¸.·´¯`·»Requiem for an Eternal Solider «·´¯`·.¸
The three sorceress eerie chanting filled the courtyard. All of them, were sights to see with Rinoa's wings wrapped around all of them. Heads thrown back, staring at the pulsating crystal in the sky. Their arcane words rose to a crescendo before suddenly dropping off.
Quistis watched it as it slowly floated down and landed in her open, awaiting palm. All of their gazes trailed upwards again as a loud screeching filled the air.
In the sky a horde of ruby dragons flapped their wings mightily. They landed in the courtyard, their talons clanking on the stone.
"We can handle this, go Quistis" Rinoa said with a tiny nod. The blond ex instructor looked around for a few moments, a weapons were brandished around the courtyard. She knew it was all a distraction that was how Medarra worked.
Quistis only took a moment to think before she turned and ran, leaving the others behind to fight.
"Selphie, go help the others" Seifer said after hearing the screech of the dragons. His steely eyes never leaving the statuesque form of his mother. Selphie turned and ran for the stairs her nunchuku at the ready.
"My son" Medarra said her voice softer then he had ever heard it.
"Mother" he spat his eyes blazing. The tension was building in the room; the huge black sword seemed to be vibrating in his hands. Calling for her blood on its sharp blade.
"I forgive you, for all that you've ever done to oppose me. I even forgive you for destroying the research center and my entire crew with it" she said with a serene smile.
"You had me chasing clues around the world, just to keep me busy. Did you know it would be me that came after Quistis?" he demanded tightening his grip on the sword.
"No, I had hoped you would join me" Medarra replied coolly.
"Join you?!" he said outraged, "I already made the mistake of joining with a sorceress before. Never will I be a night again!" his voice was at a shout. Her expression never wavered, her sparkling eyes always trailed on her son.
Quistis rushed into the room them, the glowing crystal clutched in her fist. It's white light escaped from between her fingers. Her boot caught on the broken Hyperion laying discarded on the ground. She went sprawling forward the crystal skittering from her hand across the floor.
Medarra laughed and threw a hand up, a translucent shield pinging into place around Quistis.
"Let me out!" she screamed banging her fist on the wall of her glassy prison. The crystal lay on the floor only a few feet away.
"That is my wife" Seifer said softly looking away from Quistis back to his mother. Medarra only smiled and shook her head softly.
Seifer's hand clenched around the hilt of Zantetsuken. The voice of his father whispered across his mind. Suddenly he knew a skill that was in his blood. It always had been, it always would be. He had tried it before and had never been successful.
He charged his mother, bringing the sword up in a great arch. The sword came down, its blade slicing right along the flesh of her left eye. She would be half-blind forever, like his father had done to Gilgamensh, and he had tried to do to Squall.
Medarra fell to the ground with a scream. She reached up and touched the blood with a shaking hand. It was pouring down her face, unto her dress.
"Seifer, they crystal! You have to put it into her heart!" Quistis shouted banging on the bubble again to get his attention. He nodded and walked over to the crystal. He picked it up slowly off the ground, clenching it in his hand.
He walked over to where his mother lay breathing hysterically. The sword slid from his hand, and it clanked loudly to the ground. He dropped to his knees beside her, looking into her unwounded eye. Slowly her lifted her into his arms, pushing her blood-matted hair away from her face.
"I am sorry, mother" Seifer said gazing down into the face of the mother he had always wanted, but never known he had.
"Seifer..I loved your father. I loved.... him with all of... my heart. I died when he betrayed me" she whispered. Seifer nodded positioning the crystal right above her heart.
"I forgive you too, mother" he said softly tears welling in his eyes. Then he leaned forward and shoved the glowing crystal into her chest. She threw her head back in a scream. Her other hand suddenly came barreling out of no where.
Seifer only saw the glint of silver, before it was shoved into his chest.
"NO!" Quistis screamed her fists pounding on the weakening barrier. Pain exploded trough Seifer's chest as he looked down at the dagger in his chest. He reached up and pulled it out, staring at it lying in his palm before allowing it to clatter to the floor. Then he fell backward, white exploding across his vision.
His mother lay limp across his lap. Her magic was flowing from her body filling the room with a strange glow. Quistis finally broke through the barrier running to Seifer's side. She shoved the body of his mother off his lap and pulled him into hers.
"Seifer" she whispered frantically casting a cure spell into his body. His eyes fluttered open and he shook his head softly.
"Magic will not heal this wound," he said as a trickle of blood escaped his lips and trickled down his pale chin. She shook her head frantically tears rolling down her cheeks. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, their warmth gone.
"I love you, don't leave me!" she screamed. Pain all she knew was pain. How could this be happening after all they had been through?
He was running in a field, green and sprinkled with pink wild flowers. Laughter filled his ears, two children ran before him. Their golden hair sparkling in the morning sun. Quistis at his side, the warmth filling his heart.
"Take care of our children" he whispered with a tiny smile.
He reached a bloody hand up and touched her cheek. His fingers left a trail of blood as they fell away. His eyes rolling into the back of his head, all of their green-sparkle lost.
The clouds mocked her. How dare they be so full, and white on this day. This day where she had to say good bye to husband, so shortly after she had found him.
The gravestone was a towering piece of rock, located on a cliff over looking the ocean. It wasn't far from matron's house. Quistis had wanted him to be buried on the land of his father, Centra.
Everyone was there. They had all showed up to say goodbye to the famed Seifer Almasy.
Failure, Traitor, Husband, Savior.
He lay in a pristine white coffin, it seemed to glow when the sun embraced it. Making the dad man inside almost look alive again. All Quistis wanted was for him to smirk and sit up. He would wonder why they had made such a big deal.
No one was speaking, all of them wrapped up in their memories.
Selphie walked up to the coffin leaning heavily on the arms of Rinoa and Irvine. Selphie had been the one to absorb Medarra's powers when the black sorceress had died. She was still recovering, but wouldn't have missed her chance to see the friend she had made one final time.
"Seifer, I always knew I never had to smile for you. I did though, because everyone needs a little laughter" Selphie whispered tears rolling down her pale face. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cold forehead. She slowly lay a blood red rose on his chest.
Rinoa stared down at him unable to find the words to say. A lump formed in the back of her throat, they had been through so very much together. She had loved him, and hated him. Never once had she ever wished him death, even when she was looking death in the face at his hands. She placed a rose on his chest and only smiled a bit, before leading Selphie away.
Zell, with Ellone on his arm, was the next to say good bye. Tears were glistening in the normally boisterous man's eyes. A few moths ago if you had told him that he would be crying because of Seifer, he probably would have laughed in your face. Now here he was, staring down at the one man he thought he had hated the most.
"I never got to tell you, that I had forgiven you. Forgiven you for all of the years, that you tormented me. You were like my older brother, I only wish that I had said something" Zell deadpanned closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to Ellone's hair.
"He was a brother to us all" Ellone said taking Zell's rose, along with hers and dropping them both on Seifer's still chest. They moved away making room for Edea, Squall, and Cid.
The three leaders of the garden looked down at the man who had been their biggest failure. But he had also been one of their greatest treasures.
"This rivalry is over, you were always the better man" Squall said. His long fingers dropped the rose almost delicately upon his chest. Cid remained silent, watching his wife as she placed her rose upon her favorite child's lifeless corpse.
"Good bye, Seifer" was all she said before she turned and walked away. Everyone's gaze turned to Quistis as she slowly walked towards the coffin, afraid to let go. They left her alone on the cliff staring down at him.
She was afraid to look away, afraid he might be gone forever. When she left, he would be put into the ground. His pale face never to see the light of day again. The wind blew rustled the petals of the roses lying on his chest. Quistis wanted nothing more then to climb into the coffin and die with him.
She heard a nose behind her and turned. Raijun and Fuijin were walking up the hill, a keyboard tucked under Fuijin's arm. Quistis watched them, eyes filled with tears. Fuijin sat down on the ground, balancing the keyboard in her lap.
Fuijin began to play a sad song, Raijun sitting next to her pulling out a tiny flute. Quistis nodded at them, realizing this was their way of saying good bye.
Fuijin had played at their wedding.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. The melody filled her to the soul, her hand coming to rest on her stomach.
Quistis knew then that she had a reason to live on. Seifer had left her with on final wish. She had to take care of their children, the two twin babies that were growing inside her right now.
The music swirled around her as she placed her cold lips to his a final time. She would never forget this moment, her final good bye to her husband. To the only man she would ever love. He would forever be her eternal soldier, and this was his song.
A requiem for an eternal solider.