***Misted Reality: Part 8***
Define fear. Is it a sense of dread? A feeling of hopelessness? A cold sweat that clings to your skin after a nightmare? The feeling of your heart being gripped mercilessly by something you can't control, or run from, or fight? Or....is it the final realization that you have no place left to run......?
Squall opened his eyes painfully, his head still throbbing from the recent blow. His memory was hazy as he came to, filling him with confusion and a dull sense of fear he couldn't quite place. He could see nothing in front of him but darkness as he looked around, and he strained to see beyond the shadows. If he squinted just right he could almost make out the outline of something......someone.......
Flashes of memory drifted back into Squall's mind, and he flinched involuntarily, struggling to move in a panic over what.....or who.....was there with him. But.....he couldn't. His arms and legs seemed to be chained down somehow. He also took note of the fact that he was still upright, which meant he was probably chained up against a wall. Just like in the D-District Prison.......
(No!) Squall thought fearfully. (I won't go through that again....) He pulled and strained against his bonds, trying desperately to get free. Amidst his frantic struggling, he began to hear something coming from that shadowy figure in front of him. Squall froze. It was a soft sound at first, a low murmuring, but soon he began to realize what it truly was as it rose in intensity. It was laughter. A deep, sinister laughter that made Squall's blood run cold. He knew that laughter well.
"Seifer...." Squall breathed through clenched teeth. He remembered it all now. His panic and concern for Zell, the anxiety of loosing Seifer, a sharp blow to the head. Oh yes, he remembered.
"Comfy?" Seifer sneered, flicking on a dim light from a string that hung in the center of the room. The glare of its shallow illumination blinded Squall a moment, until his eyes began to adjust. Then as the room took shape around him, Squall realized where they were.
(.....hanging wires......old machinery.....) Squall observed to himself. (.....the dull metal walls......that smell of rust and gears. We must be in the lower levels of Garden....)
"Not going to answer me, Leonheart?" Seifer asked, stepping closer to Squall. So close in fact that Squall could feel the warmth of Seifer's breath beating down on him. Squall realized then that he couldn't have been very high off the ground.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Seifer pressed.
Squall glared back at him, hating Seifer for this. Hating him so much for everything he'd done.
"You bastard...." Squall growled darkly. "....why are you doing this?"
Seifer laughed back at him with that unbearable laugh. "So many reasons really," he replied, taking a step back to pace thoughtfully in front of Squall. "Revenge? Originally that's what it was. But now......heh.....now it's just for kicks,"
Squall shuddered from Seifer's heartlessness. Despite his own suspicions, it was a bitter truth to swallow that Seifer could be so cruel, so unlike the person they had all thought they knew.
"All this time....you *were* just using us....." Squall stated, more to himself than as a question for Seifer. "We forgave you, cared for you, accepted you as a friend.......and you were lying to us the whole time?!"
Seifer grinned wickedly at Squall's outburst, stepping closer to him once again. "Isn't that what you've been thinking since all this started anyway, you spineless twerp? Huh? This shouldn't shock you at all, since you were the first one to pass your damn, righteous judgment on me!"
Squall felt something cold and sharp run up along his side then, making him shiver. He looked down to discover a very long dagger gleaming in Seifer's hand.
"Oh, this doesn't bother you, does it?" Seifer smirked, holding the dagger up to Squall's face. "I just thought we could have a little fun. You know, searing pain, screams no one will answer. Hehe. Whadda ya say.....?" He whispered that last line right beside Squall's ear, cherishing the shuddering breath that escaped Squall's lips.
"It doesn't matter what you do to me, Seifer....." Squall breathed, staring blankly forward, refusing to give Seifer the satisfaction of seeing him afraid. "You won't live to finish this. You won't....." He turned his head, looking Seifer full in the face. "The others.....they'll hunt you down......they'll stop you. They'll make you pay for this you damn, son-of-a-bitch!! Do you hear me?! You...!" He was unexpectedly silenced as the dagger slashed brutally across his face, forcing him to flinch his head to the side.
"Shut up!!" Seifer barked, giving Squall at least some satisfaction in his rival's obvious lack of self-control.
"Can't handle the truth....?" Squall dared, turning his aching face back to Seifer, and ignoring the blood running freely down the side of it. "You know you can't win in this,"
Seifer laughed smugly, collecting himself from his own, little outburst, and running his free hand defiantly through his golden-blonde hair.
"I think you misunderstand....."
Seifer pulled himself even closer to Squall, nearly pressed up against him, and held the dagger dangerously to Squall's throat.
"You see...Squall....I'm in control here," he whispered. "I have the power and the desire to carry out what I want. And.........I want you......." Seifer leaned in close, his warm breath lingering on Squall's neck. Pressing even closer, he slowly ran his tongue up along that fresh cut on Squall's face, quivering with twisted pleasure at the taste of Squall's blood between his lips.
Squall gasped, his stomach churning from the sensation, shuddering in repulsion at Seifer's act. (Oh, God........this isn't happening.......) he thought in sudden desperation.
"You sick......bastard....." Squall growled softly, despising Seifer's lingering presence as the former knight remained so uncomfortably close to him. "......how could I have ever trusted you.....?"
Seifer smiled an intoxicating smirk, cupping Squall's chin in his left hand and forcing Squall to look him straight in the eyes.
"You're such a fool...." Seifer began.
"You're right!" Squall cut him off. "I'm a fool. A fool for believing in you!! I was so stupid to think you could change, to think you'd ever be anything but a killer! Deep down my better judgment kept telling me you'd betray us........I should've seen you for the murdering freak that you are!!"
Seifer never lost his grin, but only gripped Squall's face more harshly, pulling them nearly nose to nose.
"Such little faith you have in your friend......" Seifer sneered secretively. "Maybe I should let you in on a little secret.......since you obviously can't figure it out for yourself,"
Squall blinked, not understanding. "What secret?" he pressed. "What are you talking about, Seifer?"
Seifer laughed in amusement, and pulling himself right beside Squall's ear, he whispered. "I'm........not........Seifer......."
Squall's breath quickened as he stared blindly in shocked disbelief, feeling his insides tighten and ache within him. Eyes filling with wondering fear, he glued his gaze on Seifer as the cruel knight pulled away with an evil grin.
"Wha....What?" Squall gasped out, trembling, though barely conscious of the act. "What are you saying.....?"
Seifer chuckled, seemingly in good humor, but clearly menacing behind any false intentions. "I'm saying......I am *not* Seifer Almasy," he stated, pulling fully away from Squall to allow the SeeD Commander a chance at absorbing what he'd said. "Don't get me wrong, Squally boy, this *is* his body. Odd fit, but it's serving its purpose. Besides.....it is *so* much fun messing with this boy's mind.......I couldn't ask for a better.....hmmm......mode of transportation....?" The impostor laughed once again.
Squall shivered. (Is it true....?) he wondered. (Is Seifer under someone else's control.....? But.....then who.....?)
"Who are you?" Squall breathed in demand, narrowing his gaze as he thought over possibilities.
"You should be able to figure that out," the stranger smiled. "Just think........who are the only beings in this world capable of taking possession of another person?"
Squall didn't have to think. He knew. ".....a sorceress...." he mumbled, a million different thoughts flashing through his mind. "....a new sorceress?"
"Not new," the imposing person corrected. "Just forgotten. I'm sure you never expected to face *me* again......" she laughed eerily, in Seifer's unmistakable voice. Squall never would have guessed a sorceress was in control if he hadn't been told by the perpetrator him......herself.
"But....you can't be......Ultimecia...?" Squall insisted. "It's not possible....."
The sorceress in knight's clothing stepped slightly closer to Squall, grinning in defiance. "Not Ultimecia, little boy. Try again....."
Squall's forehead wrinkled in concentration, trying to figure out who else it could possibly be. "But...the only other sorceress was...." Then it hit him. "....Adel...."
The sorceress' grin widened, and she clapped her hands twice in a sarcastic applause. "Bravo," she smirked. "Sorceress Adel, alive and well,"
Glowering at Adel's laughter resonating once again, Squall demanded answers. "How?" He growled. "How can you be alive? How did you take control of Seifer?"
Adel allowed her laughter to fade, shaking her head sadly. "It's really very simple." she stated. "When you....killed me....your little friend, Ellone, sent Ultimecia back to her body, and tried to send me into mine from the past. Now, my body in the past already had my......essence, so to speak, so it wasn't possible for me to.....set up shop. I could have tried to hand my powers over to that lovely brat sorceress, Rinoa, but by the time I realized I didn't have a body of my own, your little crew was already on there way through Time Compression."
Adel ran a hand through Seifer's blonde hair, pacing slightly as she told her tale.
"What was I to do?" she continued. "I couldn't truly die without giving up my powers, but I didn't have a sorceress to give my powers to. If another sorceress had been near, I probably would have just taken control of her instead, but there wasn't one. There wasn't anyone........except for one, poor, lost soul, left all alone. Can you guess who?"
Squall stared in disbelief at Adel as she paused in her pacing to smile over at him. Her story seemed to make sense, but to Squall it just didn't add up.
"Wait a minute...." He began in reply. "I see where you're going with this. Seifer was the only person still in Lunatic Pandora once Time Compression started. But, how could you have possessed his body? Seifer's no sorceress, and if you couldn't enter your own body from the past because it was already occupied, what's the difference with him?"
Carrying on with tradition, Adel let out a cruel laugh, grinning almost with pity at Squall.
"Don't you know the rule?" she asked. "No two truly identical organisms can exist at the same time in the same place. Even if my spirit from the past was younger than me, we were still the same thing. As for how I claimed this darling body for my own.......usually I wouldn't have been able to. A sorceress can only possess another sorceress, unless.......hehe. Unless the body I take has a very weak strength of will."
Squall grimaced. Seifer hadn't been himself at all towards the end. He'd betrayed, been betrayed, and had exhausted all options left to him only to fail. Only to loose his romantic dream once and for all. Against Adel at a time like that, he couldn't have stood a chance.
"Then......why did you wait so long to come after us?" Squall asked.
"Simple," she replied. "Because he wasn't a sorceress, I had to gain a little leverage. It took me nearly a year to take control, but the dreams I sent him weakened his defenses perfectly."
Seifer had told Squall of his nightmares once upon a time, but the SeeD Commander had practically dismissed them. He had wanted to help his friend, but he figured that being merely dreams they would go away. How blind he'd been.
(*She* sent those dreams....) Squall thought. (She's been the cause of all of this.....)
"You.....turned him into a killer....." Squall breathed, fury rising within him. "You had him kill those three, innocent people, making him suffer with the guilt. You turned me against him....."
"Now, now...." she interrupted. "You turned against him all on your own, Leonheart. Don't put the blame on me,"
Squall clenched his eye shut in remorse at that. ".....you're right. But, you still used him as a murderer. Why? Why kill Ashton? Why kill.....those children, when you were after us, the ones who killed *you*!"
Adel let her grin grow, walking up close to Squall. "I had to know how strong my control over him was until I could completely take over. Besides....." She started, whispering in Squall's ear. ".....I just *loved* hearing them scream....."
Squall's entire body was trembling now, but not from fear or even completely from disgust. He was trembling out of rage and desperate determination.
"You fucking bitch!!" Squall screamed, lunging his body forward as much as his restraints would allow. Adel stumbled back away from him, laughing at Squall's futile attempts to get free.
"Tsk, tsk, Squally boy. Such language." she sneered.
Daggers piercing from his eyes, Squall took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and think of his best course of action. (Pointless outbursts are not going to help the situation) He thought. (I have to think.......I have to.....to.....to get Seifer back in control......yes!)
"Seifer...." Squall began, pleading eyes looking right through the evil sorceress. "....I know you're in there, somewhere. You have to beat her. Take back control! You're stronger than she is! Don't let her......"
"Enough!" she yelled, cutting him off. Adel shot out her arm, gripping Squall's neck roughly with her free hand. "You can't reach him, little boy. Seifer doesn't live here anymore. I'm in control, so don't even bother trying to save your friend, cause it won't do you any good!"
Returning her gaze unwaveringly, Squall answered with complete conviction. "Then why are you so afraid to let me try?"
Adel snarled, appearing like she was about to reply, when she suddenly released Squall's neck, gripping her own head in agony, and crying out in pain. Squall looked on in wonder as she practically sank to her knees, clutching the sides of her head. When whatever had been afflicting her subsided, she looked up at Squall with wide, horrified eyes, and then scrambled back away from him in fear, stumbling to the floor.
"S...Squa....Squall....?" Seifer's voice asked timidly.
Squall stared at the person on the floor, filled with hope, wondering if perhaps it was.....
"....Seifer.....?" he breathed.
Nodding as he staggered to his feet, Seifer rose, tears forming in his large, turquoise eyes.
"Oh, God.....Squall......what did I almost do....?" Seifer asked, staring down at the dagger still in his right hand. Shaking uncontrollably, it fell from his grasp, and he pulled his hands tight to his chest, gasping for breath.
"Nothing, Seifer," Squall stated firmly. "You haven't done anything. It was Adel. It was Adel who did every last thing. Not you,"
Seifer shook his head frantically. "No....it was me, too.....I let her control me.......I didn't fight hard enough......"
"That's not true Seifer. Don't you dare believe that!"
Looking up at Squall's commanding, confident words, the tears started to fall down Seifer's cheeks, staining his face.
".....you believe in me now....?" Seifer asked softly, causing Squall to turn his head away from him in guilt. "You *do* believe in me."
Seifer sounded surprised at his own statement, but continued with great passion behind his words. "You know......Squall.....you're the......the closest thing......I have....to a brother.....I only wanted you.....to trust me.....and....."
"Stop..." Squall interrupted, pained by Seifer's words. "...don't say that.....please. Dammit, I was the one who believed in you the least! I should've seen the truth, but....I immediately assumed......."
"No...it's alright...." Seifer in turn cut Squall off. "If I was you....dealing with me.....I would've done the same. I deserved it anyway. I should've realized what was happening. I should've stopped her somehow......"
Seifer seemed so far away to Squall, so broken and distant. "It wasn't your fault, Seifer. It was Adel's, only Adel's, and you can beat her. You *can* stop her now,"
Once again Seifer shook his head fiercely. "No.....I can't. I can feel her inside of me, taking control. I can't fight her......I'm too weak to fight her......"
Squall felt Seifer slipping away, loosing hope, but he couldn't let that happen.
"That's not true Seifer, not one bit." he stated firmly. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Look, you're doing it right now. You're beating her,"
Seifer reached his hands up to his head, digging his fingernails into his scalp and clutching his hair in tension. "No....I can feel her.....she's coming back.....she's.....Ah....AHHH!" Seifer cried out, falling to the ground as he gripped his head harshly.
Once again, the pain slowly subsided, only this time when Seifer's head lifted to look at Squall, the face wore an ugly, twisted snarl.
"Naughty......naughty.....Lionheart......" Adel growled, rising slowly. "You need to realize that I am stronger than your friend here, and that I do not like loosing control.......understand....?"
Seifer's voice came out dangerously frightening with Adel's control, sending chills up Squall's spine. As the sorceress moved closer to the chained SeeD Commander, she bent down to pick up the dagger that had been dropped.
(No....please, no.....) Squall thought desperately. (.......God, help me......please.....)
"I think it's about time we got started with our fun.......wouldn't you agree.....?" Adel whispered, staring Squall straight in his silvery blue eyes. She placed the flat side of the dagger against Squall's face, running it down his cheek.....his neck....down his chest to his stomach where it remained......only to twist so that the sharp point of the blade was pressed against Squall's skin.
"Seifer...." Squall whispered, fear dripping from his voice. "....you don't want to do this......"
Adel narrowed her eyes, leaning in close to Squall's face. "How many times do I have to say it? I am *not* your fucking friend!! I'm the one who's going to kill you. I'm the one who's going to make you scream. And when I'm through, you'll wish you'd taken your own gunblade in the heart......"
Squall closed his eyes, a single tear finding its way down his face. He could feel the tip of the dagger on his stomach, and he waited for the moment it would pierce his skin, plunging deep into his body......by the hand of a close friend.
It didn't. Squall waited a lifetime to feel *his* taken away, but the moment never came. Pushing his fears aside, Squall opened his eyes. Seifer....Adel....was still there, glaring murderously at him, but she seemed to be struggling as beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. Squall looked down, seeing the dagger still where he could feel it against his skin, but the hand that held it was trembling severely, clenching tight on the handle of the weapon.
(......Seifer.....he's fighting her......) Squall realized with growing hope. (He's stopping her from hurting me......)
"That's it, Seifer," Squall said confidently. "Force her away. Take back control!"
Adel glared with a vengeance at the SeeD Commander, her teeth clenched as she struggled to regain her power of the body she'd overtaken. "..no...this...isn't...possible..." She gasped. Then the pain seized her once again, the knife clanging as it hit the metal floor when she dropped it, grasping her throbbing head.
When the agony passed, Seifer's wide, frightened eyes had returned. Squall smiled as his friend stood up tall, wiping the sweat from his face.
"I knew you could do it, Seifer," Squall beamed. "I knew you....."
"It's not what you think..." Seifer whispered in interruption. "I can't control her completely. I can't keep her away......"
"Don't worry," Squall assured him. "We'll find a way to get her out of you. Everything will be fi....."
"Everything will NOT be fine!!" Seifer yelled, making Squall flinch. "All the things she's made me do........killing Ash....the kids.....what I did to Quisty.....what I meant to do to you.......I can't risk waiting for some cure knowing what I might do if she takes control again!"
Squall watched Seifer bend down to pick up the dagger in a trembling hand, terrified by what Seifer meant.
"Seifer.....think rationally about what you're doing....." Squall said carefully, staring at Seifer who was gazing with wonder at the dagger in his hand. "Don't do anything rash. We can beat this.....together.....you don't have to....."
"But I do..." Seifer cut in, turning his head towards Squall. "I wanted to do this before......but Zell stopped me. Heh. Look how I repaid him for saving my life......I knocked him out......nearly shot him.......I can't risk that happening again. I have to do this......"
Squall felt himself panicking as Seifer closed his eyes, turning the point of the dagger towards his own stomach, and pressing it to the skin. Worst of all, Squall was chained up, unable to stop Seifer if he.......did do the unthinkable. He would have to watch his friend die.......
"No!" Squall called out. "Seifer.....please.....don't....."
Tears fell from both ocean and sky-blue pairs of eyes, one set tightly closed, while the other looked on in horror.
"I'm sorry.....Squall....." Seifer whimpered. "......forgive me......."
Time slowed unbearably, but not nearly slow enough. Seifer let out one last shuddering breath, before........he plunged the dagger deep into his stomach. His eyes shot open with the act, and he let out a gasped cry from the pain. Hands already covered in blood fell to his sides, and he stumbled back against the wall, sliding to the floor with a look of shocked disorientation.
Tears poured down Squall's face, wishing the scene that had unfolded before his eyes to be a dream. Please, God, let it all just be a dream.
"No......" Squall breathed. ".....Seifer.....God, no......"
Seifer blinked, crimson staining his skin around the wound, and pooling to the floor beneath him. He looked up at Squall against the opposite wall, his gaze appearing misted and confused.
"......I'm.....sorry.....Squall....." his faltering voice began. "......it's....the only.....way....."
Quivering as if from a deep cold, Squall slowly shook his head, biting his lower lip to steady his emotions. ".....Seifer.....you are *so* wrong......" he insisted, his vision blurred and misted like Seifer's from the tears he couldn't wipe away. "....there has to be something........you.......you can still get help......we can......HELP!!" Squall screamed suddenly, lifting his head up to the ceiling. "Someone please! Help! Help.....please......"
"....don't.....worry.....Squall...." Seifer whispered, pausing then to bend over in a coughing fit that left a splatter of blood on the metal floor. When he leaned painfully back against the wall, he continued. ".....it's....better.....anyway......I've hurt.......so many people.....even.......the woman I love......"
Squall listened in disbelief, watching as Seifer paled, the blood rushing from his face. He couldn't bear to see his friend fade, but he couldn't turn his gaze away either.
"What will Quistis think if you do this? If you let yourself die?" Squall began bitterly, pushing past angered tears. "Do you think she'll be happy that you're gone? Do you think she'll be better off?!"
Seifer flinched, his staggering breath becoming more and more ragged with each passing moment. Squall could tell that Seifer was thinking the statements over, so he pressed on.
"And what about the rest of us?" he whispered. "What about me?"
With fresh tears releasing down his ashen face, Seifer swallowed hard, not sure how to answer.
"I know I was a jackass, Seifer." Squall continued. "I didn't even give you the benefit of the doubt. But......please don't quit on me. It's not too late. Get up. Just get up and unlock these chains holding me back. I can help you,"
Seifer closed his eyes, sighing wearily. (Why is he doing this.....?) the weakened knight wondered. (I've made my choice.......I should......I deserve to.....die......)
"Seifer.....please....." Squall pleaded, interrupting Seifer's thoughts. "There's still time......"
Slowly allowing his eyes to open, Seifer looked with longing eyes at Squall, strained by conflicting emotions, but finally opening his mouth as if to speak......when suddenly.......
"Anybody down there?!" a rich, baritone voice echoed near the door at the top of the stairs in the corner.
Both Seifer and Squall's heads twitched up at the sound.
"Oh, *that's* smart, Irvine!" a second voice sounded sarcastically. "Why don't you just announce to everyone we're here?!"
(It's Irvine and Zell....) Squall thought with hope. (They found us!)
"Well, excuse me, Shorty!" Irvine called, seeming closer to the door than before. "Would you have preferred I'd said, 'Oh, Seifer, any chance you're torturing our beloved Commander near by!'?"
"Shut up, you idiots!" Squall yelled. "We're down here!"
There was a pause. Then.....
"Squall?" Zell's voice questioned. "That you, man?" Pounding and curses sounded through the door as Irvine and Zell tried to break in. Eventually, the door gave way, and the two came flying down the stairs into the tiny, darkened room.
Seifer remained silent, but he stared in fear at the two men when they came into view.
Though Zell and Irvine seemed frozen in place as they looked back and forth between Squall and Seifer in shock, not understanding what had happened, Squall finally felt the sweet taste of control returning.
"Don't just stand there!" he screamed, the tears dried on his face. "Help him!"
Zell shook free of his daze first, immediately rushing towards Seifer against the far wall. As soon as Zell came close to him, however, Seifer clumsily tried to push himself away, still unsure if help was really what he wanted. Zell paused, looking back at Squall questioningly.
"'Damn you, Seifer." Squall breathed. "Let them help you! You don't want to die......Quisty doesn't want you to die. None of us do."
Tension hung in the air as precious time slipped away. Seifer had lost so much blood, he could barely retain consciousness. They had to act now if they were going to save him.
(.....he's right......isn't he....?) Seifer thought, moving his gaze over each of them, and then down at his own bleeding body. (....they wanna help me.....they wanna help........I don't wanna die!)
"....ok." Seifer gasped out. ".....don't let me......don't let me die.......please....."
That was more than enough incentive for Zell and Irvine to act. They swiftly moved to Seifer, lifting him from the ground as gently as they could. Moving towards the exist, Irvine suddenly motioned for them to stop, turning back to Squall.
"What about you?" he asked the crucified Commander.
"I'll be alright for awhile," Squall reassured them. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. Just make sure Seifer makes it to the Infirmary. You can worry about me later,"
Irvine and Zell nodded, moving once again towards the door. This time, however, Seifer was the one who stopped them.
"......thank you....." his failing voice whispered to Squall.
Squall's lips curled up in a small smile, breathing a sigh of relief. "Any time."
**********
Please forgive me for taking so long, but this is my favorite part and I wanted it to be perfect. Was it worth the wait? Please tell me yes. Actually, please tell me anything and I'll be happy. :-) So, things have started to come together. All that's left is how to get rid of Adel. Will Seifer live? Will Adel be vanquished? How will this story end? Well, you'll find out in the next part......because that will be the end! Happy waiting! Please Review! And........I love every last one of you!! :-)
Define fear. Is it a sense of dread? A feeling of hopelessness? A cold sweat that clings to your skin after a nightmare? The feeling of your heart being gripped mercilessly by something you can't control, or run from, or fight? Or....is it the final realization that you have no place left to run......?
Squall opened his eyes painfully, his head still throbbing from the recent blow. His memory was hazy as he came to, filling him with confusion and a dull sense of fear he couldn't quite place. He could see nothing in front of him but darkness as he looked around, and he strained to see beyond the shadows. If he squinted just right he could almost make out the outline of something......someone.......
Flashes of memory drifted back into Squall's mind, and he flinched involuntarily, struggling to move in a panic over what.....or who.....was there with him. But.....he couldn't. His arms and legs seemed to be chained down somehow. He also took note of the fact that he was still upright, which meant he was probably chained up against a wall. Just like in the D-District Prison.......
(No!) Squall thought fearfully. (I won't go through that again....) He pulled and strained against his bonds, trying desperately to get free. Amidst his frantic struggling, he began to hear something coming from that shadowy figure in front of him. Squall froze. It was a soft sound at first, a low murmuring, but soon he began to realize what it truly was as it rose in intensity. It was laughter. A deep, sinister laughter that made Squall's blood run cold. He knew that laughter well.
"Seifer...." Squall breathed through clenched teeth. He remembered it all now. His panic and concern for Zell, the anxiety of loosing Seifer, a sharp blow to the head. Oh yes, he remembered.
"Comfy?" Seifer sneered, flicking on a dim light from a string that hung in the center of the room. The glare of its shallow illumination blinded Squall a moment, until his eyes began to adjust. Then as the room took shape around him, Squall realized where they were.
(.....hanging wires......old machinery.....) Squall observed to himself. (.....the dull metal walls......that smell of rust and gears. We must be in the lower levels of Garden....)
"Not going to answer me, Leonheart?" Seifer asked, stepping closer to Squall. So close in fact that Squall could feel the warmth of Seifer's breath beating down on him. Squall realized then that he couldn't have been very high off the ground.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Seifer pressed.
Squall glared back at him, hating Seifer for this. Hating him so much for everything he'd done.
"You bastard...." Squall growled darkly. "....why are you doing this?"
Seifer laughed back at him with that unbearable laugh. "So many reasons really," he replied, taking a step back to pace thoughtfully in front of Squall. "Revenge? Originally that's what it was. But now......heh.....now it's just for kicks,"
Squall shuddered from Seifer's heartlessness. Despite his own suspicions, it was a bitter truth to swallow that Seifer could be so cruel, so unlike the person they had all thought they knew.
"All this time....you *were* just using us....." Squall stated, more to himself than as a question for Seifer. "We forgave you, cared for you, accepted you as a friend.......and you were lying to us the whole time?!"
Seifer grinned wickedly at Squall's outburst, stepping closer to him once again. "Isn't that what you've been thinking since all this started anyway, you spineless twerp? Huh? This shouldn't shock you at all, since you were the first one to pass your damn, righteous judgment on me!"
Squall felt something cold and sharp run up along his side then, making him shiver. He looked down to discover a very long dagger gleaming in Seifer's hand.
"Oh, this doesn't bother you, does it?" Seifer smirked, holding the dagger up to Squall's face. "I just thought we could have a little fun. You know, searing pain, screams no one will answer. Hehe. Whadda ya say.....?" He whispered that last line right beside Squall's ear, cherishing the shuddering breath that escaped Squall's lips.
"It doesn't matter what you do to me, Seifer....." Squall breathed, staring blankly forward, refusing to give Seifer the satisfaction of seeing him afraid. "You won't live to finish this. You won't....." He turned his head, looking Seifer full in the face. "The others.....they'll hunt you down......they'll stop you. They'll make you pay for this you damn, son-of-a-bitch!! Do you hear me?! You...!" He was unexpectedly silenced as the dagger slashed brutally across his face, forcing him to flinch his head to the side.
"Shut up!!" Seifer barked, giving Squall at least some satisfaction in his rival's obvious lack of self-control.
"Can't handle the truth....?" Squall dared, turning his aching face back to Seifer, and ignoring the blood running freely down the side of it. "You know you can't win in this,"
Seifer laughed smugly, collecting himself from his own, little outburst, and running his free hand defiantly through his golden-blonde hair.
"I think you misunderstand....."
Seifer pulled himself even closer to Squall, nearly pressed up against him, and held the dagger dangerously to Squall's throat.
"You see...Squall....I'm in control here," he whispered. "I have the power and the desire to carry out what I want. And.........I want you......." Seifer leaned in close, his warm breath lingering on Squall's neck. Pressing even closer, he slowly ran his tongue up along that fresh cut on Squall's face, quivering with twisted pleasure at the taste of Squall's blood between his lips.
Squall gasped, his stomach churning from the sensation, shuddering in repulsion at Seifer's act. (Oh, God........this isn't happening.......) he thought in sudden desperation.
"You sick......bastard....." Squall growled softly, despising Seifer's lingering presence as the former knight remained so uncomfortably close to him. "......how could I have ever trusted you.....?"
Seifer smiled an intoxicating smirk, cupping Squall's chin in his left hand and forcing Squall to look him straight in the eyes.
"You're such a fool...." Seifer began.
"You're right!" Squall cut him off. "I'm a fool. A fool for believing in you!! I was so stupid to think you could change, to think you'd ever be anything but a killer! Deep down my better judgment kept telling me you'd betray us........I should've seen you for the murdering freak that you are!!"
Seifer never lost his grin, but only gripped Squall's face more harshly, pulling them nearly nose to nose.
"Such little faith you have in your friend......" Seifer sneered secretively. "Maybe I should let you in on a little secret.......since you obviously can't figure it out for yourself,"
Squall blinked, not understanding. "What secret?" he pressed. "What are you talking about, Seifer?"
Seifer laughed in amusement, and pulling himself right beside Squall's ear, he whispered. "I'm........not........Seifer......."
Squall's breath quickened as he stared blindly in shocked disbelief, feeling his insides tighten and ache within him. Eyes filling with wondering fear, he glued his gaze on Seifer as the cruel knight pulled away with an evil grin.
"Wha....What?" Squall gasped out, trembling, though barely conscious of the act. "What are you saying.....?"
Seifer chuckled, seemingly in good humor, but clearly menacing behind any false intentions. "I'm saying......I am *not* Seifer Almasy," he stated, pulling fully away from Squall to allow the SeeD Commander a chance at absorbing what he'd said. "Don't get me wrong, Squally boy, this *is* his body. Odd fit, but it's serving its purpose. Besides.....it is *so* much fun messing with this boy's mind.......I couldn't ask for a better.....hmmm......mode of transportation....?" The impostor laughed once again.
Squall shivered. (Is it true....?) he wondered. (Is Seifer under someone else's control.....? But.....then who.....?)
"Who are you?" Squall breathed in demand, narrowing his gaze as he thought over possibilities.
"You should be able to figure that out," the stranger smiled. "Just think........who are the only beings in this world capable of taking possession of another person?"
Squall didn't have to think. He knew. ".....a sorceress...." he mumbled, a million different thoughts flashing through his mind. "....a new sorceress?"
"Not new," the imposing person corrected. "Just forgotten. I'm sure you never expected to face *me* again......" she laughed eerily, in Seifer's unmistakable voice. Squall never would have guessed a sorceress was in control if he hadn't been told by the perpetrator him......herself.
"But....you can't be......Ultimecia...?" Squall insisted. "It's not possible....."
The sorceress in knight's clothing stepped slightly closer to Squall, grinning in defiance. "Not Ultimecia, little boy. Try again....."
Squall's forehead wrinkled in concentration, trying to figure out who else it could possibly be. "But...the only other sorceress was...." Then it hit him. "....Adel...."
The sorceress' grin widened, and she clapped her hands twice in a sarcastic applause. "Bravo," she smirked. "Sorceress Adel, alive and well,"
Glowering at Adel's laughter resonating once again, Squall demanded answers. "How?" He growled. "How can you be alive? How did you take control of Seifer?"
Adel allowed her laughter to fade, shaking her head sadly. "It's really very simple." she stated. "When you....killed me....your little friend, Ellone, sent Ultimecia back to her body, and tried to send me into mine from the past. Now, my body in the past already had my......essence, so to speak, so it wasn't possible for me to.....set up shop. I could have tried to hand my powers over to that lovely brat sorceress, Rinoa, but by the time I realized I didn't have a body of my own, your little crew was already on there way through Time Compression."
Adel ran a hand through Seifer's blonde hair, pacing slightly as she told her tale.
"What was I to do?" she continued. "I couldn't truly die without giving up my powers, but I didn't have a sorceress to give my powers to. If another sorceress had been near, I probably would have just taken control of her instead, but there wasn't one. There wasn't anyone........except for one, poor, lost soul, left all alone. Can you guess who?"
Squall stared in disbelief at Adel as she paused in her pacing to smile over at him. Her story seemed to make sense, but to Squall it just didn't add up.
"Wait a minute...." He began in reply. "I see where you're going with this. Seifer was the only person still in Lunatic Pandora once Time Compression started. But, how could you have possessed his body? Seifer's no sorceress, and if you couldn't enter your own body from the past because it was already occupied, what's the difference with him?"
Carrying on with tradition, Adel let out a cruel laugh, grinning almost with pity at Squall.
"Don't you know the rule?" she asked. "No two truly identical organisms can exist at the same time in the same place. Even if my spirit from the past was younger than me, we were still the same thing. As for how I claimed this darling body for my own.......usually I wouldn't have been able to. A sorceress can only possess another sorceress, unless.......hehe. Unless the body I take has a very weak strength of will."
Squall grimaced. Seifer hadn't been himself at all towards the end. He'd betrayed, been betrayed, and had exhausted all options left to him only to fail. Only to loose his romantic dream once and for all. Against Adel at a time like that, he couldn't have stood a chance.
"Then......why did you wait so long to come after us?" Squall asked.
"Simple," she replied. "Because he wasn't a sorceress, I had to gain a little leverage. It took me nearly a year to take control, but the dreams I sent him weakened his defenses perfectly."
Seifer had told Squall of his nightmares once upon a time, but the SeeD Commander had practically dismissed them. He had wanted to help his friend, but he figured that being merely dreams they would go away. How blind he'd been.
(*She* sent those dreams....) Squall thought. (She's been the cause of all of this.....)
"You.....turned him into a killer....." Squall breathed, fury rising within him. "You had him kill those three, innocent people, making him suffer with the guilt. You turned me against him....."
"Now, now...." she interrupted. "You turned against him all on your own, Leonheart. Don't put the blame on me,"
Squall clenched his eye shut in remorse at that. ".....you're right. But, you still used him as a murderer. Why? Why kill Ashton? Why kill.....those children, when you were after us, the ones who killed *you*!"
Adel let her grin grow, walking up close to Squall. "I had to know how strong my control over him was until I could completely take over. Besides....." She started, whispering in Squall's ear. ".....I just *loved* hearing them scream....."
Squall's entire body was trembling now, but not from fear or even completely from disgust. He was trembling out of rage and desperate determination.
"You fucking bitch!!" Squall screamed, lunging his body forward as much as his restraints would allow. Adel stumbled back away from him, laughing at Squall's futile attempts to get free.
"Tsk, tsk, Squally boy. Such language." she sneered.
Daggers piercing from his eyes, Squall took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and think of his best course of action. (Pointless outbursts are not going to help the situation) He thought. (I have to think.......I have to.....to.....to get Seifer back in control......yes!)
"Seifer...." Squall began, pleading eyes looking right through the evil sorceress. "....I know you're in there, somewhere. You have to beat her. Take back control! You're stronger than she is! Don't let her......"
"Enough!" she yelled, cutting him off. Adel shot out her arm, gripping Squall's neck roughly with her free hand. "You can't reach him, little boy. Seifer doesn't live here anymore. I'm in control, so don't even bother trying to save your friend, cause it won't do you any good!"
Returning her gaze unwaveringly, Squall answered with complete conviction. "Then why are you so afraid to let me try?"
Adel snarled, appearing like she was about to reply, when she suddenly released Squall's neck, gripping her own head in agony, and crying out in pain. Squall looked on in wonder as she practically sank to her knees, clutching the sides of her head. When whatever had been afflicting her subsided, she looked up at Squall with wide, horrified eyes, and then scrambled back away from him in fear, stumbling to the floor.
"S...Squa....Squall....?" Seifer's voice asked timidly.
Squall stared at the person on the floor, filled with hope, wondering if perhaps it was.....
"....Seifer.....?" he breathed.
Nodding as he staggered to his feet, Seifer rose, tears forming in his large, turquoise eyes.
"Oh, God.....Squall......what did I almost do....?" Seifer asked, staring down at the dagger still in his right hand. Shaking uncontrollably, it fell from his grasp, and he pulled his hands tight to his chest, gasping for breath.
"Nothing, Seifer," Squall stated firmly. "You haven't done anything. It was Adel. It was Adel who did every last thing. Not you,"
Seifer shook his head frantically. "No....it was me, too.....I let her control me.......I didn't fight hard enough......"
"That's not true Seifer. Don't you dare believe that!"
Looking up at Squall's commanding, confident words, the tears started to fall down Seifer's cheeks, staining his face.
".....you believe in me now....?" Seifer asked softly, causing Squall to turn his head away from him in guilt. "You *do* believe in me."
Seifer sounded surprised at his own statement, but continued with great passion behind his words. "You know......Squall.....you're the......the closest thing......I have....to a brother.....I only wanted you.....to trust me.....and....."
"Stop..." Squall interrupted, pained by Seifer's words. "...don't say that.....please. Dammit, I was the one who believed in you the least! I should've seen the truth, but....I immediately assumed......."
"No...it's alright...." Seifer in turn cut Squall off. "If I was you....dealing with me.....I would've done the same. I deserved it anyway. I should've realized what was happening. I should've stopped her somehow......"
Seifer seemed so far away to Squall, so broken and distant. "It wasn't your fault, Seifer. It was Adel's, only Adel's, and you can beat her. You *can* stop her now,"
Once again Seifer shook his head fiercely. "No.....I can't. I can feel her inside of me, taking control. I can't fight her......I'm too weak to fight her......"
Squall felt Seifer slipping away, loosing hope, but he couldn't let that happen.
"That's not true Seifer, not one bit." he stated firmly. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Look, you're doing it right now. You're beating her,"
Seifer reached his hands up to his head, digging his fingernails into his scalp and clutching his hair in tension. "No....I can feel her.....she's coming back.....she's.....Ah....AHHH!" Seifer cried out, falling to the ground as he gripped his head harshly.
Once again, the pain slowly subsided, only this time when Seifer's head lifted to look at Squall, the face wore an ugly, twisted snarl.
"Naughty......naughty.....Lionheart......" Adel growled, rising slowly. "You need to realize that I am stronger than your friend here, and that I do not like loosing control.......understand....?"
Seifer's voice came out dangerously frightening with Adel's control, sending chills up Squall's spine. As the sorceress moved closer to the chained SeeD Commander, she bent down to pick up the dagger that had been dropped.
(No....please, no.....) Squall thought desperately. (.......God, help me......please.....)
"I think it's about time we got started with our fun.......wouldn't you agree.....?" Adel whispered, staring Squall straight in his silvery blue eyes. She placed the flat side of the dagger against Squall's face, running it down his cheek.....his neck....down his chest to his stomach where it remained......only to twist so that the sharp point of the blade was pressed against Squall's skin.
"Seifer...." Squall whispered, fear dripping from his voice. "....you don't want to do this......"
Adel narrowed her eyes, leaning in close to Squall's face. "How many times do I have to say it? I am *not* your fucking friend!! I'm the one who's going to kill you. I'm the one who's going to make you scream. And when I'm through, you'll wish you'd taken your own gunblade in the heart......"
Squall closed his eyes, a single tear finding its way down his face. He could feel the tip of the dagger on his stomach, and he waited for the moment it would pierce his skin, plunging deep into his body......by the hand of a close friend.
It didn't. Squall waited a lifetime to feel *his* taken away, but the moment never came. Pushing his fears aside, Squall opened his eyes. Seifer....Adel....was still there, glaring murderously at him, but she seemed to be struggling as beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. Squall looked down, seeing the dagger still where he could feel it against his skin, but the hand that held it was trembling severely, clenching tight on the handle of the weapon.
(......Seifer.....he's fighting her......) Squall realized with growing hope. (He's stopping her from hurting me......)
"That's it, Seifer," Squall said confidently. "Force her away. Take back control!"
Adel glared with a vengeance at the SeeD Commander, her teeth clenched as she struggled to regain her power of the body she'd overtaken. "..no...this...isn't...possible..." She gasped. Then the pain seized her once again, the knife clanging as it hit the metal floor when she dropped it, grasping her throbbing head.
When the agony passed, Seifer's wide, frightened eyes had returned. Squall smiled as his friend stood up tall, wiping the sweat from his face.
"I knew you could do it, Seifer," Squall beamed. "I knew you....."
"It's not what you think..." Seifer whispered in interruption. "I can't control her completely. I can't keep her away......"
"Don't worry," Squall assured him. "We'll find a way to get her out of you. Everything will be fi....."
"Everything will NOT be fine!!" Seifer yelled, making Squall flinch. "All the things she's made me do........killing Ash....the kids.....what I did to Quisty.....what I meant to do to you.......I can't risk waiting for some cure knowing what I might do if she takes control again!"
Squall watched Seifer bend down to pick up the dagger in a trembling hand, terrified by what Seifer meant.
"Seifer.....think rationally about what you're doing....." Squall said carefully, staring at Seifer who was gazing with wonder at the dagger in his hand. "Don't do anything rash. We can beat this.....together.....you don't have to....."
"But I do..." Seifer cut in, turning his head towards Squall. "I wanted to do this before......but Zell stopped me. Heh. Look how I repaid him for saving my life......I knocked him out......nearly shot him.......I can't risk that happening again. I have to do this......"
Squall felt himself panicking as Seifer closed his eyes, turning the point of the dagger towards his own stomach, and pressing it to the skin. Worst of all, Squall was chained up, unable to stop Seifer if he.......did do the unthinkable. He would have to watch his friend die.......
"No!" Squall called out. "Seifer.....please.....don't....."
Tears fell from both ocean and sky-blue pairs of eyes, one set tightly closed, while the other looked on in horror.
"I'm sorry.....Squall....." Seifer whimpered. "......forgive me......."
Time slowed unbearably, but not nearly slow enough. Seifer let out one last shuddering breath, before........he plunged the dagger deep into his stomach. His eyes shot open with the act, and he let out a gasped cry from the pain. Hands already covered in blood fell to his sides, and he stumbled back against the wall, sliding to the floor with a look of shocked disorientation.
Tears poured down Squall's face, wishing the scene that had unfolded before his eyes to be a dream. Please, God, let it all just be a dream.
"No......" Squall breathed. ".....Seifer.....God, no......"
Seifer blinked, crimson staining his skin around the wound, and pooling to the floor beneath him. He looked up at Squall against the opposite wall, his gaze appearing misted and confused.
"......I'm.....sorry.....Squall....." his faltering voice began. "......it's....the only.....way....."
Quivering as if from a deep cold, Squall slowly shook his head, biting his lower lip to steady his emotions. ".....Seifer.....you are *so* wrong......" he insisted, his vision blurred and misted like Seifer's from the tears he couldn't wipe away. "....there has to be something........you.......you can still get help......we can......HELP!!" Squall screamed suddenly, lifting his head up to the ceiling. "Someone please! Help! Help.....please......"
"....don't.....worry.....Squall...." Seifer whispered, pausing then to bend over in a coughing fit that left a splatter of blood on the metal floor. When he leaned painfully back against the wall, he continued. ".....it's....better.....anyway......I've hurt.......so many people.....even.......the woman I love......"
Squall listened in disbelief, watching as Seifer paled, the blood rushing from his face. He couldn't bear to see his friend fade, but he couldn't turn his gaze away either.
"What will Quistis think if you do this? If you let yourself die?" Squall began bitterly, pushing past angered tears. "Do you think she'll be happy that you're gone? Do you think she'll be better off?!"
Seifer flinched, his staggering breath becoming more and more ragged with each passing moment. Squall could tell that Seifer was thinking the statements over, so he pressed on.
"And what about the rest of us?" he whispered. "What about me?"
With fresh tears releasing down his ashen face, Seifer swallowed hard, not sure how to answer.
"I know I was a jackass, Seifer." Squall continued. "I didn't even give you the benefit of the doubt. But......please don't quit on me. It's not too late. Get up. Just get up and unlock these chains holding me back. I can help you,"
Seifer closed his eyes, sighing wearily. (Why is he doing this.....?) the weakened knight wondered. (I've made my choice.......I should......I deserve to.....die......)
"Seifer.....please....." Squall pleaded, interrupting Seifer's thoughts. "There's still time......"
Slowly allowing his eyes to open, Seifer looked with longing eyes at Squall, strained by conflicting emotions, but finally opening his mouth as if to speak......when suddenly.......
"Anybody down there?!" a rich, baritone voice echoed near the door at the top of the stairs in the corner.
Both Seifer and Squall's heads twitched up at the sound.
"Oh, *that's* smart, Irvine!" a second voice sounded sarcastically. "Why don't you just announce to everyone we're here?!"
(It's Irvine and Zell....) Squall thought with hope. (They found us!)
"Well, excuse me, Shorty!" Irvine called, seeming closer to the door than before. "Would you have preferred I'd said, 'Oh, Seifer, any chance you're torturing our beloved Commander near by!'?"
"Shut up, you idiots!" Squall yelled. "We're down here!"
There was a pause. Then.....
"Squall?" Zell's voice questioned. "That you, man?" Pounding and curses sounded through the door as Irvine and Zell tried to break in. Eventually, the door gave way, and the two came flying down the stairs into the tiny, darkened room.
Seifer remained silent, but he stared in fear at the two men when they came into view.
Though Zell and Irvine seemed frozen in place as they looked back and forth between Squall and Seifer in shock, not understanding what had happened, Squall finally felt the sweet taste of control returning.
"Don't just stand there!" he screamed, the tears dried on his face. "Help him!"
Zell shook free of his daze first, immediately rushing towards Seifer against the far wall. As soon as Zell came close to him, however, Seifer clumsily tried to push himself away, still unsure if help was really what he wanted. Zell paused, looking back at Squall questioningly.
"'Damn you, Seifer." Squall breathed. "Let them help you! You don't want to die......Quisty doesn't want you to die. None of us do."
Tension hung in the air as precious time slipped away. Seifer had lost so much blood, he could barely retain consciousness. They had to act now if they were going to save him.
(.....he's right......isn't he....?) Seifer thought, moving his gaze over each of them, and then down at his own bleeding body. (....they wanna help me.....they wanna help........I don't wanna die!)
"....ok." Seifer gasped out. ".....don't let me......don't let me die.......please....."
That was more than enough incentive for Zell and Irvine to act. They swiftly moved to Seifer, lifting him from the ground as gently as they could. Moving towards the exist, Irvine suddenly motioned for them to stop, turning back to Squall.
"What about you?" he asked the crucified Commander.
"I'll be alright for awhile," Squall reassured them. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. Just make sure Seifer makes it to the Infirmary. You can worry about me later,"
Irvine and Zell nodded, moving once again towards the door. This time, however, Seifer was the one who stopped them.
"......thank you....." his failing voice whispered to Squall.
Squall's lips curled up in a small smile, breathing a sigh of relief. "Any time."
**********
Please forgive me for taking so long, but this is my favorite part and I wanted it to be perfect. Was it worth the wait? Please tell me yes. Actually, please tell me anything and I'll be happy. :-) So, things have started to come together. All that's left is how to get rid of Adel. Will Seifer live? Will Adel be vanquished? How will this story end? Well, you'll find out in the next part......because that will be the end! Happy waiting! Please Review! And........I love every last one of you!! :-)