Disclaimor: I don't own any of these characters, sadly. Maybe for my birthday.
Authors Notes: This is a Quistis/Seifer fanfic, kinda funny (in my own opinion), kinda serious, in which Quistis and Seifer are forced together against their will, and have to try their damnedest not to kill each other. This chapter's short, it's just the intro, really. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
Chapter One: Blessed Union...Or Not.
It was a regular day at Garden for Seifer. Warm outside, and cold as hell inside. He had gotten used to his classmates icy glares since his return to Garden. Yes, that's right, Seifer was back at Garden. It took a lot of whining to Edea- though Seifer wouldn't have called it whining, of course-, several interviews with Cid, and finally a threat to Cid from Edea to break a certain part of his physically anatomy, the part that made him a man, if he refused Seifer's readmittance. After hiding in the bathroom for several hours, Cid grudgingly consented to allow Seifer to return to Garden. That turned out to be the easy part. The hard part was living in a place with several hundred other people who knew and despised him. Fujin and Raijin followed him back to Garden, and Edea arranged for Seifer and Raijin to share a room. At least Seifer didn't have to worry about being suffocated in his sleep by a room mate who hated him. Which would have been anyone but Raijin, really.
After awhile, he began to get used to Garden again. Still, everytime he got a nasty look or muttered insult, it cut. He refused to admit it, but it dragged up a pang of guilt along with painful memories. Or lack thereof. He couldn't remember much of the Sorceress Knight deal. Edea had came up with the excuse that he was possessed, but he didn't really know if that was true or not. After all, if he couldn't remember what happened, how could he say if he was possessed? Or crazy, or hypnotized, or anything? He didn't know. Oh, he knew what he did. Everyone made quite sure of that. But he couldn't remember actually doing it. The days and nights he spent playing knight blended together and left a large, gaping hole in his memory. Once in awhile, something would trigger a response in him, and a memory would come rushing back. It would run in a blur through his mind, and dissolve into nothing as he desperately tried to grab hold of it, of something, anything, to remember. Something to cling onto. But no matter how he tried, as quickly as it came it was gone, leaving him weak-kneed and confused. Nothing scared or irritated him more than the fact that he simply didn't know. He couldn't remember. Anything. That he had done such horrible things, and never realised it. That his own self was beyond his control. When he heard for the first time how he had tortured Squall in the D-District Prison, he got physically sick. Listening to the story, he could smell the burning flesh. Finally, he fled from the room to the bathroom. It took him nearly the rest of the day to recover. The Garden kids thought he was disgusting for what he did. He was more disgusted than they were. But he couldn't tell them that, even if he wanted it. He couldn't begin to explain how it felt. He didn't know that many words. And really, he didn't want to. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about it. It was easier, not thinking.
Seifer reached the first floor elevator and began the ascent to Cid's office.
Edea frowned and studied the group carefully. Cid sat off to the side, leaning against his desk. Squall and Rinoa stood in front of her. Next to Squall were Quistis and Zell, and on Rinoa's other side were Selphie and Irving. They were arranged in a half circle before Edea.
"This is very important, that you listen carefully and follow directions. When I mentioned this idea to Rinoa, I had no idea that she would actually suggest me performing such an act," Edea began.
"What are you doing?" Selphie asked
"Yeah, I know, what's going on? I'm as lost as Selphie over there," Irvine added.
Zell glanced at Selphie and snickered. "You couldn't be that lost."
"HEY!" Selphie exclaimed indignantly.
"Come on, guys, knock it off," Quistis interrupted. "Let Matron finish."
Edea continued. "I will cast an enchantment on Squall. It basically draws out a small part of his soul as an aura around him. Then, when Rinoa kisses him, she will draw that part into her, and part of her will become part of him. They will be, literally, soul mates. Bound together for life. It's a physical marriage, really. Much more powerful, much more binding, but without legal recognition."
Zell looked wary. "What do you mean, 'binding'?"
"They'll be forced to stay together. Rinoa will be able to go to the movies alone, simple things like that. But if she were to move back to Timber and never see Squall again, the force of their union would work against her. She would crave the part of her soul she lost with him, making her physically ill. If she were to part from him for a day, she may develop a head ache. A week, she'd feel like she had the flu. A year, she'd be miserably sick. She'd feel like one of the living dead."
"How long could they be separated?" Quistis asked.
"However long their bodies could take it. Like I said, she'd feel ill. It would last until she decided she couldn't stand it anymore, and went back to him again. The same would work for Squall."
"Till death do you part," Quistis muttered thoughtfully.
"Squall, Rinoa, are you both sure after all I've said that this is what you want?"
Squall and Rinoa looked at each other for a moment, then nodded. "Yes..." Rinoa said softly, taking Squall's hand.
"You believe you are prepared to have to spend the rest of your lives together?"
"Yes.." Rinoa repeated. Squall nodded seriously.
"Then I'll begin. You four who are watching, it's important that is all you do. Watch. Please remain quiet so I may concentrate. I've never done this before. And above all, it is critical that you stay where you are. Do NOT move in the way, or the spell may be targeted at the wrong person." Edea closed her eyes and took a breath in. Tilting her head back, ancient Cetric words began flowing naturally from her. She raised her arms, crossing them in front of her.
Squall's eyes closed then as well, and he looked as if he was in a deep, peaceful sleep. The stream of words continued to flow steadily from Edea. The people in the room watched in awe to see what would happen next.
And they would never forget what happened next.
Seifer burst into Cid's office, having worked himself up into a pretty good burn. Since his readmittance at Garden, he was not allowed to be armed unless he was training. Everytime he wanted to go to the training center or had to practice fighting in class, he had to go up to Cid's office and request his Hyperion. Seifer found that an incredible annoyance, and more than that, humiliating. If he thought about it long enough, he could get himself into a real temper. Which is what he had done now. He pushed past Squall, heading towards Cid, who was still sitting on his desk.
"Outta the way," he snapped, pushing Squall. And all hell broke loose at once.
"Seifer, NO!" Quistis exclaimed.
"Watch out!" Selphie cried.
"Dammit, man, get OUT of the WAY!" Zell yelled.
Edea chanted the last words of the spell. "Exus lucias lux."
Seifer's eyes closed suddenly, and he began glowing with a light purple tinge to his skin. The physical lines of his body became blurred as a dark mist surrounded him. Edea yelled, realising what had just happened. "Someone has to take the part of his soul I just released into their body!"
Everyone just stared, frozen in horror. Edea continued, "Someone has to kiss him and draw him into them. He can't stay like that, he's going to die!"
Quistis realised with dull horror that Seifer's skin was going from purple to blue. He was choking. She reacted without thinking, quickly stepping forward and kissing him.
