Hi! I wrote this story years ago and uploaded it a couple of Italian website where it was quite liked. This is the translation I made. It's not exactly the same as the original, however, because I used this opportunity to fix a couple of mistakes I made.

Let me know if you liked it!

Irvine was still trying to dodge the various pieces of flavored bread that Zell kept throwing at him when his attention was caught by a jumping Selphie pointing her finger towards the balcony.

"There! Look over there!" she said in a very high pitched voice, still pointing the balcony

Irvine aimed the camera at Rinoa. She wasn't alone, she was with Squall! And Squall closed the distance between them, took her in his arms...and everything went black. The battery was dead.

"NO!" sighted the cowboy, perhaps a bit too loudly "Not now!"

That goddamned camera filmed nothing but jack and giggles for three whole hours ("Thank you Selphie, my dear") and it had to stop now of all times? Selphie asked him what happened and Irvine just told her, shaking the camera in the process

"No! That's too bad! They were so cuuuuteee!"

That cuuuuteeee was so high in the ultrasound range that only bats were actually able to hear it; still, Irvine felt something like a nail struck in his ear. He then turned towards the hall yelling

"A camera! My Kingdom for a camera!"

"What do you need it for?"

It was Zell, called by Selphie's antics. Or maybe by the smell of the small mountain of flavored bread in a table nearby. Irvine grabbed him by the head and turned it so that the blonde Seed could see the balcony

"What the he...oh boy! I can't believe it...Squall?"

"Yes!" Yelled Selphie in return "You don't happen to have a camera, do you?"

"No...but I think Quistis does. Wait here, I'll look for her"

"Yeah, but hurry up you chicken-wuss! Those two won't be going at it for much longer! Though, I must say I'm impressed: never thought Squall had it in him. My man! And, I must say, they really know how to use their... OUCH!"

Selphie elbow graciously met Irvine's stomach

"I was just being professional!"

"Professional? And what would that mean?"

Selphie's voice going from Ultrasound to Contralto was never a good sign.

"Eh...oh...I mean...you know...look! Quistis is here! Hi Quis!"

She was with Zell and at least half a dozen other students who wanted to know why those newly crowned heroes were making all that noise. Quistis crossed her arm, looking at him like a teacher would look at a student caught cheating

"Why do you need my camera?"

Irvine did not replied. He just pointed his thumb towards the balcony, now behind him. Suddenly, the air around him got cold, freezing cold. He could see that everyone around quietly moved out of the way, opting for a strategic retreat. Irvine took a deep breath, put his best smile on his face and turned around

"Hello Squall! How's going? Having fun?"

Squall's eyes froze him in place and for a second, he felt that his blood stopped flowing. He started wandering if Squall was the kind of person who would hit a friend with the pointy edge of a Gunblade...and if he had said gunblade on his person right now.

"Why do you need a camera?" Squall asked

Zell disappeared into the crowd. Selphie decided that she had one "very-very-very important" thing she needed to tell to Edea ASAP. Quistis just left. One friendly face left with him: Rinoa, who looked both embarrassed and amused. And who clearly had no intention to actually help him.

"Why do you need a camera?" Squall asked again and this time Irvine heard a not-so-subtle death threat in his friend's voice.

"Well...the one I have is dead. And there's still so much to film! So many memories to freeze in time! The party is still going."

"The party is in the ballroom – Squall replied, with his voice several degrees below zero – not the balcony."

Irvine started a silent prayer to Hyne, hoping that Squall had forgot his gunblade in his room.

"Well, you are right. But the balcony is still part of the ballroom..."

"Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!" the gods listened to him and sent Cid to help him

"Nice conversation. Too bad Cid called me. Sorry I have to go but he called me. So, se ya around, eh?"

It was Selphie the one who asked Cid for help and, after laughing at Irvine sweating bullets, he complied helping the cowboy escape the righteous wrath of the Commander at the price of a thirty-minutes long sermon about the meaning of the words "discretion" and "privacy".

However, given the alternative, Irvine was quite happy to listen.

("So...I did it")

He took her hands, moved his arms around her waist and then...

("I did not think about it. I just did it")

For a second, a terrible, horrible second, he thought that Rinoa would push him back or refuse him. And then, everything disappeared with the rest of the world leaving only the Sorceress and her knight in a moment of bliss.

Of course, the rest of the world felt the need to let the young couple know of its existence with the sound of happy voices and laughters.

("No...")

Squall turned to the ballroom, where Irvine was desperately looking for a camera and Selphie kept pointing at them. Rinoa understood what must have happened and hid her face with her hands.

("Why, Irvine?")

("a moment, just a moment...couldn't you leave me alone? Just turn around? Pretend you saw nothing?")

("It's really that big of deal? So much that the whole Garden had to know?")

Before he realized it, Squall was already walking towards the group. As soon as he approached, the group disbanded: a clear sign of a guilty conscience. Ten minutes later, he was sitting on the bed in Rinoa's room still angry about it.

He was sitting with the back bend forwards, wondering why they've done that to him. After all, when Irvine and Selphie were engaging in questionable activities he never said anything, let alone trying to film them. Couldn't they just do the same?

Rinoa sat on his right and grabbed his arm

"Hey, still mad at them?"

("No, I just want to kill Irvine. Slowly, if possible")

"You know him...and I must say, it doesn't happen very often. To see you smile, I mean. I think taking a picture of a smiling Squall is a risk worth death."

("...")

"..."

Rinoa burst out laughing at Squall's embarrassed face. The young man devoted all of his attention to the tiles on the floor, apparently the only thing around him that do not find his embarrassment amusing.

"You know, I'm mad at Irvine too"

("Doesn't look like that")

"It's true. I really am!"

Since Squall kept looking at the tiles, Rinoa stood up, moved two steps back and then jumped on him, knocking the man on the bed

"We've been interrupted."

The sound of steel clashing echoed throughout the night. Seifer was already fighting from several minutes there, just before the fire cavern, a place that meant a lot for him. That was the place where everything started: with a duel and scar, the gift they exchanged. Then it was Dollet, Galbadia and the Sorceress...everything. And it was already like a dream.

He liked the fire Cavern, it gave him a pleasant, warm feeling. Usually, Seifer would come there early in the morning or during night. Fujin and Rajin would, of course, be with him but just as guards. Not that he needed guards. Nobody has gone to the Fire Cavern since Ifrit was defeated.

That night was different.

There were three of them, clouded behind black Galbadian-like uniform. He only became aware of them when Fujin screamed. He drew the Hyperion and readied himself for the fight. In front of him stood a single man wearing two swords shining in the moonlight.

Seifer had never fought against such a foe. His opponent was at least at Squall's level, but had something Squall never had: the will to kill him.

Every move, every attack Seifer made was blocked or pushed aside with one sword and the other blade would always come to counterattack right after the parry.

However, Seifer was the one on the offensive and was keeping his skilled opponent at bay with a series of long slashes to force him to keep his distance. Then, the man countered.

Right, Left, look out for the shoulder, cover your vitals.

The sudden flurry took Seifer by surprise. Then, a feint, a sword just a couple of inches away from Seifer's nose and he had to step back, only to get hit in jaw by a powerful spinning kick.

Seifer fell on the ground and felt the familiar taste of blood in his mouth. He cleaned the blood that flowed from his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled.

That was an opponent worthy of him. That was a magnificent fight.

His opponent lunged his twin swords against him, but the Hyperion blocked them both before they could strike his head. Seifer felt his hand burning and aimed the fire spell at his opponent's legs.

A spell like that would not kill such a man. But it would create an opening.

It was is turn now: Seifer spun the Hyperior creating a green aura, gathering energy for the next blow. The very technique that almost killed Squall.

"No almost this time."

The gunblade moved, to fast for the eye to see.

And he was blocked. That man acted like he just dealt with a newbie, someone who just took the Gunblade for the first time, blocking the powerful strike with ease. Then, he dashed forward and his blade slashed to Seifer's coat, wounding his left arm.

"tis but a scratch."

Seifer clenched his teeth and attacked. Pushing the trigger, the blows of his gunblade became a lot stronger but his opponent ducked to avoid the deadly attack that would have slashed him in half and countered once again, with a thrust. The blade tasted the flesh of Seifer's leg and retreated immediately after that.

Seifer called himself stupid. He forgot the one advantage the sword has over the gunblade: the sword can thrust, the gunblade can't. The wound was not deep but was bothersome and compromised his stance. Seifer was forced to keep his ground against an opponent with far better mobility than him. He resisted, but not for long. That man used both his swords and this time he plunged them in his shoulder.

"Can you do nothing but scratch me and ruin my coat?"

The man did not answer, his face hidden behind the mask he was wearing. Seifer understood that he could not stay still nor moved the way he wounded. Once again he clenched his teeth and attacked. Upward strike, downward strike, flurry.

That man was fighting defensively, unable to counter. It was only a matter of time until...but Seifer fell on his knees, unable to lift the Hyperion anymore...and he got hit by another roundhouse kick, this time on his face. Seifer was once again on the ground. He finally understood that those strike were not scratches, near-miss or lucky hits. No, every strike went exactly the way his opponent intended. And Seifer, the fool, kept moving, kept fighting, pushing himself to the limits so that he could bleed out faster.

That man wanted him alive.

Seifer tried a weak attack when the man approached but a kick sent his weapon flying and then he felt the foot of the man on his throat.

"Stay still, Sorceress' Knight."

He made a gesture and another man in black came close

"All the blood on the ground is contaminated, I have to take a sample from a source."

The feeling of a needle in the neck and the former knight almost fainted...he saw the sword pointing on his forehead, touching his scar...rising...and falling in a flash of steel and red.

"Good. That's a perfect sample. We are done, here."

That was the first time he heard the voice of one of them, but he could not tell whose voice it was, and the sound of steps going away from him. And he tired, to tired. The night was silent again.

No.

The night was not silent yet.

There was a noise, unknown and unpleasant, a sound Seifer had never heard before...and it come from Fujin...Fujin was crying. FUJIN WAS CRYING? That was not possible! Fujin would never cry...he had to see, he had to check. He grabbed his weapon to use it a walking stick...he had to see, that simply was not possible. Every single move was heavy and painful, but he had no time for pain. Not now. He used every last bit of what was left of his strength to move.

And, when he saw what was in front of him, he fell on knees on more time.

Rajin was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, hardly breathing, his eyes moving restlessly. And Fujin was crying while she was holding her friend with all the strength she had in her body, to hold him and not let him go.

"Fujin...what?" Seifer was too weak to ask anything more. He never felt so powerless.

"RAJIN. WOUNDED. SPEAR. STOMACH."

For a moment, he hated Fujin and that weird speech pattern of hers. He wanted to hit her, slap her and tell her to talk as a normal human would. But he saw that she was covered in blood. Rajin's blood. Rajin's eyes met Seifer's just as the bulky man's breathing was becoming more and more unstable.

"Fujin, are you wounded?" - she said she wasn't – "Then Run! Run to Balamb! Run to the Garden! Run to wherever the hell you want! Just..."

That was an hard word to say.

"Just call for help. Run, Fujin!"

Fujin stood up and started running but then she came back asking "MONSTERS?"

"If anything pops out, I'll fry it to ashes. Now run!"

Seifer had nothing he could do. Nothing but to way and hope that someone would came to save Rajin. He tried to summon a cure spell, but the wound was too deep for it to be effective.

He saw his dreams break, time after time. He swallowed the bitter pill and moved forward. But they were his friends. They always stood at his side. Always.

He could not accept that one of them would...he simply couldn't.

"You'd better stay alive. Don't let the girl run for nothing, do you hear me?"

Seifer forced himself to look into his friend's eyes because he didn't want to look at his wound. He wanted to think that he could make it.

Meanwhile, the sun was rising.