¸.·´¯`·»Tune of a Golden Clue«·´¯`·.¸
The flame roared around like the hands of the devil reaching out for him. They wanted to claim him, to take him to their fiery deaths. Never allow the little boy to see the blue sky again. He ran as fast as he could a tiny teddy clutched to his chest. His mother screamed behind him smoke rising from her layered skirts.
"No mommy!" the little boy's voice echoed in through the marble hallway, the licking flames. He rushed at her and beat the flames down with his teddy bear, before putting his little hand into hers. She smiled down at her with her thin lips. They ran together along the corridor smoke filling to boy's lungs.
Suddenly the mother and her son skidded to a stop before a woman standing in the middle of the hallway. Her purple gown shimmered in the firelight, her would be beautiful face ruined by a cruel smile.
"Why?" the boy's mother asked her voice so sad.
"You should have kept your hands off my property" the woman in purple said.
"I hate you!" the boy screamed suddenly running at the strange woman.
Heaviness fell upon Seifer, he couldn't move his legs his arms, and his eyes wouldn't open.
(~You WILL awaken Almasy~)
The rumbling voice cascaded through his mind like a terrible thunder. Seifer's eyes flew open suddenly, the world coming into a fuzzy focus. The train car was empty besides him, glass from the window covering everything.
"Fuck" he said out loud as the realization that Quistis was gone came crashing down around him. He rushed to the window glass crunching under his steel decorated boots. He carelessly brought his hands down on the windowsill, wincing only slightly as the jagged sharp glass remains sliced through his leather gloves. Pain dug into his palms, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep from crying out.
The site in front of him was enough to make him cry out alone.
A great skeletal being floated there, marring the blue sky. It had no legs, just a torso and a trailing spine. Great membrane covered winged sprouted from a crimson cloak trailing down its back. Its great horned skull, carried red eyes burning into him like hot embers. One skeletal arm was clutched around Quistis covering his mouth with a long fingered bone hand. He body lay limp against the creature that dwarfed her so easily. The other hand pointed slowly at Seifer, a grin spreading across the monster's face. Quistis' blue eyes were huge pool of fear.
Then the beast flicked something gold at him, suddenly disappearing.
Seifer watched the golden disc flip end over end through the air. It gleamed in the sun, glinting playfully. Seifer reached out and caught easily, the metal cold through the slices in his gloves. He growled talking his gloves off, tossing the ruined black leather to the ground. He held the flat disc in one hand palm. A coin, strange minting, nothing like he had ever seen. He frowned clenching his fist around it.
Now his only hope in finding Quistis lay in the small, gold coin. Obviously the creature wanted him to go after them. Why else would it have given him such a clue. The train lurched to a stop, finally arriving in Balamb. He shook her head exiting the train into the pastel colored town. The walk through town was short, it was the arrival at Balamb that he dreaded.
The military school loomed before him, a giant premonition of doom. He was never going to be SeeD at this rate. He had let the woman he was kidnapping get away. Worst of all it had to be Trepe. He growled kicking a plant on his way in the front gate.
He took the back way into the library hoping to avoid everyone he knew. He wouldn't be able to handle it right now if they found out that he had failed, again. He scowled grabbing every coin book of the shelf. He threw them angrily down on the table flopping down into a chair. He suppressed a groan pulling the first book towards him.
Hours later, at the breaking point frustration someone flopped down into the seat next to him. He looked at her through the corner of his eye. It was that library girl of Zell's who always wore her hair in a ponytail. She flashed Seifer a smile looking over his arm at the book in his hands.
"Lookin' for some particular?" she asked.
"What's it to you?" he countered slamming the book shut.
"Sorr-y, I was just trying to do my job" she said standing up.
"Yeah well go back to doing it somewhere else" Seifer said turning back to the book.
"If you're looking for something particular, I know someone who collects coins" she said walking away.
"Who?" Seifer asked looking up.
"Zell" she said winking over her shoulder at him. Seifer let the book clatter to the table, raking a hand through his blond hair. Great, now he had to hunt out Chicken Wuss to find out where Quistis was. Seifer stood up, the chair clattering to the ground as he stormed out of the library.
He was a thunderstorm rolling through Balamb Garden, heading straight for Zell's dorm. Lightning flashed in his eyes, thunder rolling across his gray coat. He stopped short at the door raising one hand to pound on the door. It wasn't long before the blond tattooed man opened the door.
"What do you want" Zell asked evenly. Seifer scowled. If there was one thing he hated more then asking for help, it was asking for help from Chicken Wuss.
"I need your help" Seifer said through his gritted teeth hands curled into fists. Zell gave him a half smile and raised his eyebrows.
"Help? You want help from me?" Zell said.
"No I want help from your shoe" Seifer said rolling his eyes. Zell snickered and shook his head.
"Gotta be nicer then that, Seify. Now say please" Zell said leaning casually on the door crossing his arms. Seifer's eyes widened as his scowl deepened.
"Please" he squeezed out as if it was painful.
"Good boy, now that wasn't hard was it?" Zell said leading him into his dorm room.
"Fuck you" Seifer said looking around the tidy marshal artist room. Funny, he always figured that Chicken Wuss would be a slob.
"Sit?" Zell said motioning to the couch as he took a seat in an armchair.
"Don't mind if I do" Seifer said. Seifer flopped down onto the couch, by force of habit propping his feet up on the table.
"So what is it the great Seifer Almasy needs to ask a lonely pee-on like me for help with?" Zell said. Seifer took the coin out of his pocket laying it flat on the table. Then he slid it across with one finger, watching Zell's eyes light up.
"Where did you get this?" Zell asked picking up the shiny piece of metal.
"You tell me, I'll tell you" Seifer said.
"They call it a Medarra. It's a coin from a very ancient time when a Sorceress ruled the continent of Centra. Your turn" Zell said.
"The monster that kidnapped Quistis threw it at me" Seifer said deciding to get right to the point. Zell's eyes widened, and he stood up rushing over to a bookshelf. He pulled out an old book flipping through the pages.
"See here" Zell said as he pointed to a picture of the coin. It was exact, the picture perfect.
"What's it mean?" Seifer said.
"Well the legend says that the sorceress queen was sealed up into her tomb, with every coin like this that was ever minted" Zell said.
"Where's the tomb" Seifer said.
"Centra" Zell answered. Seifer spun grabbing the coin out of Zell's hand. He was all ready heading for the door.
"Wait, you're not going alone" Zell said remembering to grab his Ehrgeiz as he headed out after Seifer.
Thanks for all your support everyone! I had such a hard time writing this chapter! I hope it wasn't too boring..