Bitter Revenge

~You know the drill~

Chapter Three ~*~*~*~ Wilted Flowers

~*~*~*~

Dark eyes watched the tall blonde carry the weak little girl to the infirmary. No one saw him, no one ever saw him, and if they did, he flew away with his dark wings, and they forgot. No one ever remembers a shadow for what it really is. He continued watching the boy. Cruel boy. Angry boy. Hateful boy. Murderer. Sinner. Satan. By God's will, the devil of a boy would pay for his sins! Not by death, no, that would be much too forgiving. Something more twisted, something much more painful. That's why God had chosen HIM. He'd been chosen because he knew what made the boy weak. He knew what made him happy, what angered him. What frustrated him. Who he'd hate to loose. Who he'd love to loose. Yes, the boy would pay for his sins.

The dark eyes flicked to his next victim, all ready at his side. A lamb; willing. He had chosen her in God's name to be the next sacrifice, and she would die at his hands to make the boy pay. Always to make the boy pay. For now she slept in blissful chloroformed unconsciousness. With her, he would take his time. Get everyone worried, because worried people made Seifer Almasy nervous. He didn't admit it, but it did. And HE knew, because an angel had told him. Dear Angel, sweet Angel. Angel would help him to make Almasy pay for his sins.

~*~*~*~

~Balamb Garden, Saturday~

FATIGUED! She recalled saying it to Squall Leonhart a long time ago. And now, here she was again, fatigued. She was in the infirmary this time, in much worse shape than the last time. Had Seifer brought her there? She'd been too tired to even protest. They'd put an IV needle in her arm. She wanted to rip it out of her skin, but found she was too exhausted to move her arms. She was nervous about being in Garden. She wanted to leave, and was certain Seifer did too. Squall Leonhart was not happy.

She'd heard their voices while she'd slept, and they'd swum around in her head like some puddling soup.

"What in hell's name are you doing here, Almasy?"

"I was looking for Dincht."

"So you could kill him?"

"No! What do you think I am?! A murderer?!"

"You were before!"

"That's the past, Leonhart."

"Why were you looking for Zell, then?"

"Because I found this taped to my window!"

Rustling paper; a moment's silence.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I thought Dincht was the one who killed Raijin!"

"So you killed him in turn?"

"No, damnit! When I got there he was all ready dead!"

She'd lost track of it after that. Seifer was getting hurt by all of this. Seifer needed her support. Seifer needed Raijin's support, too. Raijin was dead. Somehow she found the strength to drag herself out of the bed. She hit the cold floor like a stone, but didn't give up; it wasn't her way. Slowly, carefully, she pulled the IV needle from her arm. She glanced around; no one was there. She had to walk terribly slow, weak as she was, but she was going to find Seifer. She stumbled out of the infirmary into the hall.

A student was just passing, and she reached out to catch his arm. He jumped in surprise. "SEIFER..." she choked, "WHERE?"

The boy easily shrugged out of her grasp and backed away, not answering, but scowling. "Go to hell, Fujin." Old enemies where never fun to come across.

She kept on limping down the hall towards the elevator. Rinoa saw her halfway, and out of the goodness of her heart, stopped to support her. Even with her still blurry eyes, Fujin could see that Rinoa had been crying. "SEIFER...?" Fujin asked in desperation. Rinoa nodded and slung Fujin's arm around her neck.

"I can't believe...Zell's dead...," she sobbed, leading Fujin towards the elevator. "First Raijin, then Zell, and Quistis is missing—"

"QUISTIS?!" Fujin stopped, shocked.

Rinoa shivered, "She just disappeared, about the same time as Zell... We're all afraid she's dead too."

"WHEN DISAPPEAR?" Fujin was frantic with her questioning.

Rinoa blinked away a few tears, "Two days ago, the same day Zell was killed."

"TWO…?" Had she been asleep that long, in and out of consciousness?

Rinoa lead her to the elevator, and hit the button for the third floor. "Seifer's being held up there," she explained. "Everyone is suspicious that he killed Zell."

"INNOCENT!" Fujin declared, defensively.

"I know, I know he didn't do it," Rinoa agreed. "He might be an angry person, but I don't think he would've killed Zell, and I know he wouldn't kill Raijin, but apparently others don't think so."

"THINK SEIFER KILL…RAIJIN?" Fujin was shocked.

"Yeah, isn't that awful? How could anyone think he would kill his own best friend?"

By the time the elevator reached the third floor, Fujin was feeling well enough to walk on her own to feet. Rinoa lead her into Cid's office, where Seifer sat on a chair in the corner, obviously upset and angry about the whole situation. Edea was also near, and seemed surprised to see the two girls enter the office.

"Feeling better, Fujin?"

Fujin didn't answer, but scowled. "SEIFER, INNOCENT!"

Cid smiled sadly at her, "We all want to believe that, Fujin. We're merely keeping him up here until we find out what happened to Instructor Trepe, just as a precaution."

Her scowl darkened, and she sat on a chair near Seifer's. "COMPANY," she told them defiantly. Edea and Cid only nodded. Seifer remained unusually quiet, and didn't speak at all.

Nightfall came soon, and the others in the room retired, locking the door behind them.

"We're trapped in here like rats, for a crime we didn't do," Seifer told Fujin, a sharp edge to his voice.

"INNOCENT," she repeated, but more quietly. She was getting tired again, deciding it was the effect of whatever had been in the IV.

"Talk to me Fuj, I've been going crazy up here all by myself for two days," his hands were clenched in fists at his sides.

"I… I know you're innocent. You were with me when Raijin was…killed," she took her time choosing her words, as if she was afraid they might shatter one of them.

"Having a hard time convincing Leonhart with that one."

Fujin's eyelids felt heavy, and she pulled her knees up to her chest to rest or forehead on them. "I wish none of this had ever happened."

"Me too, I miss Raijin," he leaned his head against the wall and looked out the skylight. There were millions of sparkling stars out, and amidst them all, one that fell, like a tear that the sky was crying. Deep down, he though, he was like that night sky, and so was Fujin. Proud and shining, but with hot tears piercing the inside. "You gonna be okay, Fuj?"

She didn't answer. Her eyes were closed and her face peaceable. He smiled to himself and listened to her breathing. If he was going to loose everything, but could keep one person as a friend, he'd choose Fujin. Over the past week he'd grown to love her deeply. He was her protector, even if she didn't know it, even if he'd never admit it to anyone. If he told her, she would probably shout "RAGE!" and kick him in the shin, meaning she could take care over herself, but she didn't need to know. His smiled widened as he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

~Balamb Garden, Sunday Morning~

When Edea Kramer strolled up to her husband's office the next morning, she found several surprises. She'd expected to find Seifer still awake, angry, like he'd been the past few days. Instead, she found him asleep on the floor, sprawled out on his back in a peaceful resting state. Fujin was curled up in a ball not half a foot away.

Sunlight had filled the room, making it look cheery, as usual. She decided against waking them, and just smiled over them with maternal fashion.

Then she noticed something odd at one of the windows.

She had to open it to retrieve it, but easily removed the envelope from the window's exterior. She examined it carefully, and found that on the front "ALMASY" was pasted with colorful letters, perhaps from a magazine.

She frowned down at the letter as a suddenly uneasy feeling overtook her. She dropped the letter on Cid's chair and went to fetch him, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Cid unlocked the door carefully, not wanting to wake the sleeping Fujin and Seifer, but found that they were all ready awake and sitting silently in either of the small chairs across from his. He nodded a good morning to each of them, who did not respond, before speaking.

"My wife tells me you've had a visitor, Mr. Almasy."

"Wha…?"

Cid picked up the envelope on his chair and held it up for Seifer to see. "She found this taped on the outside of the window," he explained.

Seifer blinked several times before the weight of the idea set in. Another letter. Another clue. Another murder?

"I didn't know it was there."

"Apparently, it appeared overnight. Did you notice anyone lurking about? Of course, I don't know how they would've been able to tape an envelope to a third floor window…"

"What are you implying?" Seifer was starting to get angry and offended.

"I'm not implying anything, I was just asking…"

"Well, what does it say old man?"

Cid laughed. "I haven't read it yet, as it is addressed to 'Almasy,'" he waved the letter in Seifer's direction.

Seifer snatched the letter with one blacked gloved hand. As he read the front his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Fujin crept quietly over to read over his shoulder, just like the last time Seifer got a letter on the window.

An eternity seemed to pass as Seifer opened the letter.

"LOOKS LIKE I'VE OUT-SMARTED YOU, MR. ALMASY! PERHAPS YOU SHOULD'VE SPENT MORE OF YOUR TIME FOCUSING ON YOUR TRAINING, RATHER THAN POWER…"

Seifer dropped the letter like he'd been burned. "Shit," he muttered.

Cid looked surprised. "What's in the letter, Seifer?"

Fujin's face was even paler than usual, if it was possible. "ANOTHER…ANOTHER…" she shook her head in disbelief, "QUISTIS!!" she jumped up and ran from the room.

Seifer stared after her, his mouth slightly open in awe, having not understood the clue. Cid picked up the letter and read it aloud.

"It does sound like something Quistis might say, but I don't think it was her that sent this," he told Seifer, "The word 'training' is underlined, do you think that might be significant?"

"She was an instructor…"

Suddenly Edea burst into the room, followed in close pursuit by Fujin, who was gasping for air, and immediately Seifer knew. There had been another murder.

"Cid, come quick!" Edea exclaimed, "In the training center! Quistis!"

The training center! Why hadn't he realized it before! Obviously, Fujin had, why hadn't he? The four of them crammed into the elevator and headed instantly for the training center. Fujin lead the way, all the way to the very back of the room, where there was a bridge.

Leonhart and Kinneas were already there, knee-deep in the water, hacking away at something beneath. Seifer raced to the bridge and looked over the side. He saw what was there, and felt like throwing up.

She stared up at him from the water where she was tied to large rocks, mouth parted slightly, eyes dull and lifeless, blonde hair floating out from her head like a fan. One arm had been cut free via Squall's gunblade, and floated up towards the surface, almost like she was reaching towards him. He was so shocked, so horrified, he didn't know what to do, didn't know how to move.

Edea was weeping onto her husband's shoulder, miserably. She had been there when Quistis had grown up, and seen all of her happy and sad times had been like a mother to her. It had been the same with Zell. His brain fuzzed at this idea. Would she weep if he had been the one who died?

Fujin dared to take his hand in her own and squeezed it. She began to pull him away, just as Irvine pulled Quistis's dead body out of the water.

Squall turned to them. "MURDERER!" he shouted at Seifer.

Fujin spun back. "LIES!!"

Cid spoke firmly to both of them, though his voice was shaking in sorrow. "All of you, quiet! I'm sure Seifer did not do this; he was locked in my office all night. Right now we need to pull together, we need to forget our differences so we can solve this crime together! This is a time of loss for all of us, and there's no way we'll make it through if we don't stick together." With that, he turned and led his wife from the room.

Squall glared again at Seifer, but turned away soon enough to help Irvine with Quistis's body. Fujin pulled Seifer out of the room.

And all the while, the dark eyes watched.

~*~*~*~

~Balamb Garden, Sunday Evening~

After a long talk with Cid and Edea, Fujin and Seifer had been cleared of the accusations placed upon them. Fujin had restrained her voice just long enough to explain that when she and Seifer had gone to Timber, Raijin was alive, and when they came back he was not.

Seifer continued the story and explained that the next few days, save for the two days they'd both gone to work, they'd been in each other's company, up until Zell was killed, and since then, he'd been locked in Cid's office. Edea and Cid both believed their stories and permitted them to use a dorm to spend the night.

That had been in the afternoon. Now, Fujin was asleep, and Seifer was restlessly roaming the halls.

He couldn't sleep. How could he? These murders had somehow been directed at him, and him alone. No one else's name had appeared on either of the envelopes, not to mention after the very first crime, a direct threat had been painted on the walls. He pondered continuously until he wandered right into the training center, back to where Quistis had died. He sat on the bridge and closed his eyes, griping the wood of the crossing with his fingers.

He saw her face under the water in his mind, and tried to imagine dying like that. Having water rush into his lungs until he could no longer breath. A cold, lonely death. At least Zell hadn't had to suffer as long.

Zell… he saw the face in his mind as well. The blood, the cuts… how would it have felt to have a hot blade ripped through his chest? If the revenge was being directed at him, then why was everyone else dropping off like flies?

"SEI—Seifer?" Fujin had entered the training arena in cotton boxers and a long sleeved shirt two sizes too big.

He opened his eyes to see her standing there, looking somewhat… concerned.

"You okay?"

He nodded slowly, even though he knew that he wasn't.

She sat down beside him and brushed her hand over his, almost as an experiment, but immediately pulled it back. They sat in silence for a long time, staring down at the cold, cold water where Quistis had died. Finally Seifer spoke up.

"Let's get out of here, there's no need for us to stare at it anymore. It won't change anything."

Fujin nodded, and began to stand, but froze as something caught her eye.

"Seifer look," she pointed at the bridge. Among all of the scratches from roaming creatures, something had been neatly carved in the wood.

"WRONG KIND OF TRAINING, ALMASY. DON'T YOU SOMETIMES WONDER WHERE ALL THE COWBOYS HAVE GONE?"