Chapter 17 Old Friends Return
Xu jumped as Cid's office door was violently pulled open then slammed closed by Seifer. She could see a scowl as the blonde man stalked past her, his coat billowing out behind him as he went. She kept a worried eye on him as he paced back and forth waiting for the elevator.
Seifer ran one of his hands through his hair, frustrated as he stood there. `They're not going to stop me from killing that bastard,' he thought. He sighed as the elevator door finally slid open and he stepped in.
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Quistis sat stunned, looking at the closed door for a full minute after it had slammed shut. Slowly her mind registered that the two remaining men in the room were talking. She turned her attention back to them "...feels he has to go after this man personally because of what happened but Seifer can be unpredictable at best," Cid sighed.
"The final decision is up to you headmaster, but I think Mr. Almasy could be an asset to us," Ian told the other man. "He carries a strong hatred of Jonas Perry and won't be easily swayed. I heard things while under cover at the prison."
"What things?" Cid asked. Quistis's eyes moved from Cid to Ian as she listened to them talk.
"That Perry took a personal interest in breaking Seifer Almasy. And...we believe that Perry was interested in information about the Sorceress's powers." Quistis gasped as Ian revealed this.
Cid sat, looking at Ian, stunned. "So they didn't take Seifer to punish him for crimes committed during the war, like we thought. They wanted information all along?" Cid took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "Hyne, that boy's been through a lot..." Cid shook his head "always the pawn in someone else's game. So why agree to release him?" Cid asked almost to himself.
Quistis brought her hand up; touching her throat, then started speaking "seemingly turn him over at our request so there is no suspicion on Perry. Then on the way home before anyone can question Seifer, there's a tragic accident killing everyone. With Seifer dead no one finds out what information Perry wanted" Ian nodded at Quistis, and then looked over at Cid. She looked up "It almost worked, too."
Has anyone questioned Mr. Almasy yet?"
"No" Cid answered, "I wanted to let him have some recovery time before anything was brought up. Also we didn't think there was anything to question him about, really."
Quistis bit her lip. `The nightmares' she thought, but didn't say anything out loud. "I-I have to go..." she said looking pleadingly at Cid "find Seifer."
"Fine Quistis, you may go." Cid gave her a weak smile and waved her out.
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Seifer stepped into the cool dimness of the Tavern and looked around before walking over to the bar and sitting down. Just the place he belonged. Nobody wanted him at garden. And now they weren't going to let him go after the man that had made his life hell on earth. He laughed at that thought `not let me? Well we'll see about that.'
The bartender scrutinized the new arrival with tired eyes before shuffling over to him. "What'll it be?"
"Shot of whiskey, Beer chaser." Seifer said barely looking up at the man. The old man just shook his head and went to get his order.
Seifer took his gloves off as he waited for the bartender to return and stuffed them in his pockets then he took out a handful of Gil and laid it on the bar. The old man returned putting the glasses down on the scarred wood in front of Seifer.
Seifer picked up the shot glass and held it out in salute "Here's to better times," he said bitterly, downing it in one gulp. "I'll take another," he said putting the glass down and savoring the warm feeling that spread through his body. The old man poured him another round before moving down the bar to another customer.
Seifer sat looking down at the two full glasses now in front of him. `Hyne, I don't want to remember, but I cant stop' he thought as memories poured through his head.
**flashback** " You'll never have even one ounce of the Sorceress's power" Seifer screamed, spitting blood out of his mouth.
"But Mr. Almasy, I could make it so much easier in here for you" Perry said, a look of mock sympathy on his face, "If you'd cooperate."
"I'll never tell you anything" Seifer said, his voice roughened by the pain.
"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk" said the Warden "We'll just see about that." He laughed as he motioned the guards to continue and walked from the room.**end flashback**
A small shiver ran over Seifer as he came back to the present. `This morning started out so good. Waking up in Quistis's bed. Pulling her into my arms. She didn't resist making love again even though it made us late...' A ghost of a smile played on Seifer's lips as he remembered what they'd done just hours ago. `...to Cid's office. Hell, then it came crashing down with three words... "Warden Perry escaped".'
The bartender watched the young man sit staring at his drink. He hadn't moved for at least half an hour. `Must have heavy things on his mind' the old man thought as he passed by.
He'd seen his share of troubled people in all the years he'd been tending bar in this tavern. `And this boy looks to have more'n his share'. He knew who the young man was, who didn't after the Sorceress Wars, but as long as he didn't cause any problems, he'd be left in peace.
Seifer sat hunched over the bar lost in thought. He jumped as he felt a hand land on his shoulder and reached down to the empty spot where his gunblade usually rested. Cursing the fact that he no longer had Hyperion he looked up.
"Seifer, man, how ya been."
Seifer grinned as he recognized the man standing inches from him. "Raijin? Is that you?" He turned around on the stool.
"We heard you were back at garden, ya know? Is it true?" Raijin asked smiling down at the sitting man.
"Yeah, it's true. I don't know for how long, though. Hey is Fuu with you?" Seifer tried to look around the mountain of a man.
"Naw. Well yeah, but not here, ya know? We're back at garden, too. That's where she is now, ya know, but we were looking for ya and I thought maybe you'd be in town when we couldn't find ya anywhere else," Raijin said sitting down next to Seifer.
"It's great to see you Raijin. So you guy are back at garden? Studying to be SeeD?" Seifer asked before taking a drink from the glass in front of him.
"Yeah, ya know, everything's great." He paused to order a drink from the bartender then continued "We heard about you goin to that prison. I didn't know what to do but Fuu, well Fuu said we had to go back to FH and check it out... Then we heard the Headmaster took care of it."
Seifer looked over at his friend "there wasn't anything the two of you could have done."
"Well maybe..." Raijin started to say but Seifer cut him off "Hey it's over now, ok." Seifer wished that was the truth but he wasn't going to involve his most loyal friends in what was coming.
"Ok. Hey lets go see Fujin. She'd kick my butt if I didn't bring you to see her, ya know."
Seifer laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
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When Quistis left Cid's office she looked everywhere she could think of for Seifer. `Maybe he left' she thought stopping at the gates of the garden. She turned with her shoulders slumped and made her way back to her room.
Quistis dropped down on her rumpled bed and let a tear slide down her cheek. `It's not like he has anything to keep him here.' She sighed remembering the feel of his skin against hers. The way his kisses ignited a fire in her. "It was just sex...to him," she told herself, looking up at the ceiling. But not to her. She could never have imagined the kind of lover Seifer would be. He was nothing like the arrogant man that everyone else saw.
She rolled over and buried her face into the pillow that he'd used last night yearning for him to come through the door. "Please, don't leave me," she sighed repeating the words she'd spoken last night.
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"SEIFER" Fujin said seeing him step into her room. "SAFE?" she asked looking him over.
"Yes. I'm fine Fuu." Seifer said laughing. "It's good to see you."
The silver haired woman frowned up at him "PRISON".
"Yeah, I was in prison but Cid sent some SeeD's..." he shrugged "and here I am." He gave her a big grin. "You know how hard it is to keep me down."
"Told ya I'd find him, ya know," Raijin said to Fujin. She just nodded.
"Hey guys, can we get together tomorrow or something? It's getting late and I have..." Seifer started to say.
"WAIT" Fujin commanded then walked to her closet. Seifer wondered what she was doing as she opened the door. He stood in shock as Fuijin moved away from the open closet door revealing what she'd been after.
"How? Where?" Seifer looked at Fujin, dumbfounded. A look of pure happiness crossed his face as he realized his Hyperion had been safe with Raijin and Fujin all along.
"YOURS" Fujin said pulling the case out and handing it over to him.
"We found it at FH when we went to look for you, ya know" Raijin said. "Fuu said we needed to keep it safe, because you'd need it back, ya know, to kick those stupid soldiers asses."
Seifer laughed, "Fuu said all that?"
Raijin just shrugged "Well...ya know."
Seifer kneeled and put the case on the floor. He then released the latch and opened it. There nestled on the velvet lining lay Hyperion. He reached out and lovingly traced his fingertips over it. Looking up he softly said, "I don't know how to thank you."
"FRIENDS" Fujin said sticking out her hand.
Seifer stood and took her hand in his "Always."
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It was late when Seifer finally got away. He stood outside Quistis's door debating whether he should wait until morning to see her, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.
With a sigh he knocked softly, then waited. There was no answer. His hand lingered on the doorknob for a moment before he turned it and the door swung open. Seifer frowned. `Her door shouldn't be unlocked this time of night.'
He stepped in and closed the door, looking around. It was dark but there was enough light coming in through the window that he could see the shadowed interior.
"Quistis?" he said softly. There was no answer so he moved further into the room, stopping in the open bedroom doorway. Seifer saw her curled up in the middle of the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow, sleeping.
`Just let her sleep' his mind said but his feet moved of their own accord until he was standing over her. He let his coat fall to the floor as he shrugged it off and bent down over her. "Quistis" he whispered in her ear.
Quistis heard her name and her eyes fluttered open. "Seifer?" she asked softly.
"I'm here," he said watching her roll over and look up at him.
Quistis threw her arms around his neck "I...I thought you left." He could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke.
Seifer sat down on the bed and pulled her more fully into his arms, then burying his face in her hair he whispered "I wouldn't do that...not to you."
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Author notes: Thanks for reading. Oh and that little button at the bottom, if you click that I'll be really happy. =0.0=
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Xu jumped as Cid's office door was violently pulled open then slammed closed by Seifer. She could see a scowl as the blonde man stalked past her, his coat billowing out behind him as he went. She kept a worried eye on him as he paced back and forth waiting for the elevator.
Seifer ran one of his hands through his hair, frustrated as he stood there. `They're not going to stop me from killing that bastard,' he thought. He sighed as the elevator door finally slid open and he stepped in.
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Quistis sat stunned, looking at the closed door for a full minute after it had slammed shut. Slowly her mind registered that the two remaining men in the room were talking. She turned her attention back to them "...feels he has to go after this man personally because of what happened but Seifer can be unpredictable at best," Cid sighed.
"The final decision is up to you headmaster, but I think Mr. Almasy could be an asset to us," Ian told the other man. "He carries a strong hatred of Jonas Perry and won't be easily swayed. I heard things while under cover at the prison."
"What things?" Cid asked. Quistis's eyes moved from Cid to Ian as she listened to them talk.
"That Perry took a personal interest in breaking Seifer Almasy. And...we believe that Perry was interested in information about the Sorceress's powers." Quistis gasped as Ian revealed this.
Cid sat, looking at Ian, stunned. "So they didn't take Seifer to punish him for crimes committed during the war, like we thought. They wanted information all along?" Cid took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "Hyne, that boy's been through a lot..." Cid shook his head "always the pawn in someone else's game. So why agree to release him?" Cid asked almost to himself.
Quistis brought her hand up; touching her throat, then started speaking "seemingly turn him over at our request so there is no suspicion on Perry. Then on the way home before anyone can question Seifer, there's a tragic accident killing everyone. With Seifer dead no one finds out what information Perry wanted" Ian nodded at Quistis, and then looked over at Cid. She looked up "It almost worked, too."
Has anyone questioned Mr. Almasy yet?"
"No" Cid answered, "I wanted to let him have some recovery time before anything was brought up. Also we didn't think there was anything to question him about, really."
Quistis bit her lip. `The nightmares' she thought, but didn't say anything out loud. "I-I have to go..." she said looking pleadingly at Cid "find Seifer."
"Fine Quistis, you may go." Cid gave her a weak smile and waved her out.
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Seifer stepped into the cool dimness of the Tavern and looked around before walking over to the bar and sitting down. Just the place he belonged. Nobody wanted him at garden. And now they weren't going to let him go after the man that had made his life hell on earth. He laughed at that thought `not let me? Well we'll see about that.'
The bartender scrutinized the new arrival with tired eyes before shuffling over to him. "What'll it be?"
"Shot of whiskey, Beer chaser." Seifer said barely looking up at the man. The old man just shook his head and went to get his order.
Seifer took his gloves off as he waited for the bartender to return and stuffed them in his pockets then he took out a handful of Gil and laid it on the bar. The old man returned putting the glasses down on the scarred wood in front of Seifer.
Seifer picked up the shot glass and held it out in salute "Here's to better times," he said bitterly, downing it in one gulp. "I'll take another," he said putting the glass down and savoring the warm feeling that spread through his body. The old man poured him another round before moving down the bar to another customer.
Seifer sat looking down at the two full glasses now in front of him. `Hyne, I don't want to remember, but I cant stop' he thought as memories poured through his head.
**flashback** " You'll never have even one ounce of the Sorceress's power" Seifer screamed, spitting blood out of his mouth.
"But Mr. Almasy, I could make it so much easier in here for you" Perry said, a look of mock sympathy on his face, "If you'd cooperate."
"I'll never tell you anything" Seifer said, his voice roughened by the pain.
"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk" said the Warden "We'll just see about that." He laughed as he motioned the guards to continue and walked from the room.**end flashback**
A small shiver ran over Seifer as he came back to the present. `This morning started out so good. Waking up in Quistis's bed. Pulling her into my arms. She didn't resist making love again even though it made us late...' A ghost of a smile played on Seifer's lips as he remembered what they'd done just hours ago. `...to Cid's office. Hell, then it came crashing down with three words... "Warden Perry escaped".'
The bartender watched the young man sit staring at his drink. He hadn't moved for at least half an hour. `Must have heavy things on his mind' the old man thought as he passed by.
He'd seen his share of troubled people in all the years he'd been tending bar in this tavern. `And this boy looks to have more'n his share'. He knew who the young man was, who didn't after the Sorceress Wars, but as long as he didn't cause any problems, he'd be left in peace.
Seifer sat hunched over the bar lost in thought. He jumped as he felt a hand land on his shoulder and reached down to the empty spot where his gunblade usually rested. Cursing the fact that he no longer had Hyperion he looked up.
"Seifer, man, how ya been."
Seifer grinned as he recognized the man standing inches from him. "Raijin? Is that you?" He turned around on the stool.
"We heard you were back at garden, ya know? Is it true?" Raijin asked smiling down at the sitting man.
"Yeah, it's true. I don't know for how long, though. Hey is Fuu with you?" Seifer tried to look around the mountain of a man.
"Naw. Well yeah, but not here, ya know? We're back at garden, too. That's where she is now, ya know, but we were looking for ya and I thought maybe you'd be in town when we couldn't find ya anywhere else," Raijin said sitting down next to Seifer.
"It's great to see you Raijin. So you guy are back at garden? Studying to be SeeD?" Seifer asked before taking a drink from the glass in front of him.
"Yeah, ya know, everything's great." He paused to order a drink from the bartender then continued "We heard about you goin to that prison. I didn't know what to do but Fuu, well Fuu said we had to go back to FH and check it out... Then we heard the Headmaster took care of it."
Seifer looked over at his friend "there wasn't anything the two of you could have done."
"Well maybe..." Raijin started to say but Seifer cut him off "Hey it's over now, ok." Seifer wished that was the truth but he wasn't going to involve his most loyal friends in what was coming.
"Ok. Hey lets go see Fujin. She'd kick my butt if I didn't bring you to see her, ya know."
Seifer laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
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When Quistis left Cid's office she looked everywhere she could think of for Seifer. `Maybe he left' she thought stopping at the gates of the garden. She turned with her shoulders slumped and made her way back to her room.
Quistis dropped down on her rumpled bed and let a tear slide down her cheek. `It's not like he has anything to keep him here.' She sighed remembering the feel of his skin against hers. The way his kisses ignited a fire in her. "It was just sex...to him," she told herself, looking up at the ceiling. But not to her. She could never have imagined the kind of lover Seifer would be. He was nothing like the arrogant man that everyone else saw.
She rolled over and buried her face into the pillow that he'd used last night yearning for him to come through the door. "Please, don't leave me," she sighed repeating the words she'd spoken last night.
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"SEIFER" Fujin said seeing him step into her room. "SAFE?" she asked looking him over.
"Yes. I'm fine Fuu." Seifer said laughing. "It's good to see you."
The silver haired woman frowned up at him "PRISON".
"Yeah, I was in prison but Cid sent some SeeD's..." he shrugged "and here I am." He gave her a big grin. "You know how hard it is to keep me down."
"Told ya I'd find him, ya know," Raijin said to Fujin. She just nodded.
"Hey guys, can we get together tomorrow or something? It's getting late and I have..." Seifer started to say.
"WAIT" Fujin commanded then walked to her closet. Seifer wondered what she was doing as she opened the door. He stood in shock as Fuijin moved away from the open closet door revealing what she'd been after.
"How? Where?" Seifer looked at Fujin, dumbfounded. A look of pure happiness crossed his face as he realized his Hyperion had been safe with Raijin and Fujin all along.
"YOURS" Fujin said pulling the case out and handing it over to him.
"We found it at FH when we went to look for you, ya know" Raijin said. "Fuu said we needed to keep it safe, because you'd need it back, ya know, to kick those stupid soldiers asses."
Seifer laughed, "Fuu said all that?"
Raijin just shrugged "Well...ya know."
Seifer kneeled and put the case on the floor. He then released the latch and opened it. There nestled on the velvet lining lay Hyperion. He reached out and lovingly traced his fingertips over it. Looking up he softly said, "I don't know how to thank you."
"FRIENDS" Fujin said sticking out her hand.
Seifer stood and took her hand in his "Always."
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It was late when Seifer finally got away. He stood outside Quistis's door debating whether he should wait until morning to see her, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.
With a sigh he knocked softly, then waited. There was no answer. His hand lingered on the doorknob for a moment before he turned it and the door swung open. Seifer frowned. `Her door shouldn't be unlocked this time of night.'
He stepped in and closed the door, looking around. It was dark but there was enough light coming in through the window that he could see the shadowed interior.
"Quistis?" he said softly. There was no answer so he moved further into the room, stopping in the open bedroom doorway. Seifer saw her curled up in the middle of the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow, sleeping.
`Just let her sleep' his mind said but his feet moved of their own accord until he was standing over her. He let his coat fall to the floor as he shrugged it off and bent down over her. "Quistis" he whispered in her ear.
Quistis heard her name and her eyes fluttered open. "Seifer?" she asked softly.
"I'm here," he said watching her roll over and look up at him.
Quistis threw her arms around his neck "I...I thought you left." He could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke.
Seifer sat down on the bed and pulled her more fully into his arms, then burying his face in her hair he whispered "I wouldn't do that...not to you."
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Author notes: Thanks for reading. Oh and that little button at the bottom, if you click that I'll be really happy. =0.0=
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