Something worse than Seifer loomed in Fisherman's Horizon. Radios unveiled the downfall of Garden and questioned the future for the decommissioned SeeDs. Rinoa paused amidst the conversation with the ambassador the following day and listened.
The general public was livid. If Garden was to uphold their initial agreement—the entire damn reason why they were established in the first place—then why did their sworn enemy reside in their base? Stern questions broke into screams. Riots evolved into a disaster SeeD never prepared to combat.
Rinoa stared into her lap. I guess it didn't matter where I went in the end.
Beneath the smiles, Rinoa discerned genuine fear in the stares fixed upon her. At least from those who knew what she was. Esthar hesitated because of that fear; despite their desires, they weren't about to prod another sorceress into submission. Rinoa hoped her cooperation with meeting their ambassador was adequate proof that she meant no harm. Clearly her efforts in Timber's independence didn't convey her peaceful intentions. Would it have made a difference if people witnessed a sorceress playing a diplomatic role with a nation which wished nothing more than to imprison her? Would it have made him reconsider his choice?
A breath flowed through her. Anxiety whispered in her mind. Maybe he'd look for her now with no duty to uphold. She almost laughed as a stubborn memory flashed to life. What could have convinced him to abandon that force-fed sense of responsibility? Then again, abandonment and him weren't on speaking terms. But still. Was their bond not an incentive?
Her stilled tongue prompted the Estharian ambassador to call for a reprieve—pick-up where they left off come morning. Rinoa rose and departed the sitting room in the bed and breakfast without a word.
The ocean wind whipped by her, a tangible weight akin to a punch as she emerged onto the streets. Still an oddity after three days in Fisherman's Horizon. She longed for gentle breezes carrying the rich, mellow scent the forest provided. She missed company who trusted her intentions and smiled at her without masking their true emotions. The food was good in Fisherman's Horizon, anyways—a blend of fresh ingredients matched with comforting recipes. The little diner several blocks down was the perfect place to eat at; only the locals lingered after the dinner rush.
The scent of fryer oil and bacon greeted her as she entered. Worn, nautical memorabilia adorned the walls. Most of the seats by the counter were occupied, save for one. Rinoa shuffled towards it, glancing at the specials menu. Hmm… maybe that fried shrimp and clam pasta will do—
She brought her gaze to center and skidded to a halt. Seifer lifted his head, seated by the empty stool, and stared. Rinoa scoffed and whipped around.
"Typical," she muttered. "Fucking typical."
Five steps from the door, heavy boots rushed to meet her. "Just stay, alright? Already paid. I can leave."
Rinoa didn't bother to check behind her; his annoyed voice spoke volumes. "I'll decide what I do with my evening," she hissed. "It doesn't include your hospitality, that's for sure."
"Oh, for the love of—" A tight hand latched onto her shoulder and spun her around. "I'm trying to be—"
"Don't," Rinoa growled, glowering back at him, "you ever touch me."
Seifer snapped his hands up in defeat, though glared something vicious. "Wow. Fine. Be like that. See what I care."
"And yet you had to follow me when I was trying to—"
"I'm sorry I can't say some magical words and actually disappear. Trust me—if I could, I would have done it years ago."
"Until you can figure that out, stay out of my way."
"Oh, so it's my fault that you waltzed your way into the place I've holed up in?"
Rinoa held her tongue. Past Seifer were heads turning from the counter to inspect the commotion. She focused on each inhale and exhale. Stay calm. We don't need to draw attention here.
He followed her line of sight in response to her silence. Seifer combed trembling fingers through his hair, faced her again, and sighed. "You know what?" he grumbled, audible enough for her to listen. "How about we take this outside? Clearly neither of us is cool with leaving each other alone, so why don't we do the opposite of that and get it out of our systems?"
Before he finished, Rinoa was already nodding and exiting the diner. Street lights guided the path to the docks. She peered behind her twice to confirm Seifer in fact followed. A furious fire blared in that look he shot her.
He stormed by her once they reached the docks and took a sharp turn. Rinoa followed his lead; hopefully all his time working there made him privy to a semi-private spot for them. No one lingered by the water; all the workers either returned home or lost themselves in another drink at a pub. Tethered boats bobbed and the pier groaned intermittently. The moon and street lamps provided sparse, faint light in the dark blue haze of twilight.
Down a flight of stairs to the main dock was a dark alcove nestled beneath the upper level. Spare crates and bins sat alone with old nets and signage. Seifer slowed to a halt in the shadowy crevasse and spun to meet Rinoa with folded arms. With nothing but the moon and seagulls to witness them, the paranoia thrived and raised every tiny hair on the back of her neck.
Rinoa whispered, her voice a phantasmal echo mixed with the ambiance of the ocean. Waving her hand, the silence spell blossomed into existence. An opalescent bubble rippled around them before blending with its surroundings. She almost missed Seifer flinching, the brief glimmer casting highlights along his incredulous expression.
"Alright," Rinoa said, breaking above a murmur in hopes that Seifer didn't require an explanation of what she conjured, "so this is the part where we scream at each other until we pass out." She mimicked Seifer's stance and tilted her chin up. Damn, why did he have to be so tall? "To get it out of our systems. Your words."
As she adjusted to the darkness, Rinoa scanned the deep wrinkles in his brow. About the same as when she saw him last. Not the other day, but years ago. This time, however, it wasn't from smug satisfaction; something else brewed within him.
"Then by all means," he said, as if recalling the condescending nature of his youth, "go right ahead. Ladies first and all."
Rinoa filled her lungs with salty air before relinquishing the constant filter on her tongue. "Maybe if our last encounter didn't involve you sacrificing me to Adel, then perhaps I wouldn't want to vomit over the very sight of you."
"Vomit? Really? That's it?" A chuckle laced with his exhale. "Well, I guess that's better than what Esthar wants to do with me."
"Maybe I should let the Estharians know you're here. My negotiations would be a lot easier."
Blood drained from Seifer's complexion; the shadows couldn't hide that. "And what the hell would you even get out of that? Or do you want to live to rest of your life proud of the fact you got rid of me once and for all? You're still a sorceress." He flailed at nothing. "Saw you cast a spell like it was no big deal just now. That's not some para-magic shit, either, or you would have forgotten me by now."
"That would be too convenient for you, wouldn't it? Having everyone forget you?"
"More like a fucking relief!" His volume rose, as did the increasing agitation within those words. "And to make shit more fucked up, I have to bump into you every damn day and see you kissing ass with whoever the fuck that is from Esthar." He leaned forward and cocked his head. "Which by the way, why exactly are you chatting it up with Estharian folk, huh?"
Her shoulders tightened and slid up her neck. "Why do you care?"
"Because I know they want you as much as they want me. Can't exactly kill off a sorceress, but freezing one? Yeah, not fucking hard. The only reason they're stalling is because they're way more chicken shit with you than they are with me. Hell, there are how many of them and they still haven't dragged you back to their flashy city?"
"We're negotiating."
"Sure as hell hope it isn't in regards to your prison terms."
Rinoa stepped forward, almost close enough to smack him if she desired. Her nails dug into her jacket's sleeves and dared to puncture the leather in search of skin.
"For the technological advancement of Timber," she corrected him.
"Well, excuse me. Never realized you were playing diplomat for the baby city now. Could they not afford bodyguards for you?" He closed the distance between them. His warm breath brushed over her nose and cheeks, but Rinoa refused to yield. "What's wrong?" Seifer taunted. "Was the boyfriend not available to follow you like a puppy dog?" He cackled and shook his head. "Oh, my bad. It's ex-boyfriend, right?"
Her eyes widened. Several waves crashed into pilings before returning to idle ebbs and flows. She exhaled, every inch of her body trembling to remain upright. This was not the conversation she wanted.
"I," she growled through clenched teeth, her hair swirling without the wind's aid, "don't need any bodyguards." Not now, not ever again.
His lips curled into a sneer. "A sorceress with no knight, huh? You were always the rebellious type. Guess it's not that much of a—"
"What difference does it make if I have others with me or not?! Timber can't afford to let multiple people leave for the sake of negotiations. Damn it, we're still struggling to survive on our own without the rest of Galbadia's help! Is that what you want to hear?! Want to know someone else besides you is suffering?! I was the only person who could do well on my own and yes, we're all hoping that the fact someone like me can have a civil conversation with others who wished I never existed is a step in the right direction for not only our nations, but for the whole world! You think I've had it easy since time corrected itself? I can't just disappear, Seifer! Leaving all that behind to ensure I'm safe isn't an option for me."
"Says the girl who peaced out of Garden with absolutely no problem."
The wooden planks beneath their feet wobbled. Perhaps Seifer didn't register the motion, dismissing it as the ocean swaying wherever it pleased and making the docks dance along. He was better off assuming as much.
"There was nothing," Rinoa said with a contained fury struggling to break free like a bottled hurricane, "even close to the realm of no problem when it came to that decision. Trust me. Sometimes the seemingly easiest of life choices are the hardest ones. You could learn a thing or two about that."
"About what?"
"Maybe life wouldn't feel so difficult if you stopped running away and hiding from—"
"You think I wanted to do any of that?!" His voice snapped through her. "What, am I supposed to strut on over to Esthar and tell them, 'Hey, my bad about all that fuckery. Let's hug it out and pretend it never happened'?!"
"Considering what you did to Esthar, let alone anywhere else, I don't blame them. You—" The recollection flooded her with chills and nausea. "You dragged me to Adel on Lunatic Pandora. You didn't care if you hurt me. Nothing I said fazed you. It was like you were enjoying it! How am I to ever trust you again without remembering your attempt to sacrifice me?!"
"At least you were conscious for most of what happened! It's your damn life and guess what?! Packing your bags and getting the fuck out of Garden, because surprise, people are pissed off SeeDs aren't doing their sorceress-killing jobs? That's entirely on you. But me? Last thing I remember was storming Timber with my former instructor and then waking up on the other side of the world. A massive chunk of my life was not only missing, but in that time? Everyone seems to know exactly what I did, despite not having a damn say in what I did.
"Do you know how nauseating it is to see every news article painting you out to be a monster? What the fuck am I supposed to do? Who the hell is going to believe me when the entire goddamn world has evidence that I helped destroy it?! Shit, I don't forgive myself for what happened and I don't even fucking remember it! All I have to go by is what everyone else says and yeah, maybe if I ran away from all of it and hid, people would eventually forget about what happened. Until then? I'm the asshole responsible for thousands, if not millions of lives lost. Saying some future sorceress used me as a puppet isn't good enough to make up for that shit.
"And you—" Seifer snarled, narrowing his sights onto her. "—get a free pass, because why? Because you were with the 'good guys'? Because daddy asked for some favors? Because why?! Fuck, I was even rooting for you! I hoped to find you in Timber when I was last there, before all this shit blew up in our faces. And I was proud of what you've done recently, but now? You're nothing but a spoiled city girl who thought playing in a revolution was better than playing by daddy dearest's rules. No wonder you had to ask for SeeD's help. Couldn't get shit done otherwise. How the fuck did you get this far alive, anyways? Being a sorceress only helps so much before people realize they can take you out just like they did with Adel and Ultimecia and whoever the fuck else gets in their ways." He scoffed, a condescending smirk brightening his grim face. "No wonder Squall dumped you. He's better off."
More than the dock's wooden panels trembled; the nearby crates and netting rattled while street lights flickered past the cracks above. The ocean current shifted and swirled beneath Rinoa. A torrent of wind rushed past them, but it was the livid fire literally glowing in her eyes that made Seifer flinch.
"Of course that's what you think!" Rinoa boomed, not caring if her voice cracked through the silence barrier. "You and everybody else! Always assuming without bothering to try and understand! We were fuel for tabloid headlines while absolute strangers demanded to know every second of our personal lives. Because they know better, right? I'm a sorceress and he's my knight, but also the commander of Garden, so where do his loyalties really lie? Shouldn't he just kill me—before I show my true colors and annihilate him and the world? Shouldn't he know better? It didn't matter if we saved everyone daily. Not when I became the same thing everyone fears and hates!
"You think I actually wanted any of this?!" She flashed open her palms. Extended fingers trembled as ribbons of magic flowed out like steam. "If I remotely knew what fate had planned for me, I wouldn't have agreed to any of it! Not SeeD, not the Timber Owls, and certainly not you! I could've handled one person at odds with me, but everyone I know and have yet to meet? Those who call me a friend think twice before speaking to me! I didn't know before, but I can sense it now! Not by magic, but by remembering how I was treated before all of this happened.
"And Squall—" Several boats snapped free from their ties and drifted out in the turbulent ocean. "—wasn't an exception. He promised to protect me, regardless if the world was against me, but that was before that possibility came true." A crate toppled over, spilling free fishing supplies. The wind caught them to revolve around and shield Rinoa. Seifer finally stepped back. "He told me to stay in Garden and I'd be safe. Anyone paying attention to the news knew how the populace felt about that. I thought with Ultimecia gone, everything would be fine, but it wasn't! The longer I stayed, the more Garden was divided, both inside and outside. All because of me!
"He wanted me to stay! But whenever I tried to discuss a realistic plan with him, he'd go quiet. I didn't want to acknowledge it at first, but I knew what was wrong." Rinoa snapped tight fists to her sides, shuffling closer while Seifer watched, sublime engulfing his face. "All he had ever known as family and home was that place that wanted me dead. I never thought twice about leaving my father and that prison of a mansion, but asking Squall to do the same, even if it meant us being happy for once, was too much. Almost suicide. I was in the way! Even if I finally became everyone's enemy…." Tears raced down her cheeks and fell from her jaw. "It didn't matter what he… what we promised each other. What we shared, what we hoped to experience one day together… it was a damn lie!"
Everything froze. The wind, the ocean, all of it. Hooks and bait suspended motionless around Rinoa. Only her shallow, shaking breaths were audible.
"I loved him with all my heart and more," Rinoa screamed past her sobs, "and it wasn't enough! It never was! So I went away in hopes that he could be happy again! I did my best to pick up my life where I left it off, before he stumbled into it, but it's not the same! Nothing is the same! It never will be again! I will always be a sorceress and he will never come back to me. Just like this will always be your fault, because you promised you'd become a SeeD and help me! And all you've ever done—" She hissed a breath before shrieking like a banshee guardian force from nightmarish bedtime stories. "—is continue to remind me of everything that is wrong in my life!"
An invisible force pulsed from Rinoa and swept across Fisherman's Horizon. Stillness one second and absolute chaos the next. Crates levitated, then crashed into splinters. Tidal waves rolled away. Windows in nearby buildings shattered and rained glass on the docks and ocean alike. Every lamppost burned brighter than the sun before exploding and yielding to darkness.
Panicked cries echoed in the night sky. The silence barrier fizzled out of existence. Rinoa touched down to the dock, unaware she too levitated. The magic simmered in her veins and past the rage and exhaustion, she blinked away the tears to settle on Seifer.
He dropped to his knees amidst the explosion, muscular arms clinging to his scalp. After a moment, once the water calmed and the eerie hush no longer plagued him, he peeked up.
"Rinoa," he murmured.
She held her breath. No spell existed to soothe his trembling tongue, unless she sought to end his life. She could, if that was what she desired. A mere thought and he'd be gone. Never bother her or anyone again. Maybe Esthar would thank her—reward her, even. What reason was there to grieve over the likes of Seifer Almasy?
Another inhale. A dense fog enveloped her. She clamped both hands over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Again he called for her, the sound drifting off. When Rinoa forced her eyes open, the fog lifted and her accommodations at the bed and breakfast welcomed her return.
No windows shattered, no trinkets askew, and definitely no Seifer. Rinoa collapsed into bed and buried her face in a pillow, hoping the whispers that visited her thoughts when the silence choked her would forget her this one time.