Author's Note: Yo, sorry it took me so long to update this. ;-)
Chapter 26: Switching Bodies
~~**"I was thinking," she said. "I need to die. I can't live this way. And, ah, well, I want only you to be the one to kill me. Just think about all the torture I put you through. Then kill me. Please, kill me." "No way." She stood and suddenly punched him across the face. He let out a cry of pain and surprise. "Damn you!" she shouted. "I said kill me!" Before he could respond, another hand hit his face. And then another. Another still. His nose and mouth were bleeding as he slapped her back. She seemed to like the pain. She let out a giddy laugh and punched him again. "Do it, baby. Kill me, you bastard." His mind snapped. Suddenly, his vision went dark. No, no, no! His mind screamed at him to resist. The Evil was back, and it hadn't come out since Quistis had left him. It was going to make him kill her. He felt his hand moving for his gunblade. He grabbed it and yanked it up high above his head. Quistis let her eyes close, and so did Seifer. He brought the gunblade down.**~~
No!
Seifer jerked his gunblade away at the last moment. It pierced the warm sand next to him, causing it to splatter onto both of them. Opening his eyes, he instantly threw the Hyperion as far as he could away from himself. There was no way he was going to let It hurt Quistis.
Quistis slowly opened up her eyes. She stared at him for a mere second before turning her dreary eyes towards the thrown blade. She stared blankly at it for what seemed of ages, not blinking nor breathing.
"Quistis?" He tried hopefully.
She didn't answer him; not at first. At least, though, she had begun to breathe again. But her breaths were slight and shallow. It didn't comfort him much.
"Please," he said kindly. He placed a large hand on her sagging shoulder. "We can get through this together, Quisty."
Her body did a quick spasm. She shook herself thoroughly before landing her vacant eyes back on Seifer. "It's over."
He didn't like the sound of that. "What is?"
She shook her head like he wouldn't understand.
Suddenly, her bottom jaw trembled and her eyes misted over. She placed both of her shaking hands over her heart. "I'm so happy to see you again."
In a flash he was there for her. He held her in his arms and let her cry into his chest, al the while telling her everything would turn out fine. That they'd make it through some how. Why, she asked him. Why? Because he loved...
"Trust me," he told her. He tightened his grip on her and gave her a gently squeeze. "We'll see it through. We'll walk through the fire. We'll come out slightly scorched but we'll survive. We'll make it as long as we're together."
She lifted her tear streaked face and looked at him. A tint of hope engulfed her sad features and she did the most miraculous thing he had seen in a year:
She smiled.
It lit up the heavens, casting a white enlightened glow across her face. God, it made him so happy. To know she was finally beginning to walk into the light, to become free once more.
He made to many judgements just over one smile. He had made his conclusions too soon.
"I don't think so," she said. It once more broke his heart. Hyne, he was becoming such a sap. "Nothing can save me. Don't you get it, Seifer? I'm in hell. This is hell. Don't give me shit on how `we can make it through'. I'm not some sorta dopey girl, you idiot."
He stared at her for a long time. "...You've changed."
She snorted. "No, really? Well, what did you expect, big shot? Did you think I'd still be the same after all I've been through? Did you think I'd still be the same smart, strong willed instructor? Oh hell no."
He sighed and threw his arms up in the air. "I don't know what I expected, alright?"
She snorted again and reached for her cigarettes. "You're too much hoping for a faerie tale romance. I'm sorry, but I don't think that's gonna happen anymore."
"I figured that."
Her features softened again as she took a long drag on her cancer-in-a-stick. "Did you ever think of me?"
He nodded. "All the time." He didn't ask if she had thought of him. He wasn't sure if he already had or not.
She appeared satisfied with his answer. She flicked her half-finished cigarette. "I thought so."
He looked at her as she stared into the horizon. "Now what, Quistis?"
She sighed. "Will you come back to Garden with me?"
"Why?" He wondered to her outloud.
"Because I love you," she told him. "Because I want to live a faerie tale romance. Because I just want to go back to living a normal life. Because I just want to be there with you, Zell, Irvine, and ....Rinoa. Yeah, even though Rinoa and I may dislike each other greatly, I still want to be there with her also. Then I'll be happy."
"And your baby?"
She hesitated. "I'll be fine. I'll survive."
He remembered a large detail. "I can't go back with you."
"Why not?"
"Don't you remember?" He grew slightly impatient. "I'm evil. I've got It in me."
"I don't care."
"Do you really want me killing everyone at Garden?"
"Do you really want me killing myself?" She asked angrily.
"Quistis, please." He got annoyed.
She let out an exasperated sigh and suddenly grabbed the sides of his head in both of her hands.
"Hey--" he cried out.
He tried to pull away but she had gained a powerful grip. She stared deep into his eyes. No, she stared past the deepest part in his eyes. She was staring at the golden-red that rested in the depth of his soul. She was reaching out to it. She was calling for it to come and claim its dinner: her.
"Come back to me," she cooed softly yet powerfully. "Come back to the more powerful one. I know you feel weak inside of him."
"Stop it!" Seifer shouted at Quistis. He struggled to break her concentration but could not. She was obsessed.
"You can come back to me," she said without interruption. "I welcome you back, great one. Claim your blood-thirsty victory inside of me."
"You dumb bitch," he swore angrily. "Stop it! You'll get yourself killed!"
A sudden sharp, blinding pain suddenly engulfed him. All he could see was a blinding white light. He knew in his heart that, once more, It was moving from him to Quistis. Like last time, the pain was only momentarily. He found himself losing his balance and falling to the ground. But unlike last time, he remained conscious.
Letting out a frazzled groan, he rolled over onto his back. He noted Quistis lay on her side a yard away from him, her eyes closed. He crawled over to her. Sitting up, he laid her head in his lap and stroked her cheek lovingly.
"Quistis," he asked the sleeping woman. "How could you do this to yourself?"
Her eyes fluttered open, and he recognized a golden-red glow deep within her eyes. But she was still Quistis Trepe. But for how long?
"Are you okay?" She asked him, like he should have been the one to be in pain.
"You dumb ass," he cussed at her. "Do you know what you've done!?"
"Yes," she said and sat up. "I took It from you. Now you can go to Garden with me."
They both stood.
"No, now YOU can't go to Garden." He snarled. "I won't let you go, got it? I'm not letting you kill anyone."
She sighed. She seemed in no mood to argue. "Well, at least you won't be scared anymore."
He walked over to her and placed his forehead against hers. "I'm more afraid now, Quisty. I'm scared for you. I was never scared for myself. I never gave a damn what happened to me."
She wrapped her arms around him and he did likewise. "If It is in me, Seifer, I'll feel better knowing you are safe from hurting anyone." She half giggled, half cried. "I guess neither of us will win until It is gone."
"First we gotta know what It is," he replied softly.
"Or WHAT It is," she said. She swallowed hard. "Let's not think right now. My head aches something awful."
"Understood," he told her. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Let's not even talk."
"Understood," she said, then mimicked the same gesture he had preformed on her.
God, even though he was terrified for her, his heart was happy. They had found each other again, after all. And as they stood on the beach and shared small yet loving kisses, Seifer was determined to destroy It once and for all.
~
Chapter 26: Switching Bodies
~~**"I was thinking," she said. "I need to die. I can't live this way. And, ah, well, I want only you to be the one to kill me. Just think about all the torture I put you through. Then kill me. Please, kill me." "No way." She stood and suddenly punched him across the face. He let out a cry of pain and surprise. "Damn you!" she shouted. "I said kill me!" Before he could respond, another hand hit his face. And then another. Another still. His nose and mouth were bleeding as he slapped her back. She seemed to like the pain. She let out a giddy laugh and punched him again. "Do it, baby. Kill me, you bastard." His mind snapped. Suddenly, his vision went dark. No, no, no! His mind screamed at him to resist. The Evil was back, and it hadn't come out since Quistis had left him. It was going to make him kill her. He felt his hand moving for his gunblade. He grabbed it and yanked it up high above his head. Quistis let her eyes close, and so did Seifer. He brought the gunblade down.**~~
No!
Seifer jerked his gunblade away at the last moment. It pierced the warm sand next to him, causing it to splatter onto both of them. Opening his eyes, he instantly threw the Hyperion as far as he could away from himself. There was no way he was going to let It hurt Quistis.
Quistis slowly opened up her eyes. She stared at him for a mere second before turning her dreary eyes towards the thrown blade. She stared blankly at it for what seemed of ages, not blinking nor breathing.
"Quistis?" He tried hopefully.
She didn't answer him; not at first. At least, though, she had begun to breathe again. But her breaths were slight and shallow. It didn't comfort him much.
"Please," he said kindly. He placed a large hand on her sagging shoulder. "We can get through this together, Quisty."
Her body did a quick spasm. She shook herself thoroughly before landing her vacant eyes back on Seifer. "It's over."
He didn't like the sound of that. "What is?"
She shook her head like he wouldn't understand.
Suddenly, her bottom jaw trembled and her eyes misted over. She placed both of her shaking hands over her heart. "I'm so happy to see you again."
In a flash he was there for her. He held her in his arms and let her cry into his chest, al the while telling her everything would turn out fine. That they'd make it through some how. Why, she asked him. Why? Because he loved...
"Trust me," he told her. He tightened his grip on her and gave her a gently squeeze. "We'll see it through. We'll walk through the fire. We'll come out slightly scorched but we'll survive. We'll make it as long as we're together."
She lifted her tear streaked face and looked at him. A tint of hope engulfed her sad features and she did the most miraculous thing he had seen in a year:
She smiled.
It lit up the heavens, casting a white enlightened glow across her face. God, it made him so happy. To know she was finally beginning to walk into the light, to become free once more.
He made to many judgements just over one smile. He had made his conclusions too soon.
"I don't think so," she said. It once more broke his heart. Hyne, he was becoming such a sap. "Nothing can save me. Don't you get it, Seifer? I'm in hell. This is hell. Don't give me shit on how `we can make it through'. I'm not some sorta dopey girl, you idiot."
He stared at her for a long time. "...You've changed."
She snorted. "No, really? Well, what did you expect, big shot? Did you think I'd still be the same after all I've been through? Did you think I'd still be the same smart, strong willed instructor? Oh hell no."
He sighed and threw his arms up in the air. "I don't know what I expected, alright?"
She snorted again and reached for her cigarettes. "You're too much hoping for a faerie tale romance. I'm sorry, but I don't think that's gonna happen anymore."
"I figured that."
Her features softened again as she took a long drag on her cancer-in-a-stick. "Did you ever think of me?"
He nodded. "All the time." He didn't ask if she had thought of him. He wasn't sure if he already had or not.
She appeared satisfied with his answer. She flicked her half-finished cigarette. "I thought so."
He looked at her as she stared into the horizon. "Now what, Quistis?"
She sighed. "Will you come back to Garden with me?"
"Why?" He wondered to her outloud.
"Because I love you," she told him. "Because I want to live a faerie tale romance. Because I just want to go back to living a normal life. Because I just want to be there with you, Zell, Irvine, and ....Rinoa. Yeah, even though Rinoa and I may dislike each other greatly, I still want to be there with her also. Then I'll be happy."
"And your baby?"
She hesitated. "I'll be fine. I'll survive."
He remembered a large detail. "I can't go back with you."
"Why not?"
"Don't you remember?" He grew slightly impatient. "I'm evil. I've got It in me."
"I don't care."
"Do you really want me killing everyone at Garden?"
"Do you really want me killing myself?" She asked angrily.
"Quistis, please." He got annoyed.
She let out an exasperated sigh and suddenly grabbed the sides of his head in both of her hands.
"Hey--" he cried out.
He tried to pull away but she had gained a powerful grip. She stared deep into his eyes. No, she stared past the deepest part in his eyes. She was staring at the golden-red that rested in the depth of his soul. She was reaching out to it. She was calling for it to come and claim its dinner: her.
"Come back to me," she cooed softly yet powerfully. "Come back to the more powerful one. I know you feel weak inside of him."
"Stop it!" Seifer shouted at Quistis. He struggled to break her concentration but could not. She was obsessed.
"You can come back to me," she said without interruption. "I welcome you back, great one. Claim your blood-thirsty victory inside of me."
"You dumb bitch," he swore angrily. "Stop it! You'll get yourself killed!"
A sudden sharp, blinding pain suddenly engulfed him. All he could see was a blinding white light. He knew in his heart that, once more, It was moving from him to Quistis. Like last time, the pain was only momentarily. He found himself losing his balance and falling to the ground. But unlike last time, he remained conscious.
Letting out a frazzled groan, he rolled over onto his back. He noted Quistis lay on her side a yard away from him, her eyes closed. He crawled over to her. Sitting up, he laid her head in his lap and stroked her cheek lovingly.
"Quistis," he asked the sleeping woman. "How could you do this to yourself?"
Her eyes fluttered open, and he recognized a golden-red glow deep within her eyes. But she was still Quistis Trepe. But for how long?
"Are you okay?" She asked him, like he should have been the one to be in pain.
"You dumb ass," he cussed at her. "Do you know what you've done!?"
"Yes," she said and sat up. "I took It from you. Now you can go to Garden with me."
They both stood.
"No, now YOU can't go to Garden." He snarled. "I won't let you go, got it? I'm not letting you kill anyone."
She sighed. She seemed in no mood to argue. "Well, at least you won't be scared anymore."
He walked over to her and placed his forehead against hers. "I'm more afraid now, Quisty. I'm scared for you. I was never scared for myself. I never gave a damn what happened to me."
She wrapped her arms around him and he did likewise. "If It is in me, Seifer, I'll feel better knowing you are safe from hurting anyone." She half giggled, half cried. "I guess neither of us will win until It is gone."
"First we gotta know what It is," he replied softly.
"Or WHAT It is," she said. She swallowed hard. "Let's not think right now. My head aches something awful."
"Understood," he told her. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Let's not even talk."
"Understood," she said, then mimicked the same gesture he had preformed on her.
God, even though he was terrified for her, his heart was happy. They had found each other again, after all. And as they stood on the beach and shared small yet loving kisses, Seifer was determined to destroy It once and for all.
~