Always Together, Eternally Apart
Chapter 3: The Man They Call Seifer
2 years later
Disclaimer: All right here we go again. No, I don't own FF8 or any of it's characters, but I do own mine! Jeez!
Authors Note: Okay people, I hope this one is long enough. In this one everything is explained if you haven't figured it out already. Which if you haven't figured it out, no offense but you're kinda slow! Anyway, I like this chapter so far, and I hope you do too. Enjoy!
Seifer Almasy grunted as he slashed the green brown tree out his way. He didn't know what he was looking for, he only knew that he had to get the hell out of Balamb. 2 years it had been now and the Garden still wasn't back to normal. Those two were what kept it all together. Seifer had only shrugged off the marriage announcement to keep his reputation. But inside, his soul had leapt for joy. It wasn't that he didn't want to share his feelings, because he really did. He had just done it for so long that it was a habit. Deep down, Squall was his best friend. So he set out to find them. To find the two people in this world whom still knew that there was a greater Seifer inside.
He stopped abruptly when he heard soft murmuring beyond the trees. He strained to hear, and a bright grin spread across his face when he identified the person. He restrained himself from running up to him and hugging him with all his might. He forced himself to walk toward the sounds. His heart was leaping in his chest. He wondered if Rinoa was okay. He drew in a breath when he saw Squall riding atop a gorgeous jet black Pacifino. Where the hell did he get that? It didn't matter right then. What mattered now was that he was alive! He also had a delicate snow-white dove resting peacefully on his shoulder, which he was talking to. Wow, he really had gone nuts out here if he was talking to birds now. Seifer pushed away the bushes in front of him and revealed himself to Squall. "Squall?" Seifer breathed softly. "Seifer?" Squall replied as he slipped off of his horse. Each one stared at the other for a moment, waiting to see what the other would do. Just then, Squall pulled him into a warm embrace that both had needed for 2 long years. When they pulled back, both of them wiped the tears furiously from their cheeks, "Where's Rinoa?" Seifer immediately regretted the words when he saw Squall's reaction. His bright eyes looked down at the ground as if there was something incredibly interesting about it. "Oh, I'm sorry man." Seifer said apologetically. Squall looked up. "She's not dead Seifer." He said and then murmured lower, "But she might as well be." Seifer looked confused. "What do you mean?" "I'll explain later. Let's go find a place to make camp." Squall replied dryly. "All right. Let's go."
As they were sitting around the warm fire, Seifer watched Squall through the flickering flames. He decided to ask about the earlier conversation. "So explain. Where is Rinoa and why are we having a fire if it's not even dark?" Squall looked up and thought about where to start. "Well, do you remember Alexander Hanson?" He asked him. Squall still shuddered at that name. "That creepy kid? Sure, I know him." This made Squall chuckle slightly at the remark. "He loved Rinoa, and was angry that she didn't love him back. So when he heard about the marriage, he decided to break it apart." Seifer listened intently to the wise man before him. "He found a spell that could make a happy couple always together, and eternally apart." "How?" He pursued. "He fixed it so I would be a wolf by night, and she a dove by day." Squall finished and looked away to hide a single tear that had escaped without permission. "Man, that sucks, I'm sorry." Seifer tried to sound brotherly, but failed in the attempt. "It's okay. The two worst things about it are one, you wake up naked every morning," this received a slight chuckle from the man across from him, but it cut off abruptly when he said the next thing. "And two, we get to see each other sometimes in the morning for one brief moment, and before we can touch, she turns into a dove and swiftly flies away." Seifer felt a pang of sadness for Squall. They had loved each other more than life itself. And they still did. This man, this Alexander had destroyed that love, that one feeling that you've waited for for your entire life and you fear that you'll lose it in a second. And this couple's fears had come true. He also felt a wave of anger then. A moment of silence passed between them, and Seifer broke it promptly. "So… this wolf that you turn in to… does it… kill?" Seifer asked, afraid to know the answer. "I don't know. I can't remember anything that happens when I'm in that form." Squall replied softly. He was afraid for his friend. He didn't want to be responsible for his death. Rinoa would just have to protect him the best she could. But he wasn't sure that even that was enough. Seifer sat for a moment, deep in thought. He thought about the danger he could be in staying here with Squall. Inside, he mentally smacked himself for the thought. The important thing was that he was with Squall, and he was alive. And Rinoa was alive too; he just didn't get to see her as much. "Dusk is approaching." Squall said after a while. "Tell Rinoa everything that was said here tonight." He hesitated, "And tell her that I love her."
Seifer had watched in awe at the transformation of the two. He turned when Rinoa appeared, remembering what Squall had said.
Rinoa rushed to get her clothes on, embarrassed that a man was there, looking at her. When she was fully clothed, she turned to who she thought was just some creepy guy who liked to watch girls get dressed and asked him, "Excuse me? Can I help you?" She asked sweetly. The man turned towards her and her mouth gaped open in surprise. "Seifer…" she breathed. They ran and embraced each other happily. Two years was way too long to be away from the person you had spent an entire summer with. "How did you find us?" She asked when she had caught her breath. "Well," he started. "When you hear a real familiar voice talking to a pigeon, you start to wonder." She punched him playfully in the shoulder and commented, "It's a dove!" But chuckled just the same. She became solemn again after a good laugh. "What did Squall say?" He went through all that happened, and got to an important part. "He also wanted me to tell you that he loves you." She stopped, and flushed a light rose pink. "He said that?" she asked softly. "Of course. He asked you to marry him two years ago didn't he? Anyway, do you know where he is?" He replied shakily. As if on cue, a low, sad cry echoed through the dark forest. Seifer shuddered, but Rinoa was unaffected. "Go to bed. I'll protect you." Seifer felt odd, hearing this coming from a woman, but at the same time he felt reassured. She knew what she was doing. So he walked briskly into the spare pup tent that Squall carried, and got into a sleeping bag. 'Man, that guy is prepared for anything.' He mused to himself. With that, he drifted off to sleep slowly.
Rinoa strained to see in the darkness. 'He has to be here somewhere…' she thought desperately. Just then, she heard the cry again, and jumped when she saw him tear through the bushes. He started to snarl, but saw who it was and whimpered to her. She breathed a sigh of relief, and walked toward him. They strode through the forest as if they were one. Rinoa felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She had successfully led Squall away from Seifer.
Chapter 3: The Man They Call Seifer
2 years later
Disclaimer: All right here we go again. No, I don't own FF8 or any of it's characters, but I do own mine! Jeez!
Authors Note: Okay people, I hope this one is long enough. In this one everything is explained if you haven't figured it out already. Which if you haven't figured it out, no offense but you're kinda slow! Anyway, I like this chapter so far, and I hope you do too. Enjoy!
Seifer Almasy grunted as he slashed the green brown tree out his way. He didn't know what he was looking for, he only knew that he had to get the hell out of Balamb. 2 years it had been now and the Garden still wasn't back to normal. Those two were what kept it all together. Seifer had only shrugged off the marriage announcement to keep his reputation. But inside, his soul had leapt for joy. It wasn't that he didn't want to share his feelings, because he really did. He had just done it for so long that it was a habit. Deep down, Squall was his best friend. So he set out to find them. To find the two people in this world whom still knew that there was a greater Seifer inside.
He stopped abruptly when he heard soft murmuring beyond the trees. He strained to hear, and a bright grin spread across his face when he identified the person. He restrained himself from running up to him and hugging him with all his might. He forced himself to walk toward the sounds. His heart was leaping in his chest. He wondered if Rinoa was okay. He drew in a breath when he saw Squall riding atop a gorgeous jet black Pacifino. Where the hell did he get that? It didn't matter right then. What mattered now was that he was alive! He also had a delicate snow-white dove resting peacefully on his shoulder, which he was talking to. Wow, he really had gone nuts out here if he was talking to birds now. Seifer pushed away the bushes in front of him and revealed himself to Squall. "Squall?" Seifer breathed softly. "Seifer?" Squall replied as he slipped off of his horse. Each one stared at the other for a moment, waiting to see what the other would do. Just then, Squall pulled him into a warm embrace that both had needed for 2 long years. When they pulled back, both of them wiped the tears furiously from their cheeks, "Where's Rinoa?" Seifer immediately regretted the words when he saw Squall's reaction. His bright eyes looked down at the ground as if there was something incredibly interesting about it. "Oh, I'm sorry man." Seifer said apologetically. Squall looked up. "She's not dead Seifer." He said and then murmured lower, "But she might as well be." Seifer looked confused. "What do you mean?" "I'll explain later. Let's go find a place to make camp." Squall replied dryly. "All right. Let's go."
As they were sitting around the warm fire, Seifer watched Squall through the flickering flames. He decided to ask about the earlier conversation. "So explain. Where is Rinoa and why are we having a fire if it's not even dark?" Squall looked up and thought about where to start. "Well, do you remember Alexander Hanson?" He asked him. Squall still shuddered at that name. "That creepy kid? Sure, I know him." This made Squall chuckle slightly at the remark. "He loved Rinoa, and was angry that she didn't love him back. So when he heard about the marriage, he decided to break it apart." Seifer listened intently to the wise man before him. "He found a spell that could make a happy couple always together, and eternally apart." "How?" He pursued. "He fixed it so I would be a wolf by night, and she a dove by day." Squall finished and looked away to hide a single tear that had escaped without permission. "Man, that sucks, I'm sorry." Seifer tried to sound brotherly, but failed in the attempt. "It's okay. The two worst things about it are one, you wake up naked every morning," this received a slight chuckle from the man across from him, but it cut off abruptly when he said the next thing. "And two, we get to see each other sometimes in the morning for one brief moment, and before we can touch, she turns into a dove and swiftly flies away." Seifer felt a pang of sadness for Squall. They had loved each other more than life itself. And they still did. This man, this Alexander had destroyed that love, that one feeling that you've waited for for your entire life and you fear that you'll lose it in a second. And this couple's fears had come true. He also felt a wave of anger then. A moment of silence passed between them, and Seifer broke it promptly. "So… this wolf that you turn in to… does it… kill?" Seifer asked, afraid to know the answer. "I don't know. I can't remember anything that happens when I'm in that form." Squall replied softly. He was afraid for his friend. He didn't want to be responsible for his death. Rinoa would just have to protect him the best she could. But he wasn't sure that even that was enough. Seifer sat for a moment, deep in thought. He thought about the danger he could be in staying here with Squall. Inside, he mentally smacked himself for the thought. The important thing was that he was with Squall, and he was alive. And Rinoa was alive too; he just didn't get to see her as much. "Dusk is approaching." Squall said after a while. "Tell Rinoa everything that was said here tonight." He hesitated, "And tell her that I love her."
Seifer had watched in awe at the transformation of the two. He turned when Rinoa appeared, remembering what Squall had said.
Rinoa rushed to get her clothes on, embarrassed that a man was there, looking at her. When she was fully clothed, she turned to who she thought was just some creepy guy who liked to watch girls get dressed and asked him, "Excuse me? Can I help you?" She asked sweetly. The man turned towards her and her mouth gaped open in surprise. "Seifer…" she breathed. They ran and embraced each other happily. Two years was way too long to be away from the person you had spent an entire summer with. "How did you find us?" She asked when she had caught her breath. "Well," he started. "When you hear a real familiar voice talking to a pigeon, you start to wonder." She punched him playfully in the shoulder and commented, "It's a dove!" But chuckled just the same. She became solemn again after a good laugh. "What did Squall say?" He went through all that happened, and got to an important part. "He also wanted me to tell you that he loves you." She stopped, and flushed a light rose pink. "He said that?" she asked softly. "Of course. He asked you to marry him two years ago didn't he? Anyway, do you know where he is?" He replied shakily. As if on cue, a low, sad cry echoed through the dark forest. Seifer shuddered, but Rinoa was unaffected. "Go to bed. I'll protect you." Seifer felt odd, hearing this coming from a woman, but at the same time he felt reassured. She knew what she was doing. So he walked briskly into the spare pup tent that Squall carried, and got into a sleeping bag. 'Man, that guy is prepared for anything.' He mused to himself. With that, he drifted off to sleep slowly.
Rinoa strained to see in the darkness. 'He has to be here somewhere…' she thought desperately. Just then, she heard the cry again, and jumped when she saw him tear through the bushes. He started to snarl, but saw who it was and whimpered to her. She breathed a sigh of relief, and walked toward him. They strode through the forest as if they were one. Rinoa felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She had successfully led Squall away from Seifer.