Chapter 25 – Awake at last
WL: Whoopee!! I got my PS2! I got my PS2!
C: What a loser……
WL: But I've got a feeling I will still like FF8 the best, even though I've only played a few minutes of FFX.
C: Yeah yeah… that's only because ZELL's in it.
WL: Whoops… the secret's out. (C: What secret?)
C: LOOK OUT! THE THING'S COMING!
WL: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LEMME OUTTA HERE!
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Quistis reached for the door handle, her hands quivering as she anticipated what was waiting for her beyond it.
Here I come, my love……
Unbeknownst to her, a gnarled hand consisting of thick vines of a certain plant type reached out, attempting to wrap itself around her ankle.
Its intention was to drag her down with it to the deep, dank place it was rooted in.
Just as it was about to achieve its aim, a thick rod entwined around the hand, and yanked it back violently.
"Oh no you don't… your place is in here. Just at the right time too… for I am really pissed off at being disturbed from my slumber THRICE in a row…… now who shall be my next victim?!!!"
The owner of the whip smirked maliciously at the plant, and poised her whip ready for another attack. The plant trembled before her … its sap leaking slowly from the bottom of its roots as evidence of its fear of the sinister one before it…
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Hesitatingly, she pushed it open. She was uncertain if this was really the last door she had to go through, or just an opening to another maze among countless ones that attempted to entrap her, confuse her, and wear down her determination to recover.
It creaked open with a protesting whine.
She stepped outside, one foot first, followed by the other.
For a moment, she feared that she was blind, for the harsh glare of light that assaulted her pupils was too strong; she could not see anything except for the bright, dazzling glow from the fluorescent tubes, wrapping around her eyeballs and refusing to let go.
"And remember the time we were at the Great Mother's Shrine, in front of the fountain? I wanted so much to gather you in my arms, and tell you how much I missed you… that everything's alright… but I couldn't… I was too useless, too cowardly…"
His head was bowed, as he recounted yet another precious piece of his memory, while his hands held her own tightly.
This warmth… I have not felt it for so long… am I dreaming… or is this for real?
A single large tear drop gathered at the corner of her right eye. Slowly it traveled from the eye, down her cheek, to the line of her jaw, along her neck, until in disappeared beneath the folds of her hospital gown.
It was a catalyst for a chain reaction, for soon after that, several other drops appeared and followed the trail of the first one.
"Seifer……" She wanted to call him, but her voice was muffled into the oxygen mask… he must not have heard it… for it sounded like a mosquito's buzz in her own ear.
She gazed down at him, her eyes straining, for she could not move her neck for some reason.
And found that she was wrong.
He was staring at her, his pupils enlarged with surprise, maybe even shock, while his mouth was agape.
He tried speaking a few times, tried calling her name, but somehow the words refused to come out, insisting on getting stuck in his throat.
Deciding that he no longer cared for words, he abandoned his vocal chords, and reached out towards Quistis.
He held her, tightly, securely, snugly, feeling the rise and fall of her soft bosom against his toned, muscular one.
She's really awake… I'm not dreaming… am I? If this is a dream, I never want to wake up…
"Q… Quisty…!" He croaked, finally breaking the barrier on his voice.
She appeared to be saying something, but the words could not be heard through the oxygen mask.
He tore it away with a brutal yank.
"S… Seifer… my dearest Seifer…. I missed you so much! Oh how my heart hurts… it beats too fast for my liking…..."
"I… I missed you too… Quisty! Do you know how close I was to giving up… and how many times? Promise me you'll never do this again… ever!"
"I… I promise… I never meant for this to happen… I'm sorry…. I'm sorry for leaving you… for that letter… I wanted to tear it up right away… but I didn't cos I didn't know what to do… I… I…" She started babbling, for the relief coursing through her soul had caused the latch on her speech to be broken as well… now the words rushed out like water gushing through a broken dam.
I have so much to tell him… I can't stop myself…
"Hush, Quisty… don't apologize. I don't blame you at all… let's not blame each other, okay?" His gaze was practically oozing with tenderness.
It melted her heart… which was now reduced to nothing but a mass of gooey stuff, she was sure…
She gazed back at him, mesmerized by the pools of blue whose depth seemed to have no end… she found herself diving into them, searching for the place specially reserved for her, and her only.
Maybe he was fuelled by her gaze, or by the closeness of her body to his.
With a rapid movement, he had sealed his lips upon hers, arousing a passion in herself that had been dormant for as long as she could remember. His mouth searched with a fierce hunger for the taste of her sweet breath, while she responded with the same kind of urgency.
The first kiss after an agonizingly long hiatus… it would have gone on indefinitely if not for her weakened state, as evidenced by her shortness of breath.
As she laid back onto her hospital bed catching her breath, supported by a worried Seifer, an idea dashed through her head.
"Seifer…"
"Hmmm?"
"Let's get out of here…. I want to go home with you."
"What are you saying? I can't…" He did not get the hint at first, but when he saw the impish and suggestive expression on her face…
"You're right… Let's get out of here!" His mouth was turned up all the way to the ends… something he had not done for several months.
Ignoring the pain, Quistis yanked the needle of the intravenous drip out of her forearm, grimacing a little as she did.
"I can't believe you just pulled it out like that! Doesn't it hurt?" His face was all scrunched up when he saw her action, for he could not stand the thought of her suffering, even if it was only a little.
"I've gone through pain worse than ten times of this. If I were to be bothered by this little bit of pain, how am I going to survive childbearing later on?" She shot out, then reddened as she realized the implication of her words.
"Ohhhh, childbearing eh? I wouldn't mind that, heheheh…." He leered at her with a lewd expression, only to be slapped on the shoulder by Quistis.
"Stop that! It's disgusting when you do that! Are you going to bring me home or what?" She scolded him with a mock sternness.
"Yes, my Dearest Blonde Instructor!" He replied cheekily, then swept her up in his arms while she squealed at the unexpected movement.
"Put me down!" She shouted, raining light punches on his chest and shoulders.
"Uh-uh… ain't letting you go this time! Now if I can just negotiate this door…"
Just when he was about to attempt the most difficult juggling act in human history, that is, opening a door while carrying a full-grown woman in his arms, it swung open lightly.
"Just what is the commotion in here?" The head nurse asked with a scowl, which was quickly replaced with astonishment when she saw the position of the two SeeDs in front of her.
"Thanks for helping me to open the door!" Seifer winked at her, nudged her out of the way, and strode through the hospital's hallway with a giggling Quistis in his arms.
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The thing stared malevolently at the girl in front of it.
"YOU, are not the owner of this shell. WHERE IS SHE?!!" It hissed with a raspy voice – the kind that grates on everyone's nerves and gives them a headache when droning non-stop.
Right now, Waterlily was experiencing an ache of a different kind as she faced the thing.
It was inevitable that she should suffer in such a way… for the thing had thrust its sharp talons right into the middle of her chest.
Yes, Waterlily was dead, but it did not automatically mean that she was free from pain.
For the dark power of the thing surpasses space, time, and status of its opponent, whether living or dead.
At the same time, it was sending waves of eerily black images into her mind, reminding her continuously of her pathetic end.
She refused to budge from her place… for if she failed now, her 'sacrifice' would have been useless… although it had not been of much use, so to speak.
Fervently, she prayed that Celestine would be on time.
With a sinister grin and cackle, it twisted its talons deeper into the girl's body.
Waterlily… remember those mangas you read? They always say that when the willpower transcends the suffering, you will be the strongest. Go on… put to use what you've learnt.
Gritting her teeth, she smiled through a film of tears at the thing.
"You will never beat me, for I read a lot of manga and watch a lot of anime… and they are always preaching about how good prevails evil. Hahahahaha! Besides, I'm dead. You will not beat me."
Indeed… the pain no longer seemed as threatening as before.
"Insolent girl…" The thing was furious…. She could see that. And that was her aim, to provoke it so that somehow, she could divert it slightly off-track before Celestine comes back.
Celestine… hurry up…
Something flitted above their heads.
Both of them looked up….
And it was………….
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Well, I'm sure you can guess who it was, but I wanted to end it like this… mostly because it was getting late (twelve in the morning! I have to work in eight hours!)
And I found out a devastating fact… I suck at mushy scenes! *Sniffle* What a blow it is to me… someone who can only write romance stories… luckily I never quit my day job…
Okay then… I will MAKE SURE the contents improve in the next chapter, where it wouldn't be so rushed and uninspired (what do you expect after facing a whole chunk of figures all day?)… meanwhile… tata….
Oh, before I forget.
Quistis88 : Thank you thank you! I think your stories great too! Usually I'm too lazy to review, but in your case you totally deserved them!
Pierson: Another meaningless chapter… I need meaning in my life to stop this from manifesting! Arrrrgh! Anyway, profuse thanks for giving me an excuse to buy the PS2… I was unable make up my mind at first… hope you aren't angry….
CelesteSpring: Glad you liked the grappling! But I think the mushy scene was disappointing… sorry if I let you down *sob*
Punky gal: Ahhh! A newcomer! Welcome aboard! *Hands you a bouquet of water-lilies* Hope you enjoy your stay here!
Well, that's all folks. I'll try to update the soonest I can… still have a few missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle…. Grrr… now I'M the one grappling with my own shadow of the worst kind… stiffsholdersitis plus writer's block! Arghhh! Somebody help me!