by NightsDawne
[Yes, I know the chapter is late, sorry. Had some keyboard issues. Here you go, the conclusion to Deuces Are Wild.]
Chapter 8: I Love You 'Cause Your Deuces Are Wild
Irvine broke free from Selphie's hand, running a few steps forward and stopping. "Matwon! Seifew, Sefie, the monstew's got Matwon!"
Selphie lunged to get him, pulling him up into her arms. "It's not Matron, Irvy." She looked to Seifer, who was standing transfixed, hands at his sides, his eyes locked onto the sorceress. "Seifer? Seifer!"
The sorceress stood, looking only at Seifer as she walked with silent, gliding footsteps to him. Like a predator to its prey, Selphie realized. She started to run back to Seifer. Irvine's scream made her stop and follow his wide eyed look of terror over her shoulder. Griever was on his feet, eyes glowing as he leapt at them. "No!" She crouched, curling protectively around the child she was holding, clutching him tightly and biting back her own scream as the claws dug into her back, feeling herself lifted into the air and thrown down again. She instinctively rolled so that she landed on her side instead of on Irvine, losing her grip at the force of hitting the floor. Irvine fell away from her, curling into a ball and whimpering. Griever's claws landed on either side of him, the head lowering to stare at him, jaws open. Irvine was too scared to make a sound.
Selphie pushed herself up, ignoring the pain of a broken wrist. "Get away from him!" Her eyes narrowed and she dropped into one of Zell's martial arts stances, then spun around, delivering a kick into Griever's side. She knew she had no hope of injuring the GF, but maybe she could get his attention. It worked, Griever's head lifting to turn towards her, fangs set together as he growled. "Uh.. oh.. Irvy! Run!" She backed away from the hideous face. Irvine obediently jumped up, tripping and stopping his fall with one hand, then running as fast as his small legs could take him to the wall, diving behind one of the tapestries to hide.
Seifer swallowed, his mind frozen in fear as the sorceress ran her fingers up his sleeve, over his shoulder, and to his face. The tingle of magic stung like ice as she traced his jaw, but he couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even think. Shattering glass filled his ears.
"What made you think you could ever be free, silly boy?" the sorceress purred. Seifer struggled to breathe as she pushed his coat from his shoulders.
I'm not a little boy, he thought. I'm not a little boy.
"Oh, that's right, you're a sorceress knight." The sorceress laughed, one long finger running down his chest, breaking the hooks that held the front of his vest closed. Shattering glass.
Stop. Don't do this to me again. I don't want to be your slave. I'm not anyone's slave. I'm a.. what am I?
"Stop resisting. It won't matter anyhow." His vest fell away from him, the chill air numbing his skin. Her fingers were on his belt now. He couldn't move, couldn't take his eyes from her hypnotic gaze as she undid his pants, then took his hand, leading him over to the altar.
No, not again. I can't let it happen again.
"You can't stop it from happening again." She turned him around, his back to the altar, and pushed him against it. He fell backwards, closing his eyes. Shattering glass filled the air, breaking his thoughts as she pulled his pants and boots off. "It's hopeless, silly boy."
It's hopeless. It doesn't matter anyhow.
"That's right." Her kisses against his skin made him nauseated. Pain ran through him as her teeth sank into his shoulder. There was nothing he could do.
Selphie dodged back as Griever's head lunged at her, jaws snapping so close she felt the air pushed forward by the impact. "Gross gross! Get away from me!" She turned and ran, hearing his claws raking the marble floor as he leapt again. She skidded to a stop as he landed in front of her, his lips curving back into a grotesque sneer. "BAD DOG!" she yelled, bringing her knee up sharply into his lower jaw. The GF's head snapped back in surprise. Selphie threw her booted foot into his scaled throat as hard as she could and took off running again, the door right in front of her. "Seifer! Help!"
Griever roared in rage. Selphie didn't dare to look back. Griever leapt again, skidding across the floor as he landed in front of her, his body slamming into the door sideways, blocking her escape. "SEEEEEEEIFER!" She skipped backwards as Griever turned towards her, a rasping beastial cackle vibrating from his lips. He started towards her with slow steps, toying with her a cat would a mouse.
Selphie spun around to run again. Her foot landed on something hard that slid out from under her, sending her to the ground. She landed hard on her chest, only having time to turn her face so the side of her head took the blow rather than her chin. She saw Griever's claws as he crawled toward her, something long and black lying between her and the hideous talons. It was the thing that had tripped her. Her frightened mind tried to recognize the shape. A gunblade! It was Hyperion, Seifer's weapon. Somehow it was in his memory, lying on the floor. She threw her arm out and grasped the grip desperately, then rolled away from Griever as he brought his monstrous claw down to pin her.
Selphie came up on one knee, swinging the gunblade up and bracing it with her other hand, her wrist protesting with a sharp snap of agony. She'd never held one before and she was a bit surprised at how heavy it was. It felt clumsy to her inexperienced hands, a highly specialized weapon. She closed her eyes and swung it like a club, hearing it smack into Griever's face. She opened her eyes, realizing she'd hit with the side of the blade, but it had made Griever pull his head back. He looked seriously angry now. She whacked his snout with it, grunting with the effort and pain in her wrist, until he pulled his head back enough for her to get up.
Once on her feet again Selphie backed up, swinging the gunblade in front of her. "Back! Stay back!" Her fingers fumbled to try to figure out the trigger mechanism. If only she'd asked Seifer how to work the damned thing she'd stand a better chance. Griever kept pace with her, one scaled brow lifted in almost amusement at her efforts to defend herself. She backed into something cold and hard. The altar. The mirror was right above it, but she couldn't escape that way. She'd leave Seifer and Irvine behind if she did. She looked over her shoulder.
Seifer was laid out on the altar, stripped and bound, blood running down his shoulder. He was trembling, his eyes closed, a single tear trickling down his cheek. The sorceress looked up at Selphie from the other side of the altar, her beautiful face twisting in rage at the interruption. She raised her hand, light gathering around it in a spell. Selphie heard Griever behind her, readying himself to pounce. With a little shriek she dropped down below the edge of the altar.
The wind of Griever's body passing over her was met with an icy blast. The GF thudded to the floor, the marble cracking under his weight, a massive shard of green ice through his throat. Selphie didn't even have time to thank her lucky stars. The GF had jumped right into the sorceress's spell. She jumped back up. The sorceress was frozen by shock. Now was Selphie's chance. She dragged Hyperion up, sliding the blade under the body of the black snake that held Seifer's right hand and sawing it back and forth. "Snap out of it, Seifer! I need you!" She glanced up to see the sorceress's shock melting into rage.
"You bitch! You'll die slowly for that!" The sorceress raised her hand again.
Selphie sucked in her breath and yanked the gunblade upwards, the snake snapping in half. "Seifer!" Her grip on the gunblade slipped, her wrist giving out, forcing a whimper from her lips. She took a step back, the spell wrapping itself around her like a black cloud, tightening and hardening into a huge black snake that constricted around her, pinning her arms and legs. She struggled, feeling it tighten. Breathing was already difficult. "Seifer... Seify... I love you.."
Seifer felt his right hand free and pulled it down slowly, his fingers meeting something familiar. Hyperion. He opened his eyes, his hand sliding around the grip it knew so well. He heard a voice to his right, faint, pained. The words echoed through his mind, trying to make themselves understood through the shattering glass. Seify.. I love you.. His lips formed a name, a name that meant everything to him. Selphie. A laugh like shattering glass came from his left side.
I'm a SeeD, that's what I am. And I'm loved.
He rolled to the side, sitting up halfway, and swung the gunblade over his body with all his strength, eyes on the target, a pale, slender neck. There was hardly even a push of resistance against the sharp black blade as it struck home. The shattering glass stopped as if cut off by a switch as he watched the sorceress's head roll from her body in slow motion, the body standing for a moment before it slumped to the floor.
Selphie sucked in her breath as the snake vanished in a puff of black mist. She dropped to the floor, struggling not to black out. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, pulled her up. She sagged against a muscular chest, powerful arms supporting her. "I love you, Selphie, I love you." She heard his whisper against her hair and knew she was safe. She laughed softly, the pain of her broken wrist and cracked ribs slipping away in pure joy. She tipped her head back and looked up at him.
"Let's go home, Seify."
Seifer nodded, brushing her hair back to cup her cheek in his hand. "Where's Irvy?"
"I think he's still hiding."
Seifer looked around, keeping his arm around Selphie. "Irvy? Come on out, little bro. They're both dead. We can go home."
Irvine peeked out from behind the tapestry, then ran for the couple, throwing his arms around Selphie's legs. "I wanna go home." He looked up at Seifer from around Selphie's hip. "Seifew, you don't got no cwothes on."
Selphie and Seifer looked at each other, cracking up. Seifer ruffled Irvine's hair. "So keep your eyes closed, Squirt. C'mon." He let go of Selphie to pick Irvine up, the boy's eyes snapping closed tightly as he was lifted onto the altar. Seifer turned him to face the mirror. "Okay, open your eyes." Irvine looked up at the mirror. "Go through. Go to Rinoa."
"Winoa?" Irvine furrowed his brow.
"He doesn't know her yet, Seify. Switch, guys! Switch!" Selphie watched the mirror as Ellone turned from her to relay the message, Edea getting up and running to get to Irvine's bed, Rinoa skipping around her to get to Seifer. "Okay, Irvy, see Matron? That's the real Matron. She's waiting for you."
"Matwon!" Irvine scrambled to reach the mirror, Seifer getting up on the altar on one knee to give him a boost. Selphie watched as Edea put her hands to Irvine's chest, focusing her powers to pull him back to his body. Irvine put his hands to the mirror and pushed, then tumbled through, vanishing.
"Okay, you next, Seify."
Seifer slid off the altar and pulled Selphie to him for a kiss. "Don't take too long, babe."
"I'll be right behind you. Now get going!" Selphie grinned and gave him a smack on his bare backside. Seifer laughed and climbed onto the altar, helping her up after. He looked back to her and winked, then stepped up into the mirror, pushing his way through. Selphie took one last look around the chamber, Griever's fallen body on one side of the altar, the sorceress's head laying a good ten feet from her body on the other. "Okay, I guess I don't need to tell you now. Keep your hands off my boyfriend!" She looked to the mirror again, seeing Irvine being smothered in a kiss by Quistis and Seifer sitting up, looking toward where she was still dreaming. "I'm coming, Seify sweetie!" She grinned and climbed over the edge of the mirror, feeling it part like water as she pushed through.
Irvine followed the sounds of a basketball being bounced against concrete, then hitting a backboard, followed by the chain of the basket rattling as the ball dropped through. He stuck his hands in his pockets, chewing on his lip as he walked up the stairs. Seifer didn't look back, simply setting up to drop another shot. Irvine made his way over to the wall, sitting back on it and watching as the ball dropped through again and Seifer walked over to retrieve it. He looked down, scuffing his boot against the bottom of the wall.
"What do you want?" Seifer didn't look at him, sending another throw at the backboard.
"... Never meant ta make ya mad, Seif."
Seifer looked over his shoulder as he picked the ball up, then sighed, walking over to sit next to the cowboy. "How would you feel if someone just walked into your past without asking?"
Irvine swallowed, looking up. "We wanted ta help. But yeah, I see what ya mean. I'm sorry."
Seifer rolled the ball along his thigh with his forearm. "Why didn't you just ask me?"
Irvine shrugged a bit. "Would you have told me?"
"No."
"That's what I figured." Irvine sighed, pulling his hat down a bit. "You ever gonna forgive me?"
Seifer bounced the ball between his knees, not answering for so long that Irvine was ready to just slip away and leave his friend alone. "You made me face some things. Deal with them. Well, start dealing with them anyway."
"You ain't gotta deal with them all by yourself, Seif. We're all here for ya."
"Did you tell them everything?"
Irvine shook his head quickly. "Just enough. Only Ellone and me know everything. But the others, they understand about what you did."
Seifer nodded. "Guess you're not going to think of me as your big bro who can handle anything anymore."
"You're always gonna be my big bro, Seif. Still gonna be my hero. You saved my life again in there."
Seifer caught the ball, glancing at Irvine sideways. "That's three." He grinned, standing up and walking away, turning to throw the ball to Irvine. "Come on, one on one. Ten gil per shot."
Irvine groaned, sliding off the wall and giving the ball a bounce. "We keep bettin' like this, I ain't gonna have any money left to take Quisty out."
Seifer laughed. "So this week it'll be my treat. We'll double date, you and Quisty can tag along with Selphie and me. Now shoot."
Selphie giggled, watching from the window above the court as Irvine's shot bounced off the rim. "My two favorite men in the world. You know, I wonder what we'd find in Irvine's head."
Quistis stepped over to look out. "That's easy. Me. At least it'd better be."
[Well, there you go, hope you liked it. I know you'll let me know. Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are the greatest. Keep an eye out, I promise I'll get to the fathers and sons soon.]
