.
AN: The coupling has been decided... THE VOTING HAS ENDED!!
Chapter Eight: Forever Reminded
Quistis pushed her locks of blonde hair from her large eyes as she stared sadly into the
mirror. She stared deep into the blue swells and searched for traces of the spell that may have still
lingered. Her heart ached, her face showed signs of remorse. It was such a sad time for her-- for
all of her friends. Squall was taking it the hardest. He had lost the one person who had brought
him out of his shell to begin with. And that person lay rotting in a grave somewhere. Quistis felt
as if she was the one rotting.
A light knock sounded on her dorm room door. Quistis glanced sharply away from the
mirror.
"Who is it," she called out.
"Selphie," came a girlish voice. "Quisty! Open the door..."
"No, that's alright," Quistis said tiredly.
Selphie lost her patience quickly. "You haven't come out in days! Quistis Trepe! Either
come out now or have everyone in Garden break down your door! You need out of there!"
Quistis sighed. There was no point in keeping it up. Selphie had a point; she was
withering away like Rinoa in her room. She walked over to the door and opened it. A startled
expression flashed over her friend's face, but it was quickly replaced with happiness.
"Yayness!" Selphie squeaked. She grabbed Quistis by the arm and yanked her from the
room. "You have to come down to the Quad!"
Uh-oh...
Down the halls, around the bends to the Quad they went. Near the last teeny bit of their
distance, Selphie forced Quistis to close her eyes and keep them shut tight. Bored and wanting it
over with, Quistis did what she was told. All was silent when they finally reached a complete
stop. Quistis felt Selphie's light hand fall from her arm. Several footsteps of her running ahead,
then:
"Open your eyes, Quisty!"
Quistis reluctantly opened her eyes, not wanting to see what was in store for her. Why,
Selphie was the one that organized the concert for Squall. What would she have planned for
Quistis?
All her friends and acquaintances were lined up before her. Each had huge, merry grins
plastered on their lighted faces. Each had cute little party hats on their heads-- most likely from
Selphie's asking. Selphie bounced into the mass of people as she put a hat on her own head.
All at once all of the people's mouths opened. All at once they shouted, "Happy birthday,
Quistis!!"
Quistis felt her own face flush with surprise and embarrassment. All this, for her? And a
birthday? Wait... it wasn't her birthday!
Irvine was suddenly at her side, one of his strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"How's it feel to be twenty, babe?"
"It's not my birthday," she mumbled and wiggled from his grasp.
"Its not?" Irvine asked dumbfoundly. "What?"
One of her newer friends, Mataji, had heard the small conversation which had taken place
between Irvine and Quistis. Quickly she was in front of Quistis, stopping her.
"Wait," Mataji said with a frown. "Your birthday is October fourth, right?"
Quistis nodded, "Yes it is."
"Then today is your birthday, dear." Mataji said with a small grin.
Shit. No it's not. It can't be! Rinoa just died! It is not October already!
But Quistis knew Mataji and the rest were indeed right. It was October fourth. Rinoa
Heartilly had died and Zell Dincht had disappeared nearly a month prior. Quistis had been locked
in her room since then. God, it had felt like only a week, if even that.
Mataji noticed the depressed look upon Quistis' tired face and quickly turned and walked
away. But Quistis forced a smile and told herself to enjoy the party her friends worked so hard to
create.
The party passed as a blur for poor Quistis. She talked and mingled with her fellow SeeD
cadets. She drank and ate and opened gifts. She then noticed she was missing two people. No,
not just Rinoa and Zell.
Squall and Seifer were not there to make the party less agonizing for her.
Quistis set down a glass of water she had been sipping and excused herself from talking
with someone. She snuck out when Selphie had her back turned. The poor green-eyed girl has
had her eyes on Quistis the entire night.
Quistis walked quickly from the Quad, not sure where to look for the two men.
I swear, Quistis promised herself darkly as she walked. If they are exchanging more scars
I will murder them both.
She was slightly peeved at them for not coming to her party. Did they not care for her?
Well, she wasn't even sure of that. Seifer was never her friend to begin with. And after they
hugged for ten minutes in the elevator while she sobbed into his shoulder, she hadn't seen him
since. She had locked herself in her room. Coming out only for late meals where nobody she
knew ate at that time. He had probably taken a shower and scrubbed his skin raw to get her
touch off of him from the elevator.
~"Ewww! Quistis has cooties!"
"Shut up, Seifer! No, I don't!"~
Quistis recalled back to when they were all still in the orphanage, and Seifer had spread
that nasty rumor about her. Nobody would come near her for two months. She had cried every
day... but not around them. Quistis wanted to cry at the memory. She was feeling so depressed.
She knew where she'd find Squall, whom she figured hadn't shown himself at the party
because he was still in mourning. He'd always be in the same spot...
She walked quickly to the Training Center, her whip out for she knew she'd face some
enemies to reach the Secret Area. As she entered, she heard the sound of metal crashing against
something, and then a monster cry out as it died.
She was momentarily surprised. She'd thought Squall would be in the Secret Area, and
not killing easy predators.
Yet it wasn't Squall who killed the creatures. It was the big bad man himself.
He looked startled when he saw her. She bet her face said the same. She quickly replaced
the look on her face with annoyance... and then his reflected hers.
"Almasy," Quistis said in a bored tone. "What are you doing here?"
"Not like it's any of your business," Seifer put his gunblade away. "Half of Garden is at
your joy filled party. No offense, Instructor, but I'd rather be here."
In a months time they had gone to being cold to each other again. Such a pity. Not like
Quistis cared in the least. She rolled her eyes and started to walk past him.
"Hey, wait," he said quickly and turned to her as she walked past. She quickly turned and
pouted her lips in a Hurry-Up-I-Want-Outta-Here kind of way.
"Shouldn't you be at your party," he asked coolly.
"Not like it's any of your business," Quistis mimicked in the same tone he had used to her
previously. "Someone didn't show up... And I need to talk to him."
Seifer looked put-out and he snorted. "Leonhart. Forget him, Instructor. He's going to
be moping the rest of his life about 'Noa."
"Shut up, Almasy," she sneered. "I want to know how he is doing."
They stared at each other for a moment, sizing one and other up. Quistis briefly wondered
why they disliked each other so much again. She didn't give it much thought. She turned around
again and started to walk away. But suddenly she felt his gloved hand on her clothed arm, cause
yeah, they still wore the same type of clothing. She stopped and looked down at his hand. She
then slowly raised her azure eyes up to his face. He looked kind of lonely.
"You do know I was under a spell, right?" He asked innocently.
"What?"
"When I kidnapped you," he explained. "It wasn't me. It was... whatever was in our
eyes..."
"I know, I know," Quistis said. She went to take a step but he wouldn't let her move.
"What happened to your eye?" Seifer asked with a touch of concern in his deep voice.
"What?" Her hand instantly flew up to her face.
He reached up with his free arm and touched her right temple, close to her eye. He tilted
his head slightly, his cool green eyes narrowing slightly as he stared. "You have a scar here."
Quistis cringed. She was hoping nobody would notice. She thought nobody would since
her hair usually fell over it. A scar as noticeable as Seifer's and Squall's ran fairly horizontal
across her temple. She felt Seifer's finger tracing the mark.
"Did you not know it was there?" Seifer questioned.
"No, I knew it was there," Quistis mumbled. "What made you say that?"
"You cringed," he told her. "...How did you get the scar?"
She hesitated, then told him bluntly, "You gave it to me."
He winced slightly, remembering. "The first time I kidnapped you. When Fujin was
there."
"Yeah," Quistis agreed. She wished he would stop tracing her damn scar he gave her!
"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "I wish I could have some how overpowered the spell."
That's when she noticed his face slowly, very slowly, inching towards hers. She wasn't
sure if he was doing it purposely or not. He was no longer staring at her scar but into her eyes.
Quistis tried to look away but felt drawn into them. The beautiful swells of jade green that
seemed so cold and uncaring on the exterior but warm and loving in the depths. Quistis blinked
hard, feeling as if she was getting lost in them. His face was still nearing hers. His hand was now
traveling down her golden hair that framed her face. She quickly searched his eyes for any traces
of a spell but found none. His eyes were now on her lips.
He's going to kiss me!! Quistis finally registered the fact. Either that or eat me!
She finally tore away from him. She quickly walked towards the Secret Center without
looking back. Her heart thudded lightly inside her chest as she wondered why he was going to
put his lips on hers. Well, she didn't know where they had been! For all she knew he ate dead
animals. And she still disliked him. Spell or not, he had hurt her. She would be reminded of it
every time she looked in the mirror. She would be forever reminded of Seifer Almasy.
Just as she was about to step into the Secret Area she cast a quick glance back at him.
Not even three seconds could have elapsed since she had broken away from him. He had a
confused expression plastered onto his handsome face and his hand was still in the air where her
face should have been. A deep pink was shown on his face.
Is he... blushing!?
Yeah, Seifer was blushing. Quistis thought she'd never see the day. A smile crossed her
face, the first real smile in a month, as she entered the Secret Area.
AN: Remember, no more votes. Please review!!
AN: The coupling has been decided... THE VOTING HAS ENDED!!
Chapter Eight: Forever Reminded
Quistis pushed her locks of blonde hair from her large eyes as she stared sadly into the
mirror. She stared deep into the blue swells and searched for traces of the spell that may have still
lingered. Her heart ached, her face showed signs of remorse. It was such a sad time for her-- for
all of her friends. Squall was taking it the hardest. He had lost the one person who had brought
him out of his shell to begin with. And that person lay rotting in a grave somewhere. Quistis felt
as if she was the one rotting.
A light knock sounded on her dorm room door. Quistis glanced sharply away from the
mirror.
"Who is it," she called out.
"Selphie," came a girlish voice. "Quisty! Open the door..."
"No, that's alright," Quistis said tiredly.
Selphie lost her patience quickly. "You haven't come out in days! Quistis Trepe! Either
come out now or have everyone in Garden break down your door! You need out of there!"
Quistis sighed. There was no point in keeping it up. Selphie had a point; she was
withering away like Rinoa in her room. She walked over to the door and opened it. A startled
expression flashed over her friend's face, but it was quickly replaced with happiness.
"Yayness!" Selphie squeaked. She grabbed Quistis by the arm and yanked her from the
room. "You have to come down to the Quad!"
Uh-oh...
Down the halls, around the bends to the Quad they went. Near the last teeny bit of their
distance, Selphie forced Quistis to close her eyes and keep them shut tight. Bored and wanting it
over with, Quistis did what she was told. All was silent when they finally reached a complete
stop. Quistis felt Selphie's light hand fall from her arm. Several footsteps of her running ahead,
then:
"Open your eyes, Quisty!"
Quistis reluctantly opened her eyes, not wanting to see what was in store for her. Why,
Selphie was the one that organized the concert for Squall. What would she have planned for
Quistis?
All her friends and acquaintances were lined up before her. Each had huge, merry grins
plastered on their lighted faces. Each had cute little party hats on their heads-- most likely from
Selphie's asking. Selphie bounced into the mass of people as she put a hat on her own head.
All at once all of the people's mouths opened. All at once they shouted, "Happy birthday,
Quistis!!"
Quistis felt her own face flush with surprise and embarrassment. All this, for her? And a
birthday? Wait... it wasn't her birthday!
Irvine was suddenly at her side, one of his strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"How's it feel to be twenty, babe?"
"It's not my birthday," she mumbled and wiggled from his grasp.
"Its not?" Irvine asked dumbfoundly. "What?"
One of her newer friends, Mataji, had heard the small conversation which had taken place
between Irvine and Quistis. Quickly she was in front of Quistis, stopping her.
"Wait," Mataji said with a frown. "Your birthday is October fourth, right?"
Quistis nodded, "Yes it is."
"Then today is your birthday, dear." Mataji said with a small grin.
Shit. No it's not. It can't be! Rinoa just died! It is not October already!
But Quistis knew Mataji and the rest were indeed right. It was October fourth. Rinoa
Heartilly had died and Zell Dincht had disappeared nearly a month prior. Quistis had been locked
in her room since then. God, it had felt like only a week, if even that.
Mataji noticed the depressed look upon Quistis' tired face and quickly turned and walked
away. But Quistis forced a smile and told herself to enjoy the party her friends worked so hard to
create.
The party passed as a blur for poor Quistis. She talked and mingled with her fellow SeeD
cadets. She drank and ate and opened gifts. She then noticed she was missing two people. No,
not just Rinoa and Zell.
Squall and Seifer were not there to make the party less agonizing for her.
Quistis set down a glass of water she had been sipping and excused herself from talking
with someone. She snuck out when Selphie had her back turned. The poor green-eyed girl has
had her eyes on Quistis the entire night.
Quistis walked quickly from the Quad, not sure where to look for the two men.
I swear, Quistis promised herself darkly as she walked. If they are exchanging more scars
I will murder them both.
She was slightly peeved at them for not coming to her party. Did they not care for her?
Well, she wasn't even sure of that. Seifer was never her friend to begin with. And after they
hugged for ten minutes in the elevator while she sobbed into his shoulder, she hadn't seen him
since. She had locked herself in her room. Coming out only for late meals where nobody she
knew ate at that time. He had probably taken a shower and scrubbed his skin raw to get her
touch off of him from the elevator.
~"Ewww! Quistis has cooties!"
"Shut up, Seifer! No, I don't!"~
Quistis recalled back to when they were all still in the orphanage, and Seifer had spread
that nasty rumor about her. Nobody would come near her for two months. She had cried every
day... but not around them. Quistis wanted to cry at the memory. She was feeling so depressed.
She knew where she'd find Squall, whom she figured hadn't shown himself at the party
because he was still in mourning. He'd always be in the same spot...
She walked quickly to the Training Center, her whip out for she knew she'd face some
enemies to reach the Secret Area. As she entered, she heard the sound of metal crashing against
something, and then a monster cry out as it died.
She was momentarily surprised. She'd thought Squall would be in the Secret Area, and
not killing easy predators.
Yet it wasn't Squall who killed the creatures. It was the big bad man himself.
He looked startled when he saw her. She bet her face said the same. She quickly replaced
the look on her face with annoyance... and then his reflected hers.
"Almasy," Quistis said in a bored tone. "What are you doing here?"
"Not like it's any of your business," Seifer put his gunblade away. "Half of Garden is at
your joy filled party. No offense, Instructor, but I'd rather be here."
In a months time they had gone to being cold to each other again. Such a pity. Not like
Quistis cared in the least. She rolled her eyes and started to walk past him.
"Hey, wait," he said quickly and turned to her as she walked past. She quickly turned and
pouted her lips in a Hurry-Up-I-Want-Outta-Here kind of way.
"Shouldn't you be at your party," he asked coolly.
"Not like it's any of your business," Quistis mimicked in the same tone he had used to her
previously. "Someone didn't show up... And I need to talk to him."
Seifer looked put-out and he snorted. "Leonhart. Forget him, Instructor. He's going to
be moping the rest of his life about 'Noa."
"Shut up, Almasy," she sneered. "I want to know how he is doing."
They stared at each other for a moment, sizing one and other up. Quistis briefly wondered
why they disliked each other so much again. She didn't give it much thought. She turned around
again and started to walk away. But suddenly she felt his gloved hand on her clothed arm, cause
yeah, they still wore the same type of clothing. She stopped and looked down at his hand. She
then slowly raised her azure eyes up to his face. He looked kind of lonely.
"You do know I was under a spell, right?" He asked innocently.
"What?"
"When I kidnapped you," he explained. "It wasn't me. It was... whatever was in our
eyes..."
"I know, I know," Quistis said. She went to take a step but he wouldn't let her move.
"What happened to your eye?" Seifer asked with a touch of concern in his deep voice.
"What?" Her hand instantly flew up to her face.
He reached up with his free arm and touched her right temple, close to her eye. He tilted
his head slightly, his cool green eyes narrowing slightly as he stared. "You have a scar here."
Quistis cringed. She was hoping nobody would notice. She thought nobody would since
her hair usually fell over it. A scar as noticeable as Seifer's and Squall's ran fairly horizontal
across her temple. She felt Seifer's finger tracing the mark.
"Did you not know it was there?" Seifer questioned.
"No, I knew it was there," Quistis mumbled. "What made you say that?"
"You cringed," he told her. "...How did you get the scar?"
She hesitated, then told him bluntly, "You gave it to me."
He winced slightly, remembering. "The first time I kidnapped you. When Fujin was
there."
"Yeah," Quistis agreed. She wished he would stop tracing her damn scar he gave her!
"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "I wish I could have some how overpowered the spell."
That's when she noticed his face slowly, very slowly, inching towards hers. She wasn't
sure if he was doing it purposely or not. He was no longer staring at her scar but into her eyes.
Quistis tried to look away but felt drawn into them. The beautiful swells of jade green that
seemed so cold and uncaring on the exterior but warm and loving in the depths. Quistis blinked
hard, feeling as if she was getting lost in them. His face was still nearing hers. His hand was now
traveling down her golden hair that framed her face. She quickly searched his eyes for any traces
of a spell but found none. His eyes were now on her lips.
He's going to kiss me!! Quistis finally registered the fact. Either that or eat me!
She finally tore away from him. She quickly walked towards the Secret Center without
looking back. Her heart thudded lightly inside her chest as she wondered why he was going to
put his lips on hers. Well, she didn't know where they had been! For all she knew he ate dead
animals. And she still disliked him. Spell or not, he had hurt her. She would be reminded of it
every time she looked in the mirror. She would be forever reminded of Seifer Almasy.
Just as she was about to step into the Secret Area she cast a quick glance back at him.
Not even three seconds could have elapsed since she had broken away from him. He had a
confused expression plastered onto his handsome face and his hand was still in the air where her
face should have been. A deep pink was shown on his face.
Is he... blushing!?
Yeah, Seifer was blushing. Quistis thought she'd never see the day. A smile crossed her
face, the first real smile in a month, as she entered the Secret Area.
AN: Remember, no more votes. Please review!!
