The Return of Ultimecia
Author: SoulOfFlame
Chapter 7:
~*~Soul~*~: Okay guys I really hope I didn't confuse too many people with the last chapter. There is ONE Seifer, and he's in the Antediluvian Realm with Quistis. The other guy is an imposter if you read carefully. Sorry for any confusion!
Seifer: Yeah, two of me is too much of a good thing, you know?
~*~Soul~*~: Riiight ... anyway here's the next chapter.
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"So then Irvy got down on one knee and proposed!" Selphie finished relating her engagement story as she and Rinoa arrived in front of Quistis' door. Selphie pounded on the door and called to her friend loudly. "QUISTIS ARE YOU THERE?" The hyper brunette yelled. Rinoa stood next to her, entirely used to her friend's volume.
"Quistis it's Rinoa and Selphie, open up!" Rinoa added hoping to draw the, no doubt, brooding former instructor from her room. The two waited while Selphie continued to bang on the door, until Rinoa stopped her.
"Where is she? Asked Selphie in confusion. Rinoa shrugged and looked at the door curiously.
"She's upset over something from earlier, I guess we'll have to pry her out of there." Rinoa shrugged and pulled a spare key out of her pocket.
"She gave you a key? How come I didn't get one?" Selphie asked. Rinoa just smiled, remembering the conversation about Selphie that she and Quistis had a long time ago. "Quistis you have some serious explaining to do!" She threatened through the door. Rinoa swiped the key and opened the door. The two friends stepped into he dorm in search of their blonde friend.
"She's not here." Said Rinoa in perplexity as she realized the room was empty. It was true, there was no trace of the room's owner to be found anywhere in the tidy living space.
"Well where would she be?" Selphie asked to no one in particular. Rinoa shrugged and headed back into the hallway, gesturing for Selphie to follow. She shut the door and, making sure it was locked, headed to the Library.
"Maybe she's in here." Rinoa offered as the two walked into the quiet Library.
"She'd better be! I have something important to tell her!" Selphie said becoming slightly upset that she couldn't tell one of her best friends the most important news of her life. Rinoa placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll find her, she's here somewhere right? She's not hiding on purpose Selphie, don't worry." Rinoa assured her. Selphie nodded, brightening, and the two continued their search.
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Seifer held Quistis in his arms, not wanting to let go. The slender blonde sobbed into his arms, shivering slightly in his arms as she cried. He'd had no idea she felt this way! If he had known he never would have treated her so horribly. He looked down at Quistis and a million emotions and questions swarmed through his already clouded mind. He was slightly surprised that she didn't pull away from him, try to ward of his embrace. But none of it mattered right now. The only thing that mattered was that she cried as he held her.
"I'm sorry ..." Quistis sat up and broke the embrace, wiping her eyes hastily while a wave of shame flooded over her. She looked away from him, humiliated.
"Don't be sorry Quistis, it isn't your fault. Look ..." He lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. "I'm the one who should be sorry." He said.
"Why?" Quistis asked in confusion. "You've never apologized to anyone as long as I can remember." Said Quistis, instantly regretting her choice of words.
"Look I've been a jerk to everyone as long as I can remember and I never even thought twice about it. But since I've been stuck here, I've thought about a lot of things, and I realize now what I did to all of you and just how horrible I was. It took me a while but, I figured it out." Seifer said. Quistis looked at him and saw that he really had changed. Here they were, sitting in the middle of some weird pool of water, and Seifer truly had become a changed man. She saw him now as a new person born again, and she felt happy for him.
"I see." Was all she could say. Seifer looked around him and tried to figure out how she had come to this awful place. He had seen things horrible beyond imagination in this underground hell, and she was only in danger here.
"Quistis, you have to get out of here. Please, you don't understand! If she comes back and finds you here, she'll kill you." Seifer began to try and coerce her once again to leave this place.
"Who?" Asked Quistis, still confused by his words.
"Ultimecia had returned Quistis. She's imprisoned me here and she's trying to kill you all. You have to warn the others." Seifer told her.
"Fujin already told me she was back." She explained, and suddenly she remembered the Seifer she had been kidnapped by. "Wait ... how long have you been down here?" She asked.
"I've lost track of time, it's been about a week from what I understand." He told her. Quistis raised an eyebrow.
"But, how is that possible? This morning you got into an argument with Squall and stormed off. I went outside to clear my thoughts and you kidnapped me. You were with Fujin and Rajin when they brought me here." Quistis said worried that she had fallen into a trap.
"It's because of Ultimecia. She imprisoned me here and then one of her followers morphed into a duplicate of me. They can make themselves look like anyone. That's why you have to leave and warn everyone." Seifer told her anxiously.
"I can't just leave without you, I need your help! You know more than I do! Seifer!" She ran a hand through her hair in confusion.
"I can't leave. Only a sorceress stronger than Ultimecia can release me. I've studied some magic since I've returned to Garden and if I'm not mistaken, this place is the Antediluvian Realm." Seifer explained. Quistis looked down in silent deliberation, and then looked back to Seifer.
"I'll come back for you." She said. Seifer hugged her and she returned the embrace before rising and heading in the direction she came from. Seifer watched her go as she exited the pool and cautiously headed for the entrance of the cave.
"Good luck Quisty." Seifer said softly to himself.
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"Squall, Zell, Irvine, have any of you seen Quistis?" Asked Rinoa as she and Selphie rejoined their friends, who were now sitting in the cafeteria while Zell munched happily on the plate of hotdogs before him.
"Hey there sweetheart." Said Irvine tipping his hat to Selphie. Selphie giggled and blushed a fair crimson. Rinoa went over by Squall and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"No, we haven't. Have we Mr. Hotdog?" Asked Zell as he looked at his lunch with adoring eyes. Squall hit him on the back of the head, unthankful of his mocking them. "Hey!"
"She's probably at the Training Center." Said Irvine. "I mean, when she gets bored, she trains. Unless she's in the Library."
"We've searched all of Garden and she's just not here!" Said Selphie. Squall looked at her in confusion.
"Are you sure? It's not like Quistis to just leave Garden without telling anybody. Maybe she went to talk with Cid?" He suggested.
"We asked him but he hasn't seen her in a few days." Rinoa said shaking her head.
"Well she'll be back soon. Quistis can take care of herself." Zell said as he took another large bite out of his hotdog.
"I don't know, I'm worried about her. She's been depressed lately and today she was upset because of earlier." Rinoa said more to Squall than anyone else.
"Well than maybe we should go look for her?" Irvine suggested. Selphie clapped her hands and jumped up in excitement.
"YES! THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO!" She cried. Those in the cafeteria turned and stared at the group of heroes and then returned to their lunches. The gang shook their heads at Selphie.
"Well, Zell can search around here in case she comes back, Irvine and I will check the surrounding area and the Fire Cavern, and Selphie you and Rinoa can go to Balamb." Squall directed. The other's saluted him with a laugh and scampered off, with the exception of Irvine.
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Quistis exited the cavern and looked around her. She saw mountains in the distance and suddenly became aware of her location. She placed a hand on her whip and headed out in the direction of Garden, running as fast as her tired legs could carry her. A familiar figure watched her from a crystal ball. Blood red lips curling into a wicked smirk as the dark eyes roamed over the situation.
"That's right my lapdog. You think you are helping her don't you?" The scene in the orb changed to reveal Seifer sitting in the Antediluvian Realm, swearing to himself to help her once he was feed and gain revenge on his captor. The woman laughed to herself and walked away fro the orb, which now changed to show a scene of the others splitting up to search for Quistis. The woman walked out and went over to a balcony outside of her throne room. Gazing out into the black oblivion she saw the clouds and night stars below her. She detested such beauty and simplicity. That mortals should spend time wishing to these lights when they should be cowering before her! It was insufferable! Just who did they think they were, worshipping Hyne, who sat on her cloud all day, watching them from above and showering them with love? What did love ever bring anyone? Nothing! And yet they worshipped Hyne, and she was cast off with the label of "menace" and "evil". It was wrong!
"Soon," Hissed the woman quietly. "Soon I shall rule over everything and they shall all pay for closing their eyes to my existence all these years! I've waited for millennia for this time and now, finally, after all my patient years of waiting, I shall prevail!"
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~*~Soul~*~: Okay so, what do you think? If you're confused don't worry because you are kind of supposed to be. Everything won't really make sense until the end. I promise though, that is does all tie together! As always, leave a review if you can find the time! I really appreciate them!
~*~Soul~*~
P.S.- e!
