Goodbye
by Aria Nightwing
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A/N: To FloralBlackMoon: Thank you for the constructive critizism. I hope it is a bit better now. I know that Seifer being sappy is a bit werid, so I changed the letter a bit. I also changed the part where Zell walks in.
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The sun shone upon the ocean, making the waves sparkle like a thousand jewels on blue velvet. Seifer Almasy closed his eyes against the glare, and turned to go home. He passed Mrs. Dincht's house on his way to his own house. Seifer sighed as he walked into the small building he called home. The building was on the edge of Balamb town. Balamb was actually a city, but Seifer had always called it 'Balamb town'. Soft music flowed from his room. He had left his radio on again. He smiled at the sound of the music, a soft, sad ghost of a smile. He rarely smiled now. Closing the door behind him, Seifer picked up a sheet of paper that was lying on his desk and read the poem that was on it.
In this castle, no mistral sings,
No laugher fills the halls.
As if counting sad things,
Another golden apple falls.
All that glitters is not gold,
Fool is he who walks in the lions' lair.
Even the warmest fire is killed by cold,
A scar on the soul is always there.
He smiled faintly. He had written the poem himself, and was rather proud of it, as proud as he could be these days. He didn't deserve a weapon like the gunblade, he thought, glancing at the sword lying in a patch of sunlight, not after what he did. Sure, he had been under the control of Sorceress Ultimecia, but it was his fault that he had let her get to him. There was nothing left for him here. He flipped the paper over and started writing.
Finishing the letter, he picked up his gunblade and examined the weapon carefully. He was an expert with a gunblade, or so he told himself. Seifer placed the note on the desk, and sat down on the floor, holding the razor sharp edge of the deadly weapon to his chest, and looked up at the skylight. Through it he could see the sky. Two teardrops, glistening in the sunlight, trailed slowly down his cheeks as he plunged the blade deep into his heart.
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"HEADMASTER! COMMANDER!" yelled a melencholy-filled voice. Squall Leonhart looked up from the book he had been reading, surprised. Headmaster Cid Kramer looked up from his paperwork with a concerned look on his face. "What, Zell? What is it?" Headmaster Cid called, rising from his chair as Squall opened the door. Zell Dincht walked slowly into the room, silent tears tracing a pair of streaks down his face. "It's Seifer, sir. He's he's" Zell broke down and hung his head. "Zell, calm down, take a deep breath." said Squall, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tell me everything." Zell took a deep breath, forcing himself to be calm. "Seifer committed suicide in his home. I went to talk to him about maybe coming to teach at Garden full time, instead of just part time, and I found him lying on the floor of his room with his gunblade stuck in his chest. I hate to say this, but he looked like he was finally at peacelike he finally lost all of his guilt. Andhe looked like he had been crying." Zell dug a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "I found this on his desk. I didn't read it, but it looks like a suicide note." Handing the paper to Squall, Zell sat down in a chair and bowed his head. Scanning the note briefly, Squall went to his desk and turned on the intercom.
"Instructors Trepe, Kinneas, and Tilmitt report to the headmaster's room immediately. Sorceress Rinoa, Raijin, Fujin, and Lady Edea also come to the headmaster's room please. That is all."
Turning the intercom off, Squall walked over to where Zell was sitting and tried to consul his friend. Headmaster Cid looked at the two of them, his face tight with restrained emotion.
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"Yes, sir?" asked Quistis Trepe, walking into the room with Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt, Sorceress Rinoa Heartilly, Raijin, Fujin, and Edea Kramer. "You wanted to" Quistis trailed off, seeing Squall with his arm around Zell's shoulders. "Squallwhat's going on?" asked Rinoa, walking towards him. Edea walked towards her husband and squeezed his hand softly. "What's wrong, dearest?" she asked him. Zell answered both women's questions. "Seifer committed suicide." Squall put his arm around Rinoa's shoulders. "He left a note for us." he said, struggling to keep his composure.
"My name is Seifer Almasy," he began reading, his voice cracking a bit, "and I don't deserve to live. Not after the crimes I have committed. I was - am- responsible for many deaths. I have betrayed my friends, my country, and my Garden. I don't deserve the friendship they have offered me, and I can only hope that they will understand why I am doing this. I hope they can understand why I must take my own life. Please, whoever finds this letter, make sure that it gets to Squall Leonhart, Commander of the SeeDs of Balamb Garden. Goodbye Quisty, and good luck in all of your endeavors. Goodbye Sefie, take care of Trabia Garden. Goodbye Zell, you aren't a chicken-wuss. Goodbye Irvy, take care of Selfie. Goodbye Sorceress Rinoa, and guide the world to a golden age. Goodbye Matron and Headmaster Cid, as mother and father you were to me. Goodbye Raijin and Fujin, may you have happiness, both of youGoodbye, Squall, my rival and comrade I will miss you all greatly
Farewell, dear friends,
Seifer Almasy"
Squall finished reading the letter, and two tears ran down his face. "Seifer goodbye" Headmaster Cid hugged his wife tightly, then let go. "I will I will notify the students at once."
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Two days later, in a private ceremony, Squall, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa, Rajin, Fujin Edea, and Headmaster Cid buried Seifer, with his gunblade, in the flower field near Edea's house. On his gravestone they had put this inscription:
Seifer Almasy
You will not be forgotten
They stood in the field for a while, each one remembering Seifer in their own way. "Goodbye, Seifer Almasy." said Squall, tracing his finger over the scar that Seifer had given him during one of their many duels together. Pulling out Seifer's last message, he noticed that there was something written on the backside. Flipping it over, he read:
In this castle, no mistral sings,
No laugher fills the halls.
As if counting sad things,
Another golden apple falls.
All that glitters is not gold,
Fool is he who walks in the lions' lair.
Even the warmest fire is killed by cold,
A scar on the soul is always there.
"Didn't know you were a poet, Seifer" Grabbing a small stone, he placed the paper, poem up, on the grave, putting the rock on top of the paper to keep it from flying away. Standing up, he felt a hand upon his shoulder. Turning, he saw Rinoa, a sad smile tugging at her mouth. "What a way do die." she said softly. "It fits him, to live and die by the sword. Still, I wish he were still here." Putting his arm around Rinoa's waist, Squall smiled back. "Yeah, I guess so... I'm going to really miss him. Even though he tried to kill me on several occasions..." Behind them came Edea's soft voice. "Let's go, my children. I will miss Seifer, for he was my oldest." With that, they turned away, and headed back to the ship which had brought them.
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I hope you liked the story. If you did, review and tell me why. If you didn't, review and tell me why not. If you don't know, review and tell me that. I enjoy constructive critizism.
Ja ne!
~ Aria Nightwing