What's love got to do with it?
(a.k.a Not as Planned)
Disclaimer;: I don't own anything, Zero
Chapter 8:: The Duel
" Somebody Save me That you won't let it break right through me Somebody Save me I don't care how you do it Just stay, stay, come on I've been waiting for you I made this whole world shine for you Just stay, I'm still waiting for you"
Squall flung the doors open to his study, he was not in the mood to deal with Seifer tonight, or at all for the rest of the week. He was inches away from kissing Rinoa, and Seifer ruined it. Not Zell, he didn't blame Zell, he blamed Seifer for making Zell go fetch him. He stepped into the study, and looked at Seifer, who was sitting in his chair, feet up on the desk. Rinoa walked in after Squall, and stood to the side, watching both of the men. Seifer removed his feet, got up, and walked to Squall. There was no smirk there now, Seifer's face looked stern almost angry. Seifer reached into his pocket, and grabbed a leather glove. He slapped Squall across the face with it. Squall didn't flinch when Seifer hit him, instead he just stared at Seifer.
" I challenge you to a Duel, Squall Leonhart, Tomorrow at dawn, do you accept?" Seifer asked quickly, standing up straight glaring at Squall. Squall paused tilting his head to the side. " A duel? Isn't that a little drastic Seifer?" Squall asked, but Seifer cut him off. " Do you accept or not?!" Seifer shouted, Squall narrowed his eyes. " I accept you offer, Tomorrow, Dawn, Here in the Gardens." Squall snapped, Seifer nodded and made for the door. "Seifer Stop! Do not fight over me, or make it seem like you dislike one another.." Rinoa said quietly looking from Seifer to Squall. Seifer merely raised his eyebrows and looked at Squall, then he turned back toward Rinoa. " This is not about you Rinoa, it is about Squall and I. He has hurt my honor, by I shall hurt his." Seifer said simply, then bowed and left the room. Rinoa turned her attention to Squall, who was looking back at the desk. Squall knew what she was going to say, he knew that she was going to tell him to back down, not to fight, that it didn't matter. He turned slowly to look at her. " Before you speak, I know what you are going to say.." Squall started before Rinoa opened her mouth. She paused then said. " Yet .. you are going to go through with it aren't you?" She asked softly fiddling with a lock of hair.
"I must, I do not have a choose.." Squall nodded. "Do not act like I am a child, I know you have a choose Squall!" Rinoa shouted glaring at him.
"What would you want me to do? Stand there and let him shoot me?!" Squall growled. " I do not know what you should do, but I do know what you should not do." Rinoa answered simply.
"That is helpful.." Squall grumbled rubbing his temples. Rinoa sighed and sat down, putting her head in her hands.
"I will not let Seifer kill me, and if it takes me, to actually fire back. I must... I hope you understand." Squall sighed and walked out of the room, leaving Rinoa.
The next day, Squall walked outside, it was raining rather hard and it was misty. Poor weather for a duel. Seifer was standing in the garden talking to Fujin and Raijin rather quickly, and when he saw Squall he sent them away.
" I'm surprised you decided to come." Seifer called, putting his hands on his hips.
" I would not let you down so easilly." Squall snapped walking toward him. Rinoa, and Zell were watching now, but from some distance.
" Eh.. stand back to back..ya?" Raijin said, thrusting a pistil into Squall's hands. He stared at it, then turned his back, as did Seifer. They stood back to back, as rain ran down their faces. Raijin looked nervous, but Fujin looked calm. Squall sighed deeply facing outward.
" I am sorry, that I will have to kill you Squall." Seifer said quietly. Squall clenched his gun in his hand.
" I wish you just would have given up, she does not want you Squall. I am your better.." Seifer whispered turning his head slightly.
"ONE" Fujin shouted, and Squall and Seifer took one step away from each other.
"You don't have to die Squall! Just give in! And I will allow you to leave this battlefield." Seifer shouted, as the numbers got higher and they stepped further apart. Squall didn't know what to do, he knew what would happen if he shot at Seifer, Rinoa would never trust him, never care for him, and never love him. But if he did not shot, if he refused that path he would be the loser. He would be on his backside, dead. Squall gulped, they were 6 paces away. He licked the raindrops over his lips and paused for a second, then took another step forward.
"Please stop!" Rinoa's voices echoed in the garden, she sounded like a child that had lost something it treasured.
"Do not worry My Lady Rinoa, This will be over soon.." Seifer shouted, the rain was starting to increase now. Squall blinked several times , it was madness.
" STOP THIS SQUALL. YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT WIN! WHY GIVE YOUR LIFE, WHEN YOU CAN SHARE YOUR BED WITH MANY WOMEN, INSTEAD OF WAITING A LIFE TIME FOR ONE!" Seifer shouted loudly. Squall paused, the last step was near. He took it and turned pointing his gun toward Seifer. Squall paused and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened, he tried again, and again. Then it hit him, he didn't have a choose between shooting at Seifer, or refusing to shoot. He gulped, Seifer tilted his head to the side, smirking now. Squall paused and lowered the gun, standing up straight.
"You will never have a clearly shot Seifer." Squall said slowly, the look of Seifer's face was triumph. Then it hit him, like a stone wall. Seifer planned this, ahead of time. Raijin had handed him the gun, it was empty on purpose.
"Squall SHOOT!" Zell shouted, stepping forward.
"I can not shoot, not cause I choose not, cause I do not have a weapon that is loaded." Squall glared toward Seifer, still smirking. Fujin and Raijin stepped on either side of him, and raised bows, knotted with arrows at him. There was no escape, even if Squall managed to get away from the bullet, the arrows would hit him.
"Seifer you can NOT shoot him!" Rinoa stepped forward, Squall flung out his arm.
"Do not move Rinoa.. I do not wish for you to be whit." Squall said slowly. Seifer smirked and glanced to Rinoa.
"You did this on purpose..." Zell started.
"Silence Servant!" Seifer barked then glared at Squall, there was an insane look about him, in the rain, holding that gun.
" Yes, I did do this. Now listen to me Rinoa, Start a new life with me, forget this fool. If you refuse me now, you send Squall to his death. This is the chose you have.. choose wisely.." Seifer laughed then shot at Squall. The bullet hit Squall's arm, he jerked slightly, and wrapped his hand around the now bleeding wound.
"Please Seifer.." Rinoa whined stepping forward again.
"It is TO LATE to turn back.." Seifer shouted, the rain was pounding down now.
" Either way you choose...you cannot win..." Squall said looking at Rinoa.
" So do you end you days with me? Or do you send Squall to his GRAVE!" Seifer shouted, he was insane now, screaming and yelling. Squall gripped his arm, the blood had stained his shirt now, and it was growing more and more painfully.
" Why are you doing this Seifer? Did you know you would lose this battle?" Squall asked gulping slightly.
" You are not in the place to be making threats SQUALL!" Seifer shouted, shooting at Squall's feet. It was a miss, Squall guessed it was on purpose.
" Rinoa, listen to me, Do not throw yourself away for me, it is not worth it.." Squall shouted, stepping forward.
"One more step Squall!" Seifer growled. Rinoa didn't know what to do, she knew what she wanted. She did not want Squall to die, that was the first thing on her list. She didn't want to leave with Seifer, that was the second thing. Looking at the numbers Rinoa stepped forward.
"Lower your weapon Seifer.." Rinoa sighed looking at him.
"NO!" Squall shouted running forward. Fujin released the string that held the arrow. Rinoa turned, it was all moving in slow motion. The arrow hit Squall's left shoulder blade, the arrow stuck. Squall jerked back, then fell to his knee. Rinoa let out a scream, then a blurry object next to her ran forward, and rammed the three so called humans. Seifer hit the ground, along with Fujin and Raijin. Zell punched Seifer, over and over again. Irivine ran toward them, and finally pulled Zell off of Seifer, who was beaten and bloody. Rinoa leaned over Squall, cradling his head. Squall blinked a few times, blood was on his lips, he licked them.
"..Rin..oa.." He gasped, holding his wounds. Irivine bent down on Squall's opposite side.
"Let's get him inside.." He said shortly. Zell and Irivine carried their master and their friend inside. Rinoa close behind shaking and muttering to herself. The laid Squall down on a couch, and Irivine leaned over him.
"It is not as bad as it might seem. The bullet wound will heal in time, and the arrow.. is not as deep as it could have been.." Irivine sighed slightly, then added slowly.
"He did lose a bit of blood, he will have to rest.." Irivine added, after her removed the arrow and looked closely at the wound. Rinoa nodded merely, she was pale, and wet.
" You should go rest...also.." Irvine started, but Rinoa cut him off.
"I will not leave till he was cured.." She snapped watching Squall's face. Zell and Irivine exchanged looks, then stood up bowing, and left the room.