flash back
"Blah"-Thoughts
"Blah"-Regular speak
Acid Rain: A FFVIII Story.
Prologue: Falling Stars
Seifer's POV:
It was dark when Seifer first woke, bandaged, bruised, and aching. He couldn't see anything around himself, which disturbed him some. All he could remember was the battle between him and Squall, his heart screaming, though his body hadn't listened. The tears began to run down the side of his face as he thought back, that is until he heard foot steps coming closer. His breath caught in his throat as fear seized his heart like a vice grip, he wondered if it wasn't Ultimecia coming to finish him off. The steps moved closer, and closer, and then a curtain was drawn back to revile the face a young girl. She was only seven as Seifer guessed, wearing a pretty soft blue and violet dress, her shoulder length auburn hair bouncing like waves as she moved.
She cocked her head to the left and looked him, then turned back and looked behind herself before entering and sitting down beside his bed. He watched as she twisted her fingers in the hem of her dress nervously, then shifted from kneeling to sitting back, her eyes never once coming up to meet his. He was about to ask what she was doing when she sighed deeply and looked up straight into his eyes, shocking him with how vivid her own lilac colored orbs were. "Is it ok if I sit here and talk to you? You must be lonely, closed up in here so far from your home." She said in a hushed whisper, all the while watching him.
Seifer was shocked, no more baffled than shocked, he had never thought of what had happened; more over why these people would take him in and heal him. But still he shook his head clear of the thoughts which now plagued him, "No, but you said we are far from my home; that can't be, I don't have one." His emerald eyes darkened as thoughts of Squall crossed his mind, how he missed holding the other close, or the over powering scent the other had after a long fight. Sadness and heartbreak were the first of many emotions to grab him then, and it didn't go unnoticed by the small figure on the dirt floor. Who reached out and softly took his giant hand in her own two small ones, sadness etched on her shadowed face as well.
"He has forgiven you, many of them have…But you have to learn to forgive yourself too Seifer, otherwise you won't ever get home. He's waiting for you there, in the meadow where he promised to be." She told him; the pain evident in her eyes, which for only a second changed to the stormy gray blue of Squall's own before reverting back. It was then the small girl jumped up from the floor, in a panic and started to run for the curtain door. But it was opened, and in the door way stood seething a woman with long blue black hair. She promptly grabbed the little girl's arm and began to drag her out roughly yelling. And causing Seifer to sit up in a hopeless attempt to help the small child who was sobbing after being thrown to the ground. The curtain closed, and pained cries along with the sounds of slaps were heard from beyond it; making him cringe.
A few moments later, when the sobs of the girl were no longer heard, the woman reentered and knelt down beside his bed. "I'm very sorry for whatever Adi has done now; you have my word she won't be making a pest of herself again." The woman stated to him bowing. She then stood and began to unwrap his wounds, checking and cleaning them before replacing the tight binding. "There, rest now, once your better we'll see about getting you up and moving." She had a kinder smile, which betrayed what had just taken place. Seifer suddenly felt oddly soothed, and upon laying his head back down fell back into his deep sleep.
Four Months Later:
As he wandered about in the village Seifer felt strangely at ease and also out of place at the same time. Always either Nyx or her daughter Adi were with him whenever he left the hut, Adi usually chattering to him about things in the village, or telling him of her pet and friend Neko, a sugar glider, whom never left her either. Neko was almost always getting the two in trouble as well, even with the village wise man, Wolfram. This time though they were in the market area, paying for the food and herbs Nyx had sent them for. Everything seemed normal, but Seifer had felt uneasy that morning thus had opted to take with him Hyperion, at Nyx's protest that he would frighten people with it. It was as they entered the bustling market center that the first signs of trouble began, when Seifer first saw the darker than normal shadow in the corner of two walls.
Within only minutes of his noting this unsettling shadow there was a loud crack, smoke and flames lighting up the sky. The village people began to scramble from the square as men dressed in white battle robes poured into the emptying streets, sloughing all they came across without mercy. Seifer had barely begun to ready himself for the battle when Adi tugged on the lower of his trench coat, "You must go, quickly, or else you won't ever make it home. Through the gate." She yelled over the noise, pointing to the shadow in the corner. Nodding he grabbed her hand and began to rush forward, taking down a handful of white robbed SEED's as he cut through. But as he neared the dark opening he felt her pull back, turning he saw her just standing there her eyes filled with sadness. When he reached for her again she only shook her head, auburn curls shimmering in the smoky light; "I can't go with you, because that is your world not mine. But we'll meet again Seifer; I hope we will at least." When the final word fell from her small lips Seifer felt himself being pulled backwards into the opening, and the last thing he heard was her voice calling to him; "Don't forget us!"
Balamb Forest:
A throbbing pain splitting his skull in half almost, Seifer opened his eyes slowly. The last thing he remembered was Adi, then falling back. He began to pull himself up off the ground, all the while looking for the men in the white robes. Staggering he picked Hyperion from the mossy ground and scanned the woodland around himself when it dawned on him that he was in Balamb forest, and with a sudden burst of energy and strength he whirled around and came face to face with an even more horrifying scene than the one he had just left. In front of him was Balamb Garden, engrossed in a massive battle against what seemed to look like the walking dead. He shivered, sensing the tainted power of a sorceress and it was then that the worst of his memories came back to him.
He bounded towards the battled wounded Garden and the worn SEED's who were being driven back by the extreme power before them. His mind shut off as he charged into battle, tearing down the foul smelling creature in his path to what was once his home. The closer he got the more there seemed to be, as if when you cut one down three more would rise in it's place. Rushing along the side of the throng he spotted Quistis who was losing the tiring struggle against these things, and in a haze he raises Hyperion and in a wild swing shatters the bodies of over twenty of the creatures. The colorless small necklace that had once belonged to Adi glowing faintly from its place wrapped around the base of Hyperion's blade. This goes unnoticed by both as she darts away from him to aid some of the others attempting to retreat, but the haze still hangs in his mind as he follows her. The thick smell of decay and ash hanging in the air around him after the second stroke of his blade which twists back the head of three creatures hunched over a wounded Zell.
It was then that most of the vile creatures began their own retreat, slowly staggering or meandering away from the SEED's and battle in whole. Quistis's eyes having almost falling to the blood soaked plain below their feet as Seifer raised Zell from the ground and trekked towards the Garden's smashed front gates. "Seifer is it really you?" She asked her voice distant and worn badly but the shock was still very present. He only smirked at his former instructor and nodded still working his way over the piles of eaten bodies and dying wounded. Still his mind wasn't wholly there either; it floated from Squall to Adi, if they were safe. His preoccupied mind caused him to trip and fall over many dead SEED's he knew, and the pain welled in his chest at the thought that maybe some of his friends hadn't made it.
Upon reaching the front gate he was greeted by a more twisted and gruesome sight, those still alive and partially eaten, turning into those creatures as well. And in the center stood Squall, Selphie, and Edea; surrounded by five of their comrades who'd been turned. Handing Zell's battered body to Quistis he drew his weapon again and took them out one by one; Hyperion shattering the creature's bodies which had turned to stone. Relief flooded Seifer's mind as the haze lifted and he saw Squall was safe, and it was then he dropped to his knees. Squall rushing forward and pulling him into a tight hug, it was then Seifer chose use the last of his now waning strength to ask a favor. "I'm so glad your alive, I never thought I'd see you again my angel." He whispered into Squall's ear, causing the other the blush lightly and smile. But then his voice became serious, "Squall, we have to go back; I have to save Nyx and Adi, they'll die if we don't go back…soon…" His voice tapering as he slid into the blissful darkness of unconsciousness in Squall's arms. Squall looking down ruffled his golden hair before giving a puzzled look out over the darkening battle field, "Where though my love?" He asked, more to himself. Then lifting Seifer's body in his arms he had the gates closed and called for Nida to raise the Garden and set a course for Galbidia, and as Dr. Kadowaki tended those still alive; he carried Seifer back to his room and carefully laid him out on the soft bed, placing a gentle kiss on the sleeping blonde's forehead before leaving to check the damages.
AN: Well that is it, the new story to this title. Since the other one sucked, no one read it, I lost the papers to it, and this one was better. The plot begins! And the plot bats are gone for the night! YAY! So R&R people, otherwise I feel unloved and it'll vanish like the other one did.