The Path Of Time

Chapter Ten

One day, this world will see me at the horizon,

One day, from a distant light,

And just before I stand to face my love,

I'll turn around,

And with a smile I'll say my goodbyes,

Just one last goodbye

Smile Empty Soul "Sleepwalking"

The icy mountains surrounded the small town as a gentle fall of snow made its way to the ground. It was a cold day, colder than it had been in a long time. Yet he didn't mind, it reflected his mood. He felt cold inside. Numb. He was tired of thinking about things, worrying about people. Always trying to think of a way to redeem himself. Well today he just didn't care. The world would continue without him. He wasn't needed anymore. No purpose. And that suited him fine.

Taking a seat on a rock near the edge of the walkway, he sighed to himself. No. He didn't believe any of those things. He still worried. Still tried to find a purpose in his life without always having the stain in which he carried. Sorceress lapdog. He never wanted to see a Sorceress ever again. The state of mind he was in right now, he would run a mile if he saw another Sorceress. Yet they were always there in the back of him mind. Calling to him with their empty promises and delicate arms reaching out to him. He felt like a Sailor out at sea, being taunted by mermaids. Haunted by their beautiful song. Even though he didn't want to get involved with a Sorceress ever again. They still followed after him. Only this time draped in the disguise of an innocent young girl. Hyne, why did she have to be a Sorceress?

Seifer had shocked himself the previous day. Since when did Seifer Almasy open up to people? To spill his heart out to someone he never even classed as a friend. Or was she a friend? He didn't know. Usually people only cracked easily if they wanted to speak. To open the pages of their secret diary and show them everything that had happened. Share their pain and lean on someone's shoulder. As far as he knew he was perfectly fine He didn't need someone to help him deal with everything. He was fine. Only… deep down he was scared.

"I'm scared," he spoke the words out loud. Trying them on his lips. It was something that he hadn't felt often in his life, even as a child he had always taken things in his stride. But now he was scared. He really was. It seemed pathetic; he could run out into a heard of blood thirsty soldiers and attack them without feeling a drop of fear or doubt. Yet as soon as he had feelings for someone from the past. Someone who was a Sorceress. It terrified him. Why had she come to him of all people? When everyone had been shouting abuse or giving him looks of fear, she just strolled into his life without a care in the world. Pouring her beauty onto him. She cared and spent time with him. Spoke to him without having a quivering sound in her voice, without that look in her eye. Sorceress lapdog. That was something Seifer Almasy would never be again. Even if it meant running away from every Sorceress who came close to him. Running away like a small child does in the dark, scared that a monster is going to come after them.

He wished Fujin and Raijin were here with him now. His posse. It seemed an eternity since he had last spoken to either of them. It had been four years. The thought of it made his heart feel heavy, and he wondered where they were right now. Did they ever think of him? Or were they too engrossed in their own lives now, every so often a thought flickering back in their mind about a world they once had together. What if their memories of him were bad? All he wanted was to be something. To do something loyal. A knight seemed like a crown of jewels in Seifer's eyes. Yet it lost him all his respect and his friends. Now he was alone. All alone. Travelling across the world to find somewhere he could belong again. It never happened though. There was always that gap missing within him. Telling him he had made a bad mistake and it had cost him everything.

He was Seifer. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just one person.

Alone.

With a sharp sigh of anger he stood and made his way back into the town. He hated having time on his own away from people. It made him think to hard. To pity himself and everything he had done. Since when had he been like this? When had this weakness crept over him, making him doubt his every move and not even have the confidence to call out to someone? To say 'I don't want to be alone anymore.' He would never say that though. And that was the only part that remained. The reluctance to accept defeat. He would rather die trying than to give up completely.

Walking along the snow-covered ground he made his way down the path silently, when he started to hear shouting voices. And a screaming of a young persons voice. Turning his head, he made his way to the direction of the voices. When he first came here, Trabia had been a calm and tranquil place. Somewhere that took his mind off things. For a while. Now he didn't trust this place, or its people. He didn't trust them at all. And since when had Trabia been a dangerous place? Most people hadn't even heard of it.

Turning a corner he came into an alleyway where he saw a small group of people. A girl and boy stood surrounded by three grown men. He realised that the people they were targeting were no older than seventeen, the girl stood cowering, wearing a Garden uniform. He saw that the men wore black bands around their arms. They were members of the Peace Makers. He watched as a man, possibly in his thirties and of big build punched the male teenager, a reddening bruise already forming around his eye.

"Hey!" Seifer shouted, making his way towards them. The group turned to face Seifer, rage in their eyes. "Leave them alone, they're only kids."

"And what are you going to do about it, Seifer," one of them said, the smaller of the three. He was skinny with short brown hair; Seifer knew he could easily hurt these people if he wanted to. It seemed like they were unarmed. Although he didn't know how they knew his name. He couldn't recall ever seeing or having a conversation with these people before.

Without thinking, Seifer grabbed for his gunblade and pointed it in their direction. His face wore a look that meant he wouldn't hold back in hurting them. It had been a long time since he had last used a gunblade. His life had come to a state of hoping no one knew who he was, and not wanting to draw attention to himself for fear of people being afraid of him. He never wanted anyone to be afraid of him, unless of course they deserved it. Just like these people stood before him. Seifer didn't quite know why, but only recently he had felt the need to have his gunblade with him. For protection. Like his thoughts earlier, he didn't trust the people in Trabia anymore. It wasn't a tranquil place anymore.

"You want to let these kids go now?" he said, his voice airing that arrogant tone he always used to have. He was confident they wouldn't try to attack him with a blade pointed at them. He hoped they wouldn't anyway. His fighting skills weren't as sharp as they used to be.

The three men took a step back from the young cadets before them. Just like he expected, they would leave. They weren't experienced themselves after having been pacifists for too long. He didn't yet know if any of them had experience with a weapon, he doubted it, yet no one knew what the Peace Makers were planning. Their advances were always irrational and random. Their targets always changing.

"Just a few words of advice for you Seifer," the skinny man spoke up again. "Be careful who you chose to side with. You're being watched you know."

He nodded to his two comrades and they left without a word. Leaving Seifer alone with the two cadets. Once they were out of sight and he knew that they were safe he put his gunblade away again, turning towards the cadets. The boy had a hand up to his eye, which had begun to swell and turn a purple colour showing he was evidently in pain. The young girl had a hand covering her chest. "You two okay?" he asked.

The two saluted to Seifer. It almost made him laugh out loud; he hadn't been saluted in a long time. "Yes sir," he responded.

"At ease," Seifer said, feeling a little uncomfortable at the formalities. No one ever called him 'sir'. Ever.

"Thanks for saving us," the young girl said, her voice shaky showing that she had been afraid. "We came into town to visit our friends and they just attacked us. I don't feel safe anymore," she responded, tears forming in her eyes as the boy comforted her.

Seifer raised his eyebrows at hearing this. "You weren't even out on a mission?" They both shook their heads. He wondered if the Peace Makers knew that. Or were they purposely targeting anyone at the Garden. The thought made him angry. It was one thing attacking people on a war field, but to attack two young people when they weren't even on a mission. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Both of you get back to your Garden and tell someone exactly what happened," Seifer ordered. "I don't think its safe here anymore. Make sure no one goes out or around Garden on their own."

He watched as the two nodded before turning and starting to walk off. It seemed oddly foreign to have people actually obey him. This had been the second time he had been involved in young cadets victimised by the Peace Makers, and as much as he didn't want to get involved, just to go back to his normal lonely life, he felt like he wanted to see the end of all this.

"Wait," he called after them. They both came to a stop and looked at him expectantly. It made him shudder and his mind clouded with thoughts. He didn't trust himself with Garden matters. That was why he had run away from it all. He didn't want wars, or fighting or Sorceress'. So why was he getting involved? They're only kids, he told himself. Just help them this once, and then return back to the life you've been living.

"Those punks might still be around," he said, slightly hesitant. "I'll walk with you to the Garden."

His head hadn't stopped replaying the images ever since he had returned back to Deling City. In the day it was easy to push the thoughts out of his head, he had far too much work to do to even think of his personal life or his feelings. Yet as soon as he retired for the day. As soon as he rested for the night, the memories came back. He hadn't had a proper nights sleep in days. His dreams only filled with the sounds of the door slicing through the bone of his soldier's foot. Ryan had been his name. Yes. Arrogant little thing at times, but good at his job none the less.

It was always the fire that made him shiver. The destruction replaying like an old movie in his mind. Only he could still feel that pull. Keeping him place. Making sure he didn't move from the spot until this was all over. Then came the blistering bodies. The swollen corpses around him. His own soldiers whom he had trained himself had again been killed. Last time it was the base camp, and hell, at least that had survivors. Most of them probably too traumatised now to continue with their training to become Galbadian Soldiers. This time though, there were no survivors. Everyone hit had died.

Those who had survived were those who hadn't been hit. It was as if it had been planned. Another shiver went down his spine. It had been planned though, hadn't it? He remembered the screaming he had heard in the distance. The female. His daughter had done this. And now his army were dead. It had been that simple.

"Rinoa…" he whispered with a sigh. "What have you done?"

Taking his mind away from his thoughts he returned back to the computer screen hoping for something to do which would stop these incessant thoughts. Maybe something would pop up, giving him the answer of what he should do. What the reason was behind all of this. There were so many unanswered questions.

A knocking at the door made him look up from the computer screen. So there was a Saint somewhere, he thought to himself. "Come in," he said, feeling glad that a distraction had been given to him. He waited until a face came out from behind the door. A greying woman with glasses poked on the end of her nose looked at him.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you."

He looked surprised for a moment. He couldn't remember arranging a meeting with anyone. But then, his thoughts had been distracted the last few days. It was as if he couldn't concentrate, everything had been going over his head. He couldn't even remember simple things anymore. "Okay, thank you." He responded.

With a sigh, he got up to his feet and made his way down the corridor of his mansion. His home. It had once been so full of life, with sounds of laughter and people. Now it was only occupied by his fiancé Maya and himself, but they both led hard working jobs which meant that sometimes they didn't even speak for a few days. Hyne he missed the home in which he once lived in. Julia and Rinoa. The two women that meant the most to him in his life. No one could get closer to his heart than them, not even Maya. He just wished Rinoa had known that. Maybe if she hadn't been so angry with him all the time. If he had tried harder at being a better father, then she would still be with him in this home of his. There were too many 'What ifs' though. What had happened had happened. There was no point at pointing fingers all the time. He knew that.

Making his way down the corridor, he came to the oak door of the waiting room and stepped inside. He wasn't sure who he was expecting to be inside. Maybe another General or soldier or even the President. What he didn't expect to see however, was a young girl with red hair staring at him as soon as he entered. It almost made his heart skip a beat at seeing her. And of all things, she was alone. No President with her.

"Eve," the General said startled. "Is President Deling going to be attending soon?"

Eve shook her head. "No," she responded simply. Her voice was quiet and young. She fumbled with her hands uncomfortably as she sat in one of the many old chairs in the room. He watched her for a moment, wondering why she was here. So young and naïve, he thought to himself as he remembered watching the conference the previous day. For a moment, he got lost in watching her. The way her hair fell loosely over her shoulders and swayed slightly from the movement of her hands. There was so much he wondered what was going through her head. Why of all people the President? How the hell had she even come to him in the first place?

His thoughts were broken when he noticed her hands had stopped shuffling nervously and she was staring up at him with wide eyes. He shook himself from his thoughts, taking a seat opposite her. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked. For some reason, it felt more like he was speaking to a young child. Not a young woman of twenty. Yet she had that air around her. In his line of work he hardly ever spoke to anyone below twenty-five, especially females.

"No," she responded, again fiddling with her hands for a moment. "But there's something I want to do for you."

He watched as she looked up at him. Hyne he felt uncomfortable, it was like having Rinoa in front of him again. Yes, perhaps that was it. She reminded him of Rinoa. "What is it?" he asked.

She opened her mouth, about to speak, and then closed it again. Smoothing the soft material of her long black skirt she seemed in thought a moment. "President Deling doesn't know I'm here tonight," she said in almost a whisper, as if he could hear her. "So if you refuse what I'm going to ask, then that's fine. I won't mention it ever again, but I must ask whatever your answer, you don't tell Richard."

It seemed odd hearing the President being addressed by his first name. Not even Caraway did this. It just made him wonder exactly how close Eve and the President actually were emotionally. His thoughts were then taken over by something else, and a look of confusion came over the Generals expression. "What are you asking me, Eve?"

"I… want to see Rinoa," she responded as her eyes fell to the ground. "I've just heard so much bad about her and the things she's done. I want to help her really badly. I can't bear to see another Sorceress be executed."

Her eyes began to well up, yet she didn't bother trying to hide it. "The President wants the Sorceress executed," Caraway said, making his voice emotionless.

"I know," she responded. "I want to try and persuade him to keep her in Esther where she safe. I don't want her to be hurt… and neither do you."

"You really think you have that much influence over the President?" He chose to ignore her latter comment. Really, the mood he was in he didn't want some young girl getting emotional on him. Orders were orders, not even the General himself could persuade the President otherwise. It angered him how one girl could think she could change his mind. She was inexperienced, too mixed up in her past to look at what was at hand.

Eve let out a sigh, sensing that she wasn't getting the response she wanted. "I want to try, whether or not you want me too," for the first time since he had met her, Eve's voice took on a more harsh tone. "But I want to see her. Just once. I've never met another Sorceress before. It's not exactly going to hurt anyone is it?"

"No, I guess not." Caraway responded. "Just be careful. If Deling doesn't know you're going, you may anger him."

Eve nodded her head with a small smile. She only seemed happy for a brief moment, before turning anxious again. "I want you to come with me as well. You're her Father so it'll be easier to get in that way. They can't exactly refuse you to see your own daughter."

The General thought about this a moment. "No," he responded. "I can't go with you."

"You're afraid to see the reality?"

He looked at her a moment, the look on her face told him that she knew a lot more about him than she was letting on. "What are you, a mind reader or something?"

"I'm a Sorceress, General. You're afraid, I can feel it coming from you."

With a sigh he looked at her. Yes, he was afraid. He didn't want to see her, not like the way she was now. If she was to be executed, then let his memories be of her when she was little and the times he spent with her. Let him regret not being the Father he should have been, rather than seeing her for the one who murdered people in cold blood.

"Please, maybe we can help her together. Your daughter needs you to be there for her."

"Alright…" he said reluctantly. He knew that she wouldn't stop pestering until she got her own way. He realised she had that same spark Rinoa had, the way she would go out and do something she wanted to do, even if people didn't want her to do it. If she felt strongly about doing something, then she'd get something done. "I'll take you there tomorrow. I'll say that we're not there to cause any harm, you just want to speak to her and try and understand what's happened to her. But I can't promise I'll go with you all the way. I want to stay thinking of the Rinoa I know."

She smiled again. "I understand," she responded. "Thank you, General."

The wind blew cold as he made his way back to the hotel. He had walked the SeeD's as far back to the Garden as he could stand. Seifer wasn't in the mood to be accused of beating up cadets or getting looks of disbelief. So he stood back, watching until they made their way safely in the Garden. Alone in the snow and returning back to the path which led to the town.

The walk back was silent and cold, two of the things he didn't like that much, so he tried to speed up his walking until he eventually made his way back to the hotel. His temporary home, until he was told he couldn't stay there anymore. As what usually happened wherever he went. People could only put up with him for so long. Then they realised that he made people uneasy. It seemed he only brought destruction with him. Wherever he went.

Giving a curt nod to the receptionist, he passed the smoky bar with the few regulars in. Always drinking alcohol, smoking and complaining about something. He hated the people in this place sometimes. But it was the only place he could go right now. Ignoring the looks that people gave him in the hotel bar, he made his way up the steps and down a corridor to where his room was.

He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw his door. It was already open. He was sure he locked it. He knew he'd locked it; he stopped trusting strangers a long time ago. Stepping forwards slowly, he made his way into the room cautiously, finding the interior broken. All his belongings were thrown on the floor. A red liquid was thrown all over the walls.

He stepped inside the room closing the door behind him, awestruck by what had happened. Taking one more step forward he suddenly felt someone grab him from behind and he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He didn't quite know what it was. Only there was a loud crack, and then the world around him went black.

He fell into a dark world of unconsciousness. Not knowing how long he was in that state for, only that when he awoke he was in agony. His eyes took a moment to focus as his head throbbed from the hit. He tried to raise a hand to touch the wound on his head but found his arms were tied down to a chair. It was then he cursed himself for being so foolish. The SeeD training he had received so long ago no longer in use. He should have waited. He should have expected someone to be there.

A dark shadow moved in front of him and before he had time to register who it was, a fist came crashing into his jaw. Pulling him completely back into consciousness. His mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, which he spat onto the floor. The floor of his hotel room. So he was still here.

"Come on Seifer, humour me," said a voice.

It was a low voice that he didn't recognise. When he looked up, in front of him sat on a chair was a man with brown hair, scruffily tied back. He looked like he was in his forties possibly, yet he seemed in shape. Like his age didn't affect him from hurting someone. In his hand he held a gun, swinging it slowly backwards and forwards between his fingers.

"Who the hell are you?" Seifer asked, still looking around the room. A group of four men stood around him, all watching him intently. Their muscles well built, and all of similar age to the brown haired man.

The man in the chair let out a small sigh. "You must know who I am Seifer, even if you haven't met me before." He nodded to one of his men, who stepped forward and punched Seifer numerous times. Each blow like a fist of concrete, it had been a long time since Seifer had encountered any violence. Each punch caused a surge of adrenaline through his veins.

After a while the beatings stop, and through a bruised face he stared up at the man again. He stood from his seat, and walked towards Seifer. With one hand he pulled his head up roughly, with Seifer's blonde hair through his fingers so he could get a better look at him. "The name's Ed Wilson," he smiled at him sickly. "The leader of the Peace Makers, but I'm sure you already know that."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Seifer said through clenched teeth. "What the hell do you want?"

Ed sat back down on the seat, smiling at Seifer. "I want to know what SeeD are planning to do about the Sorceress."

"Well why don't you go ask SeeD then? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a member of SeeD."

Another man stood forward, and again the blows came. This time to his abdomen, Hyne these men were strong. They were nothing like the men he saw bullying the cadets. Perhaps they were meant to be saved for Seifer. He wondered what he had to do in all this.

"I'll make it simple for you," Ed said sitting forward to get a closer look at Seifer. "Why are your SeeD friends snooping around here?"

"Why do you think? You keep attacking young cadets who can't fight back like the cowards you are. Or are you too afraid to face a real SeeD?" This time he expected the blow that was coming to him.

"Release him," Ed said to one of the men. Seifer felt the rope holding him in place release and he was pushed off the chair. He was barely able to touch the ground before someone pulled him up and threw him back on the floor. This time the beatings hurt like hell. They were kicking and stomping on him. Let them do it, he thought. Each time they hurt him it made him even angrier. He couldn't explain the anger that was inside of him. It was overpowering. He wasn't even sure if he was angry with Ed or Trabia Garden for making him involved in all this. Or was he angry with himself? He wasn't sure anymore.

Again, the beating stopped. He lay on the floor quiet. In wait for what would happen next. A figure approached him and grabbed at his face, making him look at him. He figured Ed was trying to make him afraid. Yet Seifer didn't fear Ed. He didn't fear anything. Just as long as he never came face to face with a Sorceress again, there would be no fear. He could handle the pain of this. It was physical pain that would stop either through death or through healing. It wasn't permanent.

"We're willing to face a real SeeD and prove to them that they're a bunch of worthless killing machines. They're nothing compared to a Sorceress. One day you'll see who the real enemy is. Tell your little SeeD friends to back off out of Trabia, otherwise we'll make sure they can't even sleep at night." Pulling his arm back, Ed punched Seifer in the face.

Seifer watched from the floor as the Peace Makers left the room, and even after they had left he stayed where he was. The pain from his injuries now hitting him with full force and he felt he couldn't move.

How the hell had he got involved in all of this?

Authors note: Another update! It's shocking. I know, I know. But I'm really into this story at the moment. It's just bubbling up inside of me and I can't do anything else until it all bubbles out of me. I even gave up going out today just so I could write. So there we have it. I'll probably write another chapter shortly. Thank you for the reviews… or review should I say. Thanks.