Disclaimer: Seifer Almasy and Quistis Trepe and everything FF8 belong to
Squaresoft.
Pain. Blinding, searing pain. A flaring, unending, continous atmosphere of agony. I can feel nothing else. No cooling, numbing ache of healing magic, just pain. It feels like I'm burning up, inside out, like red-hot irons are searing into me.
I force open my eyes. The world around is hazy, clouded in misty cloaking fog. Streaks of light red and blue dance before my eyes. I can't see straight. I feel dizzy, dizzy and sick. I close my eyes, unwilling to see more of the swirling fog and streaks of red and blue.
Then something catches my ears. I barely hear it in the throes of pain. Then it gets louder. Where have I heard that cry before? That sweet melodic voice? It is so familiar…but I can't place it.
"Seifer! Seifer!" She's calling my name. Everything clicks, and I know who it is. I want to croak her name out, want to call back, but my throat seems parched dry, and my voice won't work. I can't speak her name.
I hear footsteps pounding up, and I instinctively feel her, next to me.I crack open my eyes, and her face swims into focus, though it is like looking through thickly frosted glass. Trying my best not to wince at the pain that sweeps in one agonizing rush through me when I move my hand, I reach out, feeling for her slender fingers. I find them, and take hold of them in my own.
"Quistis?" I croak. My voice sounds hoarse to my own ears. I tighten my grip over her fingers. She looks up, and responds softly, "Seifer?"
You have to say it now, Seifer Almasy. Now, or never.
I strain to make my voice more than a hoarse whisper, but its volume does not seem to change. "I…I…I lo..love you, Quistis." I manage to say, almost inaudibly. She half turns away, and I see a faint glimmer in her eyes. Tears?
"I love you too, Seifer," she replies. She sounds as if there is a lump in her throat. Quistis Trepe – crying? She looks away from me, not wanting to look at me. I have so much to say…why is it that I have so little time to spill my feelings for her? Why?
I struggle to say the first words that come out from my mouth. "Say…say goodbye…to the rest for me…Quistis…" She nods, head still not turning towards me. Painfully, I continue. "I…won't…be able…to say…farewell…to…them…because…I'm…dying. I…I know…I am."
Her head whips around fiercely, and I am stunned and shocked to see crystalline tears falling from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks. "You won't die…you can't die, Seifer. Tell me you'll live. Tell me!" she pleads, and the rain of tears becomes heavier, from the light few drops of tears to a torrent of pearly drops.
I want so much to tell her that…but I can't. I shake my head, and one lone tear slips from my eye and drips onto the ground. Seifer Almasy, crying? I know no-one will believe it. I feel my life slipping slowly away from me, and death taking me into its final embrace, eternal sleep already half swallowing me into its depths.
"Goodbye, Quistis," I whisper. "Goodbye.
"Seifer! Seifer…No…Seifer!" I hear her cry, seemingly farther and farther away…and then, no more.
Pain. Blinding, searing pain. A flaring, unending, continous atmosphere of agony. I can feel nothing else. No cooling, numbing ache of healing magic, just pain. It feels like I'm burning up, inside out, like red-hot irons are searing into me.
I force open my eyes. The world around is hazy, clouded in misty cloaking fog. Streaks of light red and blue dance before my eyes. I can't see straight. I feel dizzy, dizzy and sick. I close my eyes, unwilling to see more of the swirling fog and streaks of red and blue.
Then something catches my ears. I barely hear it in the throes of pain. Then it gets louder. Where have I heard that cry before? That sweet melodic voice? It is so familiar…but I can't place it.
"Seifer! Seifer!" She's calling my name. Everything clicks, and I know who it is. I want to croak her name out, want to call back, but my throat seems parched dry, and my voice won't work. I can't speak her name.
I hear footsteps pounding up, and I instinctively feel her, next to me.I crack open my eyes, and her face swims into focus, though it is like looking through thickly frosted glass. Trying my best not to wince at the pain that sweeps in one agonizing rush through me when I move my hand, I reach out, feeling for her slender fingers. I find them, and take hold of them in my own.
"Quistis?" I croak. My voice sounds hoarse to my own ears. I tighten my grip over her fingers. She looks up, and responds softly, "Seifer?"
You have to say it now, Seifer Almasy. Now, or never.
I strain to make my voice more than a hoarse whisper, but its volume does not seem to change. "I…I…I lo..love you, Quistis." I manage to say, almost inaudibly. She half turns away, and I see a faint glimmer in her eyes. Tears?
"I love you too, Seifer," she replies. She sounds as if there is a lump in her throat. Quistis Trepe – crying? She looks away from me, not wanting to look at me. I have so much to say…why is it that I have so little time to spill my feelings for her? Why?
I struggle to say the first words that come out from my mouth. "Say…say goodbye…to the rest for me…Quistis…" She nods, head still not turning towards me. Painfully, I continue. "I…won't…be able…to say…farewell…to…them…because…I'm…dying. I…I know…I am."
Her head whips around fiercely, and I am stunned and shocked to see crystalline tears falling from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks. "You won't die…you can't die, Seifer. Tell me you'll live. Tell me!" she pleads, and the rain of tears becomes heavier, from the light few drops of tears to a torrent of pearly drops.
I want so much to tell her that…but I can't. I shake my head, and one lone tear slips from my eye and drips onto the ground. Seifer Almasy, crying? I know no-one will believe it. I feel my life slipping slowly away from me, and death taking me into its final embrace, eternal sleep already half swallowing me into its depths.
"Goodbye, Quistis," I whisper. "Goodbye.
"Seifer! Seifer…No…Seifer!" I hear her cry, seemingly farther and farther away…and then, no more.
