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(The Past They Shared)

Elise tried to close the door, but Seifer was too quick and too strong for her. He pushed the door with all his might, causing Elise to fall and land hard on the floor. Extreme pain in her right elbow forced her to close her eyes, she opened them again when she felt the cold steel of Seifer's gunblade at her throat.

"Get up, bitch!"

Elise smiled up at him, her pain was slowly decreasing. "I can't. If I move the blade will rip through my flesh." She said mockingly. "And you don't really want to be found in here with my dead body. Bad publicity, you know."

Seifer knew she was right, he had acted on anger rather than reason, he had not though about the consequences that killing Elise could bring him. He moved the blade away a few inches, she slowly got up. "Do you know what would make me really happy right now?" He asked, the blade steady in his hand still pointing at her throat.

"Killing me no doubt," Elise said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Sinking your blade into my soul."

"You have no soul."

"Who needs a damn soul." She said darkly. "I admit it, I made a mistake." Her tone changed completely, "I should have made sure your seeming lifeless body was truly dead." She smiled sweetly. "How did you survive? I'm extremely curious."

"I didn't come to discuss survival tactics. I came to show everyone your real face."

"Squall!"

Seifer turned around, there was no one there. Elise took this opportunity to kick the gunblade out of Seifer's hand. "Blind!"

Seifer couldn't see anything. "Damn it!"

"Bye." He heard her say, he heard footsteps, then the slamming door.

"Esuna." He found Elise gone once he was able to see again. "Damn it!" He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He broke the handle with his gunblade, then rushed into the hall, he had to find her before she accomplished her mission.

After unsuccessfully searching for Elise, once his anger had subsided, Seifer decided it would be better to approach the situation differently. He realized that by now Elise had probably run to Cid and Squall with a story of how he had tried to kill her. Why hadn't he thought things through before coming into Garden? He walked into the training center, he decided to go in the secret meeting area because he knew it would be empty at that time of the day, and he would have time to think about what to do.

He sat on the ground and closed his eyes. If only he had known who Elise was back then...

It had only been a few days after Ultimicia's defeat, Seifer stood staring at the ocean, but not really seeing it, he was trying to figure out what to do next. He hadn't even bothered to go back to Garden, he knew he was not welcome there. He wanted to go somewhere where no one knew him, up until now being in Dollet hadn't been so bad, except for the few times that people had stared at him and then whispered to each other once his back was turned. He had heard about a small town named Winhill, there he was sure no one would know him, that would be a nice change.

"Seifer?" He heard a female voice behind him. "Seifer Almasy?"

So much for no one knowing me, Seifer thought bitterly. He turned around and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She was wearing a long black skirt and a long-sleeved black top. Her red hair blew gently with the breeze and her bright green eyes smiled up at him. Seifer was speechless.

"You are Seifer...aren't you?"

"Ah...yes...do we know each other? You seem very familiar."

"I used to be a student at Balam Garden." She extended her hand, "My name is Elise, Elise Avalon."

He shook her hand. "Wait. I thought you were-"

"Dead. I know. You don't look very busy, so..." She smiled sweetly at him, "if you wanted to take a walk with me I could tell you my story."

What the hell? Seifer thought, maybe hanging out with a gorgeous woman would take his mind off things. "Sure, lead the way."

They spent the entire day together. She told him her story, he told her his. Seifer found himself telling her things he had never told anyone before. After that day they spent almost all their time together, Seifer trusted Elise with his life, he had never felt that way about anyone. He would have done anything that she asked him to, sometimes he had the odd feeling that she had hypnotized him, but that was ridiculous, he thought, that must be what falling in love was like.

About two weeks after they had met, Elise disappeared. They had agreed to meet at a cafe when Seifer went in the waiter gave him a note, it read: Don't look for me. I'll find you when the time comes. He didn't look for her, he wasn't about to go chasing after someone who obviously didn't want to be chased. He had very strong feelings for her, but he was also very proud and didn't want to admit to those feelings, besides, she had said that she would come back.

A week later Seifer was in his hotel room when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." It was Raijin. "What is it?"

"That pretty girl with the red hair asked me to tell ya somethin'."

"Elise?" Seifer stood up from his bed. "What?"

"She said she wanted to meet ya at the place where she first found ya."

"When?" Seifer asked eagerly.

"Tonight at midnight. You need to be careful, ya know."

"Why?"

"She gives me the creeps. It's those green eyes of hers, ya know?"

"You're crazy."

"Well, I'm just warnin' ya." Raijin walked out.

As Seifer walked to the beach he couldn't help feeling happy. He was going to see her again, the only person who had ever understood him. He spotted her, she was wearing black as usual, her hair was tied back in a ponytail. Seifer noticed she was hiding something behind her back.

"Hi." He said.

"Did you miss me, Seifer?"

"I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Well, I just had to see you again."

Seifer smiled. "You look great."

"Thank you."

"What do you have behind your back?" Seifer asked.

"My sword." She showed him the silver blade.

"Why do you have a sword?"

She stepped toward him, then she put her right hand on his chest. "Traitor." She said.

"What?" Seifer asked confused.

"Bio." Elise said then stepped away from Seifer.

He fell to his knees, he felt as if the life was being drained out of his body, he tried to get up but failed. His confusion was soon turned to anger.

"Firaga!" He yelled.

Elise moved out of the way. "Now, now." She laughed, "We can't have you doing that. Silence!"

Seifer tried to cast another Firaga spell but was unable to speak. He felt like he was going to be sick, he saw Elise standing over him.

"Don't move." She said putting the gleaming sword against his chest. "I'm going to kill you." She said simply. "You betrayed Ultimicia, so you deserve to die. You failed her. Her orders were simple, yet you didn't follow them, you are worthless, when I'm done with you, I will destroy those little SeeDs as well, especially Squall and that excuse for a sorceress, Rinoa." Her voice was ice cold.

"You see, Ultimicia is, or was thanks to them and to you, my great-grand daughter. For years I've communicated with her through dreams, I knew what was to come, I knew of the battle between SeeD and Ultimicia, that is the reason why I was enrolled in Garden in the first place. But the rest of the story is boring, I doubt you want to hear something boring before you die."

"Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, I am a sorceress, Ultimicia inherited her powers from me. She told me that I gave her my powers just before I died of old age when she was a baby. Once I receive my full power I will be much stronger than Ultimicia was, and when that happens I will be able to avenge her by destroying Balam Garden and all of SeeD. Anyway..." Without warning, she sank the sword into his chest. "Sorry to have bored you, I know I said I wouldn't, but I just had to share my story with someone."

Seifer tried to pull out the sword, but he was far too weak, he lost consciousness.

When he woke up he was in a white room, there was an IV in his right arm. He looked up saw Raijin and Fujin standing by his bedside.

"SEIFER."

"Where am I?" Seifer asked weakly, his mouth was very dry and he felt sharp pains in his chest.

"HOSPITAL."

"You scared us, ya know? We thought you were dead. Who did this to you anyway?" Raijin asked.

"Elise." Said Seifer remembering their little encounter.

Fujin shook her head. "EVIL."

"I have to find her." Seifer tried to get up, but Fujin stopped him.

"REST."

"She's right, ya know. The doctor said you need to rest, he said you'll be here a while. You don't wanna go and make your injury worse."

They were right, if he wanted to get even with Elise he would have to be fully recovered.

One month later, here he was, ready to have his revenge. But he had made a big mistake by going to Elise first, especially when she was alone. He had to warn someone. "Rinoa. She'll believe me." Seifer got up and made his way out of the training center.