¸.·´¯`·»Garden Elegy«·´¯`·.¸
The blue sky sped past them, as the raced for the location of Balamb Garden. Seifer stared out the window his posture as if he was made of stone. How dare something attack his garden, his home. It hit him suddenly, guilt stirring deep in his gut, he had done the exact same thing.
A loud roar from the outside filled the cabin, and Selphie was shouting something. Seifer pressed his face against the cool glass of the window. Missiles, gaining on them, speeding past them. Right towards Balamb which was now in sight. People swarmed across the Balamb plains towards town. The first missile hit the halo of the garden breaking it into pieces. The gold glowing metal shattered.
Selphie was landing the Ragnarock, amidst all of the running SeeD's and Cadets. Seifer was the first one at the back hatch, forcing it open just as the Red Ship hit the ground. He ran, trench coat swirling out behind him. He ran against the current of people, his feet pounding hard on the ground.
Panic, Pandemonium, Chaos. The three sisters at work.
Another missile hit the slow moving garden sending a shudder through the whole building. Seifer couldn't run fast enough to save the remaining people inside as the Garden started to go down. It hit the ground with a deafening crash, the final missile to finish it off racing towards it.
He stopped starring up at the sky, his eyes wide with amazement. His breathing was heavy, his heart telling him to run away. His mind telling him to stay to make sure she would be ok. Floating there in the sky in front of the falling Balamb Garden was Quistis.
The air stirred her hair, sending a golden waterfall over her shoulders. The light blue dress was rippling. Her eyes were glowing the same gem sapphire blue, as they had when she walked across the water. Power coursed from her, so strong it was almost tangible.
"No!" Seifer shouted as the missile screamed towards her. She raised her gemmed hand, the sun winking off the jewel. It was so hard for him to breath, fear thudding inside his rib cage.
It was so close to her, the object that would be hers and the garden's death. Then she slowly lowered her hand, slicing through the air. The sky split open, into a gaping black vortex. The missile sped into the blackness, which closed in around it. Balamb settled at last with its rudder split, the halo broken. Smoke rose from it in gray towers, winding lazily up into the sky.
Seifer couldn't take his eyes off Quistis, who still hovered above him. Then she shook her head slowly and looked around. Her eyes widened back to their normal blue, before they rolled back into her head. And she began to fall.
He was right there, catching her in his arms. He stumbled a bit under her weight. But there she rested, breathing normally. Her body was like fire, the gem practically searing his flesh. SeeD's were running past him, towards the creaking metal hulk of the crashed garden. People screamed from inside, bodies littered the ground in front of it. So much death.
Seifer turned his back, walking towards the city of Balamb, carrying the one thing that had saved it at all.
His stride was stopped as suddenly a very familiar woman appeared in front of him. Her flawless pale face, set with violet glowing eyes stared at him.
"Medarra" he whispered the sorceress name in scorn. She grinned her plum lips turning up to reveal her slightly pointed canines.
"Quistis!" Selphie shouted running up to him.
"Take her to the hotel, I'll meet you there" Seifer said never taking his eyes off the woman in purple. He handed Quistis over to Selphie and slowly drew his black Hyperion.
"What do you think of my handy work? I succeeded where you failed" She said laughing slightly. Seifer swallowed hard and tried to ignore her words. Then suddenly he was no longer alone.
Squall stood to the left of him, his transparent gunblade the perfect opposite of Seifer's. Zell stood on his left, pulling his black gloves on.
"Only three of you?" she said with a smile. She shook her head, brown hair tumbling around her. Squall was the first to move into action, dashing forward to slice her with his lionheart.
Thunder. The clouds were rolling in the sky.
(~ GILGAMESH~)
The red clothed GF landed easily in front of them, four swords swirling around him. He grabbed one from the ground grabbing the great black blade. Gilgamesh slashed at the sorceress, when suddenly his sword stopped in mid air. The Guardian Force was frozen in place.
Medarra grinned reaching out to touch the top of the enormous sword. A ringing sounded through the air followed by a bright flash. When the white cleared from Seifer's vision, both she and Gilgamesh were gone.
"Gilgamesh..." Squall said softly his voice trailing off into nothingness. Zell shook his head in disbelief, staring at the empty ground where they had both stood.
"She did the same thing that you did to everyone else, she drew it from you" Seifer explained without needing to. Squall shook his head and then his eyes snapped to the smoking garden.
"Zell, you're with me" Squall said striding purposefully off towards the garden. Seifer turned on a heel and began to run towards the tiny blue town of Balamb.
Seifer ran into town, trying to ignore the wounded and the dead lying in the streets. His heart hurt for them all, but only one woman was in his mind. The golden haired beauty that had been there for most of his life.
He crashed into the hotel, looking around with fierce eyes. Seifer spotted two very familiar looking girls sitting against the back wall. Jaylar and Tolia, the girls that had accompanied him on his SeeD exam.
"Seifer" Tolia called out, waving him over to them.
"Did you see where Selphie took Quistis?" He asked nodding at them both. Jaylar had a cut over her eye, and Tolia's leg was broke.
"The sorceress stole the headmaster and his wife!" Tolia blurted out in a rush. Seifer felt his heart crash to the pit of his stomach.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"We both saw it" Jaylar said nodding in confirmation.
"Thanks" Seifer said distractedly.
"Instructor Trepe is in Room 6" Tolia said.
"She's not an Instructor anymore" Seifer said softly before heading up the stairs.
Zell was carrying a tiny cadet in his arms heading right for her. She stood up and met him on a black patch of grass. Worry and doubt, now shadowed his cobalt eyes that were usually full of spunk and life.
"She's hardly breathing" Zell said his voice heavy. Ellone nodded and helped him lower her to the ground. A quick survey of the girl told Ellone that she was not going to life. The large shard of blue metal sticking out of her stomach was a simple indication. Ellone looked up at Zell tears forming in her deep brown eyes. He tugged his bottom lip between his lips and stood up, looking away from the dying girl.
Ellone stood up and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked down and rubbed the back of his hand hard across his eyes.
"Zell" Ellone said softly. He turned and looked at her eyes wet. She slid her arms around his waist pulling him into a soft embrace. Zell wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He stared over her shoulder at the smoking ruin of his home.
Seifer let himself into room six, glancing once at Selphie sitting in an armchair. He sat on the edge of Quistis' bed and looked down at her.
"Go tell Squall that the sorceress has Cid and Matron" Seifer said not even looking at the brunette. Selphie gasped and ran out of the room, her nuncuku's clanking heavily at her side. He reached out and touched Quistis' cheek softly.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight her breathing heavy. Her chest raised pronouncedly inside the blue dress.
"The garden!" she exclaimed trying to climb pass him. She pushed slightly on his shoulder.
"Calm down, you need rest" Seifer said resisting her.
"Why?" Quistis asked frowning.
"It's net every day you faint and fall out of the sky" he said with a slight roll of his eyes. Quistis fell back onto the pillow and stared at him with misty blue eyes.
"What are you doing here?" she asked suddenly. What WAS he doing here?
"I was worried about you" he responded. He then decided she was much easier to deal with when she was unconscious. That thought made him smile a bit.
"Oh, well I'm fine" she said crossing her arms.
"She's got Matron" he said softly watching the shock register in her eyes. She shook her head and stared up at the ceiling.
"Why is she doing this to us?" Quistis asked almost furious. Seifer sighed and shook his head. He raked a hand through his blond spikes, a nervous habit. Nervous, What did he have to be nervous about?
"I don't know, but she has some major plan" Seifer said.
"How do you know?" Quistis asked.
"Because all sorceress' do" Seifer said with a knowing smirk. She shook her head laughing a bit.
"This is all my fault. I never should have dragged you all away from here" she said.
"If you hadn't then you never could have saved the garden the way you did today" he responded. She shook her head tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm scared" she whispered amazed that she was admitting such emotion to none other then Seifer Almasy. He smiled softly and took her hand into both of his.
"I'll protect you" he said not knowing where the words were coming from. His eyes locked with hers and she searching for emotions. Deep hidden in his golden flecked emerald eyes was something she couldn't touch. Something just out of her reach.
"I am in need of a knight" she said with a smug smile.
"No, I'll never be a knight again. A soldier maybe, but never a knight" he said very softly watching how the sun setting outside the window sent streaks of golden flame dancing along her hair.
"That's it then, you will be my solider. My eternal soldier" she whispered her eyes fluttering shut again.
A/N: *grins evily* Good stuff comming up.
Thanks for all the reviews you guys! You've all been too good to me! :)