(When the Dust Settles: Balance of Power - cont...)
For the next few nights, Seifer lay restless in his bed. He had no idea why he was so sluggish lately, or why he was so distant. He knew he was isolating himself, but he was unwilling to search his heart to find out why. He turned onto his side and stared at the wall. Nothing. Nothing came to mind. He rolled over again. He knew he didn't really miss Fujin or Raijin. They were memories to him now.
"What's wrong with me?" Seifer asked himself.
*flashbk*
"D'you hear about the communication tower in Dollet? We would've been heroes if it weren't for that withdraw order." Seifer told Squall. Quistis and Xu arrived.
"You were only looking for a fight." Quistis quickly accused.
"My dear instructor. I'm hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student. A mediocre instructor like you will never understand." Seifer replied.
"Seifer, don't be so stuck on yourself. You'll take all responsibility for leaving the designated area." Xu retorted.
"Isn't the captain's duty to take the best possible action?" Seifer argued.
"Seifer, you'll NEVER be a SeeD. Calling yourself a captain is a JOKE." Xu scowled.
*end.flashbk*
-----------
The next day, Seifer sat alone in the office. He purposely came up at this time to be alone. They were all out to lunch. He still didn't know why he avoided his friends. He tried ignoring his thoughts by searching news archives of the past few months. But it ended up backfiring. He stared at the screen, rubbing his forehead.
"SeeD Commander Engaged to Deling City Princess," he read aloud. "Leon- heartilly!" He read another headline. He felt overwhelmed with sadness.
"What's wrong with me?" Seifer rested his head on the surface of the desk.
"Seifer. What are you doing?"
Seifer looked up. Rinoa was looking at his laptop screen. He quickly closed the screen, even though she had already seen it.
"Nothing. I was just reading the archives." Seifer closed his laptop and began gathering his papers.
"Where are you going?" Rinoa asked.
"I have some things to do." Seifer replied.
"Why don't you talk to us? We're your comrades, your friends. What's wrong?" Rinoa cornered him.
"Rinoa, please. I have to...go." Seifer gently pushed her aside.
"Seifer...we want to help you---," Rinoa began. He had heard those words before. But where?
*flashbk*
"POSSE...We are. We always will be. Because we're a posse, we want to help you. Whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams, we're willing to do. But... You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall! It's sad... Sad that we only have Squall to rely on... Seifer! Are you still gonna keep goin'?"
Seifer held his gunblade and smirked, "Fujin, Raijin, it's been fun."
*end.flashbk*
"Seifer?" Rinoa interrupted his thoughts. He grabbed his forehead as if in pain. But he wasn't in pain. He was just being haunted by his past...but why?
"Leave me alone!" Seifer yelled.
Rinoa fell silent. She was hurt. Not that Seifer had yelled at her, well that was part of it, but that something was hurting Seifer and he wouldn't let her help. She stared into his eyes, but he just looked away. He meant to tell her that he wasn't yelling at her, but at his mind. But Rinoa had closed the door to her and Squall's room quietly, which was worse than slamming it. Seifer kicked the air and left the room.
-----------
Dr. Adam Kadowaki came into the infirmary, already in his lab coat and holding a clipboard. Meg was arranging the the medical cabinet at the far end of the room by the window.
"Good afternoon Meg," Adam said.
"Oh, hey Adam. Your shift already?" Meg closed the cabinet.
"Time flies, doesn't it? So, the shipment came."
"Yeah I just finished sorting it." Meg walked towards the door and hung her lab coat on the rack.
Adam took a seat at the reception desk.
"Thanks Meg, I can take it from here." Adam said.
"See ya later. I'll be in the cafeteria." Meg shouted as she exited the infirmary.
Meg rounded the corner towards the cafeteria. She bumped right into Seifer.
"Seifer?" Meg called his name. Seifer didn't hear her. She called him louder, "Seifer!" Seifer turned around.
"Oh...I gotta run." Seifer mumbled as he turned to hurry away.
"Where are you off to?" Meg asked.
"I...I don't know." Seifer finally gave in.
"You okay? Want some lunch? It's on me," Meg smiled. Seifer couldn't resist. He had to talk to someone.
"Yeah, thanks." Seifer
For the next few nights, Seifer lay restless in his bed. He had no idea why he was so sluggish lately, or why he was so distant. He knew he was isolating himself, but he was unwilling to search his heart to find out why. He turned onto his side and stared at the wall. Nothing. Nothing came to mind. He rolled over again. He knew he didn't really miss Fujin or Raijin. They were memories to him now.
"What's wrong with me?" Seifer asked himself.
*flashbk*
"D'you hear about the communication tower in Dollet? We would've been heroes if it weren't for that withdraw order." Seifer told Squall. Quistis and Xu arrived.
"You were only looking for a fight." Quistis quickly accused.
"My dear instructor. I'm hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student. A mediocre instructor like you will never understand." Seifer replied.
"Seifer, don't be so stuck on yourself. You'll take all responsibility for leaving the designated area." Xu retorted.
"Isn't the captain's duty to take the best possible action?" Seifer argued.
"Seifer, you'll NEVER be a SeeD. Calling yourself a captain is a JOKE." Xu scowled.
*end.flashbk*
-----------
The next day, Seifer sat alone in the office. He purposely came up at this time to be alone. They were all out to lunch. He still didn't know why he avoided his friends. He tried ignoring his thoughts by searching news archives of the past few months. But it ended up backfiring. He stared at the screen, rubbing his forehead.
"SeeD Commander Engaged to Deling City Princess," he read aloud. "Leon- heartilly!" He read another headline. He felt overwhelmed with sadness.
"What's wrong with me?" Seifer rested his head on the surface of the desk.
"Seifer. What are you doing?"
Seifer looked up. Rinoa was looking at his laptop screen. He quickly closed the screen, even though she had already seen it.
"Nothing. I was just reading the archives." Seifer closed his laptop and began gathering his papers.
"Where are you going?" Rinoa asked.
"I have some things to do." Seifer replied.
"Why don't you talk to us? We're your comrades, your friends. What's wrong?" Rinoa cornered him.
"Rinoa, please. I have to...go." Seifer gently pushed her aside.
"Seifer...we want to help you---," Rinoa began. He had heard those words before. But where?
*flashbk*
"POSSE...We are. We always will be. Because we're a posse, we want to help you. Whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams, we're willing to do. But... You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall! It's sad... Sad that we only have Squall to rely on... Seifer! Are you still gonna keep goin'?"
Seifer held his gunblade and smirked, "Fujin, Raijin, it's been fun."
*end.flashbk*
"Seifer?" Rinoa interrupted his thoughts. He grabbed his forehead as if in pain. But he wasn't in pain. He was just being haunted by his past...but why?
"Leave me alone!" Seifer yelled.
Rinoa fell silent. She was hurt. Not that Seifer had yelled at her, well that was part of it, but that something was hurting Seifer and he wouldn't let her help. She stared into his eyes, but he just looked away. He meant to tell her that he wasn't yelling at her, but at his mind. But Rinoa had closed the door to her and Squall's room quietly, which was worse than slamming it. Seifer kicked the air and left the room.
-----------
Dr. Adam Kadowaki came into the infirmary, already in his lab coat and holding a clipboard. Meg was arranging the the medical cabinet at the far end of the room by the window.
"Good afternoon Meg," Adam said.
"Oh, hey Adam. Your shift already?" Meg closed the cabinet.
"Time flies, doesn't it? So, the shipment came."
"Yeah I just finished sorting it." Meg walked towards the door and hung her lab coat on the rack.
Adam took a seat at the reception desk.
"Thanks Meg, I can take it from here." Adam said.
"See ya later. I'll be in the cafeteria." Meg shouted as she exited the infirmary.
Meg rounded the corner towards the cafeteria. She bumped right into Seifer.
"Seifer?" Meg called his name. Seifer didn't hear her. She called him louder, "Seifer!" Seifer turned around.
"Oh...I gotta run." Seifer mumbled as he turned to hurry away.
"Where are you off to?" Meg asked.
"I...I don't know." Seifer finally gave in.
"You okay? Want some lunch? It's on me," Meg smiled. Seifer couldn't resist. He had to talk to someone.
"Yeah, thanks." Seifer