Part Four

Lonely, lonely… I wish I could talk to you mother, hear your voice again, and feel your soul…

I love him, mother. I loved him always. The tales you used to tell.  You told me of his beautiful aquamarine eyes, of his soft voice, of his stern features. You told me of his devotion to what he loved. You told me of how he cared for us, our creed, how he would protect us until his dying breath. I believed you mother. He was my romantic dream; a knight to keep me safe from them; From, Odine, from SeeD, from myself.

But he did not stop them, mother. He did not defend me.  I am entombed in this… dome, unable to move or speak or breathe. Suspended, alone… I call him but he doesn't listen. Maybe it was for the best… I cannot hurt them now.

I can feel fathers gaze on me now; he studies me like he did when I was a child. They talk about sending me far away. Lonely, lonely…

Edea won't talk to me. She is afraid of me, she knows who I am, what I am destined to be. Rinoa cannot talk to me; it is not in her nature… She is and always will be a sorceress of the Angel Wing, We are so different, her and I, but she is all I have… lonely…

I doubt they think of me any more. A nameless face, buried in memory. Life will be much the same; there is no one who needs me…

I miss you…

"Hey, Seifer, what's up?"

Seifer snapped out of his daze. "Raijin, how are you?"

"I'm good, ya know? Me and Ellone have just got engaged, ya know?"

Seifer almost laughed out loud.  Squall's delicate Omnisan with this big lug… at least no one would be able to get to her whilst he was around.

"That's great, man. You told Fujiin?"

"Yeh. Saw her on the way down here, ya know? It's so great!"

Raijin saw the sadness in Seifer's eyes. "It's never to late to make amends, ya know."

Seifer shot him a look. "What are you talking about?"

"That kid Aadeane. You've spent everyday over the last three months in this exact same spot jus' daydreamin' bout her!"

Seifer looked out over the 2f deck over to the east… the way to Esthar. "There's nothing I can do, Raijin. There's nothing I want to do. She wanted to go… I didn't force her. It was he choice."

Raijin stayed silent. Seifer, even after all this time, was still a mystery to him. He could never even think of leaving Ellone. She was his little treasure; everything he loved led to her. She was the sun, the moon…

"…The stars?"

Ellone walked towards Raijin and placed her tiny hand in his. "That's so sweet, my love."

She spotted Seifer and addressed him. "Seifer, how are you?"

He smiled sweetly at her. "Fine, Elle, fine…"

Ellone carefully judged his expressions. "…I went to see the Sorceress today."

Seifer looked at her. "How did you..?"

She smiled. "They're sending her away, Seifer. Out into space. Odine says it's safer if she's there."

"WHAT!"

"She's going to be blasted into space in her pod, only this time she wont be accompanied" Ellone explained calmly. "She will be sent in her sealed 'bubble' into space until she…"

Seifer couldn't hear the rest. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He simply could not believe it. Had he sent her to be doomed to a life of loneliness? She had once said it was her only fear. By Hyne, he did not wish this upon her.

Seifer left them without a word, and sped to the lift. What if it was too late? There was only one person he could turn to in this situation…

And he wasn't about to beg at him.

He turned away from the lift and back towards the 2f deck. He ran past Raijin and Ellone and jumped… it was the quickest way to the Ragnarok.

"Hey!" A voice called from above him. "You don't know how to pilot that thing, ya know? Wait there!"

Seifer looked back, only to see Raijin jump as he did, with Ellone over his shoulder. He landed awkwardly to stop Ellone getting hurt. She lifted him and kissed him fondly with such tenderness. Then she turned back to Seifer. "I'm coming too. I can talk to her, if I try."

Seifer groaned softly to himself. So much for a one-man plan.

"Heeeeeey! Whatcha doin'?" Oh hyne, not more. "Hi Selphie, Irvine"

"Yeah, what are you doin', Seifer?"

"I don't have time to explain. Selphie, you can fly this thing, right?"

She giggled. "Of course!!! As long as Irvy's by my side!"

"Right, no more people." shouted the irritated Seifer. "We gotta get going"

"WAIT!!!"

Seifer paused just long enough to see Rinoa speed towards the group. "I have to see Aadeane!"

He was in no mood to argue. Instead he turned his back on the group and sped towards the Ragnarok.

"Hey!!! Hey Seifer!! Wait up!!!"