The Dish: An Angsty Seiftis One Last-Ditch Attempt, a final fantasy viii fanfic

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to Squaresoft.

I'm glad that so many people are in tears over this story, especially since it was written to make people's hearts ache in sympathy. The tears are a real bonus. Oh, well, more power to tissues. *smiles vaguely, dizzily, and drifts off softly to walk in Quistis' and Seifer's shoes*

The Dish: One Angsty Seiftis

Part 10: One Last-Ditch Attempt

"Rinoa."

Rinoa lifted a forlorn face.

Edea Kramer was beckoning to her, a determined look on her face. "Come with me." She paused, and then eyed the brown-haired young man with Rinoa. "Squall, you had better come along too. The rest of you wait here."

Squall tightened the arm he had around Rinoa and she leaned in closer to him as they obeyed silently.

Inside, Seifer was on his knees by Quistis' side, holding her limp hand against his cheek, his eyes fixed mutely on her. He looked up dully as they entered and then turned away to continue his vigil by the dying girl's side. Matron put a hand on his shoulder—a light touch, no more.

"I'm going to try something that may be able to bring Quistis back," she said quietly. "I will need your help, Seifer."

He looked despairingly at her. "She's dying," he whispered miserably, his voice sunk into a hoarseness none of them had ever heard from him before. "She's beyond all medicine, all magic—"

"She isn't dying because of her injuries," said Edea Kramer softly. She was silent for a moment before she told them what little she could. "She's dying because she isn't fighting for her life." Matron bent her gaze on Seifer. "I want you, Seifer, to persuade her to fight. I don't care how you do it so long as you get her to fight for her life."

"Why?" mumbled Seifer. "Why me? I'm nothing—she—I—"

"You know why," Edea told him crisply, refusing to elaborate further. She had a feeling that he cared more for Quistis then he had let on, but it was not for her to tell him that. He already knew it. "And even if you think you don't, it's time you did something to help her. Now stop asking questions. We haven't got time." She turned swiftly to address Rinoa. "Rinoa, we need your powers as a Sorceress. Do as I say. Put your hand on Quistis' hand. Gently, now. Seifer, you do the same, and both of you, link your free hands."

Seifer and Rinoa did as they were told.

"What we're going to do next involves Quistis' mind, so you must be very careful. Rinoa, concentrate on your memories of Quistis. You should be able to open a pathway into her mind. Seifer, I also want you to think of your memories of Quistis. With both your memories and Rinoa's power, you should be able to open a path. Have we all got that so far?"

They nodded.

Edea now spoke to Seifer. "Once Rinoa has opened a pathway into Quistis' mind, you too can walk in. Remember, your job is to persuade Quistis to come back to us. Rinoa will not say anything. Rinoa, you must concentrate fully on your powers, understand?"

Squall cleared his throat. "Are there any—any side effects—or whatever…"

"Rinoa may become too…attached to Quistis' mind. This is where you come in, Squall. When I tell you to, I want you to force Rinoa away from both Seifer and Quistis, and break the physical connection. I don't want any of you trapped in Quistis' mind. As for you, Seifer—I will break the connection for you." She nodded to Rinoa. "Are we all ready? – Then let's begin."

Rinoa fixed her eyes on Quistis and Seifer did the same. Then the dark-haired girl closed her eyes and concentrated. She summoned the memories of one of the best friends she had ever made. Quistis, stern and determined, with an unshakeable focus on the practical; Quistis, smiling in that gentle, enigmatic way she had, as if she was smiling at them all from a very far distance; Quistis sitting up with her until curfew time to tutor her for SeeD; Quistis, reluctantly being dragged along into a very expensive store to try on a dress she had admired in a magazine days before; Quistis in battle, trying to be everywhere at once and to protect everyone at once; Quistis' weakness for rock bands with soulful, mournful, jaded sounds…

And she saw dimly, in her mind, a line of light into the dark…the path into Quistis Trepe's mind.

Meanwhile, Seifer too had been concentrating on his memories of Quistis. Quistis as his instructor, easily frustrated by his behaviour, but somehow never able to give up on him; Quistis giving him lecture after lecture after lecture for not misbehaviour; his own jealousy at the fact that she seemed to overly favour Squall when he was just as brilliant; Quistis arriving too late to save him from Ultimecia's clutches—he would forever remember the frozen, helpless look on her face; Quistis curled up in his bed the day she had fallen asleep from exhaustion while working on a report of their mission—and oh, he hadn't had the heart to wake her; Quistis' tact in slipping away silently just when he wanted to be alone, or making herself inconspicuous when he didn't want to be alone, but pretended he did; finding himself in a proper bed after a drunk night's out, and knowing that Quistis had somehow managed to find him and drag him there; Quistis' face and eyes when she smiled at him, which was but rarely; and the pain that always lay buried behind those blue eyes, a pain he hadn't been aware of because he was so wrapped up in himself; and most of all, his love for her…

And he saw, dimly, in his mind, a line of light into the dark…the path into Quistis Trepe's mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

I know I haven't updated lately, but it's been terrible. I've been in school for the past two weeks, since school's already started where I live. There's so much work, but hopefully, I will be able to put in more chapters for both my stories this weekend. Thank you all so much! I honestly do love you all – your kind reviews have been very encouraging.