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Title: Circle of Heart
Author: Axis of an Oracle
Chapter 1: Flowing Through Mainstream
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Jade eyes darted through the tranquil waters of Balamb as the painful words that stung his heart came back to him, "You're pathetic, Almasy. A miserable, useless, loser!" Am I really like that? Tears fell on the man's beautiful face as a gust of wind mussed up his hair and blew back his long trench coat. The crystalline droplets shattered his reflection in the water, brining him back to reality.

Noticing the warm wetness on his scarred features, he quickly brushed them off. Who had ever heard of the great Seifer Almasy, ex sorceress's Knight, crying? But Seifer couldn't keep his tears inside any longer. He fell to his knees and sobbed to his heart's content. And it was on that moment, Seifer's world started to crumble.

That's right, Seifer, he finally admitted to himself, you're pathetic and miserable! He was a nobody. A nobody who everyone detested. Seifer suddenly remembered the insults and glares shooting at him from every corner of Balamb. Even if they were all too frightened of him to say anything, he could feel the mocking hate through their eyes. It was as if they wanted to see him bleed and rot. They wanted to spit at such a lowlife. I deserve it after all, he admitted to himself. I've caused too much pain and sorrow to the people dearest to me. I deserve to DIE.

If he died, there would be more laughter, joy and happiness. If he died, he would be forgotten. If the died, he would be free. He would never be there to hurt anyone anymore. Garden would be a lot happier if he was gone, and he would be liberated from Garden's torment. He winced as he remembered the day he returned to his former school, two months after the war.

***

It was a starless night. Seifer walked to Balamb Garden with stealth and fear. Taking a deep breath, he snuck past the guards at the gate and into the campus. Thank goodness its after curfew, he thought as he headed towards the elevator, this place would be swarming with students and instructors if I'd come earlier. Pushing the top button, he readied himself to the rejection he would soon encounter.

Upstairs, Cid was busy arranging student records. Stupid! Now I wont get a wink of sleep! he thought while grumbling. Just when he was about to tear papers from frustration, he heard three small knocks echoing through the room. Who could that be? Cid pondered as he stared at the closed door, Judging from the time, it must be very important or extremely secretive.

"Come in!" Cid yelled in his raspy, strained voice.

Seifer, who was clenching his teeth nervously, entered the office. "Good evening, Headmaster." He said, staring at the short, spectacled, stout man behind the paper stacked desk.

Cid almost forgot to breathe, having recognized the voice and appearance of the person present in the room. "Good evening. Seifer." he said, standing up and gazing at the tall blonde in front of him. "What brings you back here?" But Cid already knew. The poor boy wanted to return to the place he grew up in. Garden.

Seifer set his Hyperion near the door, then made his way up to Cid's table. "Please, Headmaster. I want to live here again." He said passionately, his green eyes shining.

Bingo! Cid thought, not looking a bit surprised. It took several minutes before any of them could speak. The Headmaster was still analyzing his former student's expression, his torn dignity, and his heart. Did he really want to let this traitor back in?

Finally, Seifer broke the silence, "I. I'm sorry to have bothered you." He turned around and picked up his Hyperion. He tried to remind himself that he was prepared for this kind of response, but it didn't stop the harsh sting of the refusal.

Just as Seifer's battle hardened hands were reaching for the door, Cid spoke to him softly. " That's alright, Seifer. You can stay as long as you want."

The change was extraordinary to a person who hadn't heard good news for a long time. Seifer's whole body went stiff, dropping his gunblade with a heavy CLANG! He couldn't think. Couldn't move. Seifer had readied himself for rejection, not for acceptance, and now he didn't know what to do. "A. Tha. Thank you!" Seifer blurted out, a new hope rising within him.

Cid smiled, knowing he had done the right thing. "You're welcome, Seifer. Now you'll be moving here as soon as possible with Raijin and Fujin, I hope. Next week we'll be bombarded by new students enrolling in Balamb." Seifer nodded; he was still rather stupefied by the Headmaster's reply and didn't say anything. Cid had even allowed Raijin and Fujin to come! "Now, let me get somebody to escort you to your new room."

***

Squall opened his eyes to the incessant ringing in his ears. Who the hell could that be? He asked himself as he got up and answered the phone, which lay on the sofa. "Leonhart speaking," He mumbled drowsily. Squall rubbed his tired azure eyes, and squinted at the dark room. What time was it?

"Squall? Squall? This is the Headmaster. I need you escort somebody to Room 120. Please hurry.and don't bring your gunblade. I repeat: DO NOT BRING YOUR GUNBLADE." Cid hung up without waiting for his response.

Gunblade? Why would I bring my gunblade? Something's going on. Squall contemplated, dropping the handset with a clatter.

Squall passed the training center, yawning quite unprofessionally. I wonder who the student is? He speculated indifferently. Maybe he would have been a bit more interested if it weren't such an ungodly hour to be awake. Squall turned as he heard the faint sound of running feet. Sleepiness may have dulled his mind, but his instincts were as sharp as ever.

"Yo! Squall!" It was a blonde headed blur, running towards him with a wide smile on his face.

"Good evening, Zell." Squall said, crossing his arms. "Do you know what time it is, o great martial artist?"

"Yeah, its around 9:30 PM. Why?" Zell asked, scratching his head and looking completely innocent.

"I think your watch has stopped, Zell. Its 1:00 in the morning." he mumbled, smothering yet another yawn.

Zell looked slightly taken aback, then recovered swiftly. "Well, I'm gonna train in the training center. Wanna spar? Since we're both up." He started shadow boxing as usual.

The brunette shook his head. "Sorry, man. Apparently we have another student at Balamb I'm supposed to fetch him, err, her.."

"I wonder if it's a girl?" The tattooed man said, leaning against the wall. But before Squall could say anything more, Zell continued, "Oh! Need to train. See ya tomorrow, man!"

"Don't get caught, ya hear?" Squall bellowed after his retreating figure.

*** Seifer's whole body stiffened up hen he heard his rival's name coming from Cid's mouth. The headmaster gazed up at him, studying his uneasiness. "Don't worry Seifer. I won't let Squall, or anybody hurt you," said Cid with real concern in his eyes. Seifer simply sighed, and headed to the darkest place in the room.

Squall knocked on the Headmaster's door twice before he was motioned to come in. "Squall Leonhart reporting," said Balamb Garden's commander, walking to the center of the room.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't puberty boy? My, hasn't he grown?"

Squall's whole body grew tense, and he reached for the gunblade that wasn't there.

Seifer stepped from the shadows and smirked wickedly, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Squall's eyes burned with fire and rage as he stared at the blonde in front of him.

"What are you doing here, Almasy?" Squall said, clenching his fists and wishing dearly that he had brought his weapon. Now he was standing in front of his enemy unarmed and feeble.

"Squall! Seifer Almasy is our new student and should be treated as such! He will be joining us in Balamb and I expect no fights between you two. Do I make myself clear, Leonhart?" Cid asked with anger and frustration in his voice. "And Seifer, don't provoke him! I expected you to learn from your past mistakes."

Squall broke his glare from Seifer and stared at Cid with more venom. "I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot allow this pathetic creature to live in Balamb. I, and most of the school would not agree with you." He paused for a second, and then bowed his head. "I can't directly disobey your orders, Headmaster. But do not count on me not to pick up habitual fighting with Almasy."

Cid sighed, knowing Squall wouldn't change his mind about this. The animosity between the two of them was too strong to take away immediately. "Very well. Guide him to Room 120. Raijin and Fujin will also arrive this week. Dismissed."

Squall stomped out the door, leaving Seifer to trail closely behind. Neither of them said anything, avoiding conversation with each other. Squall refused to say anything with the traitorous bastard. But he couldn't help wonder what Seifer had been doing the past month or so. He glanced back to see a skinny, frail man carrying his Hyperion in one hand. Seifer seemed arrogant as always, but it betrayed a weary person who had seen too much for his age.

"What are you looking at?" Seifer snapped when he noticed Squall was staring at him. The brunette just scowled and walked faster. After a moment, they stopped in front of the Training Center.

"Hey, Squall!" Zell shouted, sprinting towards him.

Oh Hyne, Squall thought, Just what I need... another "Chicken-wuss" session.

"So who's the new student?" Zell asked, grinning.

As predicted, Seifer said, "Great luck, I have. Its the Chicken-wuss."

Zell's face contorted in fury and he turned to see his greatest enemy.

"YOU!!!" Zell snarled, baring his canine fangs.

"Long time no see, so." Seifer said, observing Zell's physique, "nothing's changed much. Am I right, Chicken-wuss?"

"Stop calling me that you TRAITOR!" Zell yelled, already in his attacking stance.

"Make me." Seifer said, grinning and defiantly holding out his Hyperion.

Just as Zell began to lunge on Seifer, Squall stepped in between them unarmed.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Squall scolded them, his eyes icy, "Especially you, Zell! You're a SeeD. Learn to control yourself."

Zell hung his head ashamedly. He was dirtying the name of SeeD by even trying to fight this worthless idiot.

"As I recall, you were about to do the same thing earlier, Squall." Seifer said silkily.

Squall Leonhart's glare was as deadly as his gunblade. "You're pathetic, Almasy. A miserable, useless, loser!" He hissed. "Cid allowed you back! The least thing you can do is shut up!"

Seifer blinked his green eyes twice, opened his mouth, closed it, and turned quickly, walking down the hallway once more. As Squall scrambled to follow him, Seifer stopped him.

"It's okay, Leonhart. I know where Room 120 is. Sorry, Chicken-wuss."

And with that he strode towards his dorm.

Zell ogled at Seifer's retreating form with a dumbstruck look. He actually said sorry. And he meant it! Then the blonde man scowled as he realized he had been called Chicken-wuss once more. Some things never change.

"What a long day," Squall sighed.

*** Seifer stared at the water. "I actually apologized. Oh man! Now my reputation will be totally ruined." He thought as he listened to the whispering voice of the sea. Speaking of voices.

"Hey boy!"

Seifer's whole body jerked up in surprise and he turned to find himself facing a mob of angry, hate-filled people.

"Are you the Sorceress' Knight, boy?" asked a man holding a drainpipe.

Seifer knew what was going to happen, so he tried in vain to explain to them that he wasn't one anymore, which obviously, was a weak argument.

"Ex-Sorceress' Knight." He said simply.

The bearded man grabbed him, "So you're the one who killed my wife and children, you ruthless bastard!"

Before Seifer had the chance to reply, he was struck across his face with a piece of wrench, terribly bruising his left cheek.

Seifer stood up while gingerly touching his aching temple. "I'm sorry," he gasped, not knowing what else to say.

The mob stepped forward sinisterly, drawing closer to him.

"'Sorry' is not gonna be enough, kid!" said one man who appeared to be a carpenter. "Get him!"

The multitude of furious people now lunged at Seifer, hitting him with a piece of wood and a cane, knocking him out.

"Bring that lowlife to that alley. We don't need this mess on our street." Said the bearded man.

All Seifer could feel was coldness and pain.

***

"Damn it! It's almost time for my nightly training!" A teenaged boy ran through the streets of Balamb, furiously trying to find the exit. "Oh shit! I'm back where I came from." said the energetic blue-eyed teenager. Instructor Trepe isn't going to like this. She's going to whomp my ass. He thought flinchingly of his punishment.

Vahn was supposed to meet Quistis at 7:30 this evening. And his watch just beeped 8:00.

"I'm dead!" Vahn groaned. I can't believe I'm lost in such a small town! "Huh? What's that?" He stopped suddenly at the mouth of a dark alleyway to his right. Could have sworn I heard something, he thought. "Argh!! Something's moving!"

He recovered from his mild scare, scolded himself for being such a coward, and took a few steps inside. Cautiously, he looked around for thieves or rabid dogs. You never know.

"HELLO!? Is anyone in here?" he hollered, earning a small moan as a reply. "Hello?! Whoever's in there, can you hear me?" Vahn walked further inside the dim alley. There he spotted a bloody, limp, and dying Seifer.

"Hey dude! You alright?" Vahn asked, not recoiling from the thick smell of blood and pain. He took a tentative step forward.

"Uhhn."

"Okay! Hay! Wake up! Wha-"

Vahn gaped at the bruised and battered person. It's Seifer!! What if he recognizes me from that time in the orphanage!? "Holy shit! He's lost too much blood!" yelped Vahn as he gazed at the large puddle of crimson red near Seifer's body. "Aw, forget it for now! Let's get you to a hospital!" Vahn picked up Seifer, and raced through the night to save the life of a certain, "old friend".

***

Author's Note: I would like to thank my editor and beta reader, The*Spangled*Pandemonium, for everything. You're great!! Thanks for the inspiration. Please I need ideas for the second chapter. Send me comments, suggestions, and any reactions. Thank You!!!! Oh!!! This is my first time to make yaoi fics so bear with me.