Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction
Returning Shades – The Full Story
Authoress's Note: This is yet another Queifer. Full story of Returning Shades…hope you like it, and hope it touches your heart.
Chapter One
Farewell…
Seifer twisted about and tried to raise himself into a sitting position, but collapsed back on the floor. He was too weak to sit up, and he knew it. Pain shot through his limbs, and streaks of red and blue danced before his eyes. Gritting his teeth against the burning agony, Seifer shook his head, trying to clear it. He felt giddy and sick, and the pain was getting worse. It felt like his insides were ripped out, as if he had been gutted. He shuddered involuntarily and another wave of pain swept through him as he reminded himself savagely that his insides, while not ripped out, were almost certainly ripped apart.
Slowly, his field of vision cleared. The streaks of red and blue began to fade and he could see his real surroundings, but only very hazily, as if he was looking through thickly frosted glass. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes on something. His vision cleared a little more, but the surroundings were still hazy. He breathed in and closed his eyes. Opening them and looking at hazy, swirling surroundings made him dizzy and sick.
"Seifer! Seifer!"
His eyes shot open again when he heard someone call his name. The voice was faint, barely audible, then it steadily grew louder, calling his name repeatedly. Who was it? The voice was familiar, very familiar…he knew it, but he couldn't place who it was calling for him. He closed his eyes again, trying to think. Then everything clicked, and he remembered the voice was Quistis Trepe's. It was she yelling hoarsely for him.
Now he could hear her footsteps, coming closer and closer, and he knew she was near. He battled the darkness reaching its eager hands out for him, fought it back. Seifer just wasn't ready for the darkness to take him into its cold embrace, and he clung on to the silver threads of precious life that were fraying, snapping all too soon. He half-opened his eyes, and saw her face peering down at him, looking concerned.
"Quistis…" he whispered hoarsely, unable to muster anything more than a croak. Ignoring the fresh searing pain, he slowly reached out his hand and grasped hers tightly. "Quistis…"
Stunned, Quistis did not move, her eyes fixed upon his face. She felt his hand take hold of hers in its warm grip. "Seifer?" she asked softly. His eyes were looking straight at hers.
"Quistis…I…I have…someth…something to tell you," Seifer croaked. Quistis strained her ears to catch each words, for his voice was barely audible, strained and tight with pain.
She said nothing, and Seifer continued, pain in his voice. "Quistis, I…I love you."
Quistis gave a soft gasp, and she turned her head away from Seifer, unable to hold back the tears that spilled from her blue eyes and flooded down her cheeks in crystalline rivulets. She didn't want him to see her cry. Still looking away from him, she replied, her voice thick with grief, "And I love you, Seifer."
Seifer increased the pressure on her hand as pain shot anew through him. He muttered hoarsely, each word a searing agony, "I would…have..told…you…earlier…if I had known…I would…die so soon…say goodbye to the rest for me, Quistis…."
Quistis's hand jerked in his grip, and she turned back abruptly, tears pattering down onto the ground. "No! Seifer! You won't die! Tell me you'll live, Seifer, tell me you'll live!" Her voice was choked and pleading, and her eyes begged him to say he'd not die, say he'd live.
Seifer shook his head sadly. "Goodbye…goodbye..Quistis…" he whispered to her, and her alone. She stared down at him, unable to make herself believe that he was dying in front of her, and then she felt his grip on her hand go slack.
He was dead.
"Seifer!" she cried, and fresh tears burst forth, flooding down in torrents. "Why? Oh, why?" She still had her fingers entwined in his lifeless ones. She bowed her head, letting the tears flow down onto their joined hands, rain of grief watering the garden of her love.
I was complete with you, Seifer…whole like I never was before…now you're gone from me. You made my heart sing and lift with joy, and you made my heart sink with lead, down into the depths of sorrow. Oh, Seifer…
She didn't move from her spot, kneeling next to his body, until someone gently pried her hands loose from his and persuaded her to leave. "Quistis…there's no use…it's night time, you should be asleep. Seifer's dead, Quistis, he'll never come back."
She didn't care who was the one talking to her. Eyes still moist and sparkling with unshed tears, she allowed herself to be led away, taking a last look at the lifeless body of Seifer, still in death.
1 Chapter Two
Our Spirits Will Be Together….
Quistis tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her eyes were still brimming with unshed tears, which were still spilling down her cheeks. Her pillow was damp from the hot salty tears. She remembered Seifer…so clearly…memories of him still floating around in her mind. She could not forget him, no matter how she tried, and she didn't want to. She saw his face in her mind, heard his voice ringing in her ears, audible to no one but her, and then she would remember he was dead, gone. The pain of that was acute, cutting into her, rending her heart into a million pieces and slicing her soul apart piece by piece.
"Seifer…Seifer…" she kept murmuring to the still, empty air, as if she could call him back. Quistis stared up at the ceiling, strangely hoping to see him materialize in front of her, but she knew she wouldn't. Slowly, slowly, she cried herself into a fitful sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------
"Quistis…Quistis…" a voice echoed softly.
Quistis's breath caught in her throat as she recognised that voice. Oh, that voice, for which she had longed to hear again! She knew it, she loved it, she missed it…"Oh, Seifer!" she cried, her heart lifting in a song of joy, and she raced forward.
"Seifer…" she gasped, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as she looked up into his handsome face, "I missed you so much…just so much."
"I know, Quistis, and I missed you too," he replied.
Quistis smiled brightly. She felt happy, safe, warm, contented. She was drowning in a sea of love, and she would gladly drown a thousand times more. She was silent for a moment, then hesitated and asked Seifer softly, "Seifer…I thought…I thought you were dead…"
He looked down at her.
"My body is gone, but my spirit lives on, because love transcends all boundaries. So no matter where you are, my spirit will always be by your side, accompanying you. For always."
Quistis smiled again, her eyes lighting up with joy. Her eyes met with Seifer's. Neither spoke, finding words incapable of expressing the joy in their hearts. Words were not needed, though. Each knew what the other wanted to say, as if they could read each other's minds and hearts. They knew their hearts and souls were one, they were one, together as one, forever, and nothing would change that fact.
----------------------------------------------------- -----------
Quistis stirred and awoke, her eyes fluttering open. She felt strangely buoyant and lighthearted; it was as if a burden had been lifted from her, content and at harmony with the world around her. She smiled, knowing the reason why.
A breeze blew into her room, seemingly whispering into her ear, "Quistis…I'll be by your side…always. We will be together…till the end of time…and beyond."
Quistis looked up, and murmured softly to the wind, knowing his spirit would hear her, "Seifer…I know you'll always be by my side. We'll be together…forever."
Returning Shades – The Full Story
Authoress's Note: This is yet another Queifer. Full story of Returning Shades…hope you like it, and hope it touches your heart.
Chapter One
Farewell…
Seifer twisted about and tried to raise himself into a sitting position, but collapsed back on the floor. He was too weak to sit up, and he knew it. Pain shot through his limbs, and streaks of red and blue danced before his eyes. Gritting his teeth against the burning agony, Seifer shook his head, trying to clear it. He felt giddy and sick, and the pain was getting worse. It felt like his insides were ripped out, as if he had been gutted. He shuddered involuntarily and another wave of pain swept through him as he reminded himself savagely that his insides, while not ripped out, were almost certainly ripped apart.
Slowly, his field of vision cleared. The streaks of red and blue began to fade and he could see his real surroundings, but only very hazily, as if he was looking through thickly frosted glass. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes on something. His vision cleared a little more, but the surroundings were still hazy. He breathed in and closed his eyes. Opening them and looking at hazy, swirling surroundings made him dizzy and sick.
"Seifer! Seifer!"
His eyes shot open again when he heard someone call his name. The voice was faint, barely audible, then it steadily grew louder, calling his name repeatedly. Who was it? The voice was familiar, very familiar…he knew it, but he couldn't place who it was calling for him. He closed his eyes again, trying to think. Then everything clicked, and he remembered the voice was Quistis Trepe's. It was she yelling hoarsely for him.
Now he could hear her footsteps, coming closer and closer, and he knew she was near. He battled the darkness reaching its eager hands out for him, fought it back. Seifer just wasn't ready for the darkness to take him into its cold embrace, and he clung on to the silver threads of precious life that were fraying, snapping all too soon. He half-opened his eyes, and saw her face peering down at him, looking concerned.
"Quistis…" he whispered hoarsely, unable to muster anything more than a croak. Ignoring the fresh searing pain, he slowly reached out his hand and grasped hers tightly. "Quistis…"
Stunned, Quistis did not move, her eyes fixed upon his face. She felt his hand take hold of hers in its warm grip. "Seifer?" she asked softly. His eyes were looking straight at hers.
"Quistis…I…I have…someth…something to tell you," Seifer croaked. Quistis strained her ears to catch each words, for his voice was barely audible, strained and tight with pain.
She said nothing, and Seifer continued, pain in his voice. "Quistis, I…I love you."
Quistis gave a soft gasp, and she turned her head away from Seifer, unable to hold back the tears that spilled from her blue eyes and flooded down her cheeks in crystalline rivulets. She didn't want him to see her cry. Still looking away from him, she replied, her voice thick with grief, "And I love you, Seifer."
Seifer increased the pressure on her hand as pain shot anew through him. He muttered hoarsely, each word a searing agony, "I would…have..told…you…earlier…if I had known…I would…die so soon…say goodbye to the rest for me, Quistis…."
Quistis's hand jerked in his grip, and she turned back abruptly, tears pattering down onto the ground. "No! Seifer! You won't die! Tell me you'll live, Seifer, tell me you'll live!" Her voice was choked and pleading, and her eyes begged him to say he'd not die, say he'd live.
Seifer shook his head sadly. "Goodbye…goodbye..Quistis…" he whispered to her, and her alone. She stared down at him, unable to make herself believe that he was dying in front of her, and then she felt his grip on her hand go slack.
He was dead.
"Seifer!" she cried, and fresh tears burst forth, flooding down in torrents. "Why? Oh, why?" She still had her fingers entwined in his lifeless ones. She bowed her head, letting the tears flow down onto their joined hands, rain of grief watering the garden of her love.
I was complete with you, Seifer…whole like I never was before…now you're gone from me. You made my heart sing and lift with joy, and you made my heart sink with lead, down into the depths of sorrow. Oh, Seifer…
She didn't move from her spot, kneeling next to his body, until someone gently pried her hands loose from his and persuaded her to leave. "Quistis…there's no use…it's night time, you should be asleep. Seifer's dead, Quistis, he'll never come back."
She didn't care who was the one talking to her. Eyes still moist and sparkling with unshed tears, she allowed herself to be led away, taking a last look at the lifeless body of Seifer, still in death.
1 Chapter Two
Our Spirits Will Be Together….
Quistis tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her eyes were still brimming with unshed tears, which were still spilling down her cheeks. Her pillow was damp from the hot salty tears. She remembered Seifer…so clearly…memories of him still floating around in her mind. She could not forget him, no matter how she tried, and she didn't want to. She saw his face in her mind, heard his voice ringing in her ears, audible to no one but her, and then she would remember he was dead, gone. The pain of that was acute, cutting into her, rending her heart into a million pieces and slicing her soul apart piece by piece.
"Seifer…Seifer…" she kept murmuring to the still, empty air, as if she could call him back. Quistis stared up at the ceiling, strangely hoping to see him materialize in front of her, but she knew she wouldn't. Slowly, slowly, she cried herself into a fitful sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------
"Quistis…Quistis…" a voice echoed softly.
Quistis's breath caught in her throat as she recognised that voice. Oh, that voice, for which she had longed to hear again! She knew it, she loved it, she missed it…"Oh, Seifer!" she cried, her heart lifting in a song of joy, and she raced forward.
"Seifer…" she gasped, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as she looked up into his handsome face, "I missed you so much…just so much."
"I know, Quistis, and I missed you too," he replied.
Quistis smiled brightly. She felt happy, safe, warm, contented. She was drowning in a sea of love, and she would gladly drown a thousand times more. She was silent for a moment, then hesitated and asked Seifer softly, "Seifer…I thought…I thought you were dead…"
He looked down at her.
"My body is gone, but my spirit lives on, because love transcends all boundaries. So no matter where you are, my spirit will always be by your side, accompanying you. For always."
Quistis smiled again, her eyes lighting up with joy. Her eyes met with Seifer's. Neither spoke, finding words incapable of expressing the joy in their hearts. Words were not needed, though. Each knew what the other wanted to say, as if they could read each other's minds and hearts. They knew their hearts and souls were one, they were one, together as one, forever, and nothing would change that fact.
----------------------------------------------------- -----------
Quistis stirred and awoke, her eyes fluttering open. She felt strangely buoyant and lighthearted; it was as if a burden had been lifted from her, content and at harmony with the world around her. She smiled, knowing the reason why.
A breeze blew into her room, seemingly whispering into her ear, "Quistis…I'll be by your side…always. We will be together…till the end of time…and beyond."
Quistis looked up, and murmured softly to the wind, knowing his spirit would hear her, "Seifer…I know you'll always be by my side. We'll be together…forever."
