Meeting Love, Finding Despair
By Quis
Chapter Fourteen This Crazy thing called LoveDisclaimer: Final Fantasy and respective trademarks belong to Square-Enix, 2003
Copyright: Shira Trepe, Conna, and Seluna Armanti belong to me, Auria and Malice.
Beautiful. In a word, that summed up the blonde woman. She was not tall, per se, but she had elegance and grace that made it a defining point for her old fan club that called themselves Trepies.
If her cobalt coloured eyes and hair the colour of spun gold were classical features, then she had the makings of a goddess. She was the epitome of poise, elegance, grace and even something that was completely undefinable. In a word, she was a goddess.
Quistis smiled as she glanced in the mirror at the cloud of white chiffon and taffeta that surrounded her, leaving her shoulders bare. A long veil was in place, over her tiara, as well as the necklace that was so old and valuable, around her neck. The Almasy jewels. The tiara that had been in the family for generations, ever since the first Almasy bride received them three hundred years before. She was the last in a long line of brides to receive the jewellery.
Seifer entered the room to see her standing there in white, looking like a statue instead of flesh and blood. "You know," he said, as he walked over to her side, "You look like a statue."
Quistis turned, "Hello, Seifer," she said with a laugh, "I was just trying on these old gowns, in case I might wear one on the night of the coronation."
He smiled. Somehow, Seifer's smiles always made Quistis think of all the times he'd smiled before getting a lecture from her. Secretly, however, Quistis used to love his smiles.
"You won't wear one of those, my darling," he said quietly, "I'll have the dressmaker come by later this afternoon. She'll make you a dress of your choice."
Quistis was not paying attention. She swayed on her feet unsteadily, before stumbling forwards, blacking out.
She did not hear Seifer's shouts of surprise, nor did she feel herself being carried to the bed. She was fading rapidly out of the world, suspended in Limbo.
~
She could make out a shape in the fog. As though it was calling to her, she moved, as if in a trance. Alyeena called out to Quistis, as though warning the blonde of impeding danger. The shape in the fog raised an arm, a gun grafted to the arm, like many old warriors of the First Sorceress War had, aimed it towards her.
'Quistis!' she could hear a voice, turning, she could see Squall, as the blood ran down his chest, from the impact of a bullet.
Quistis turned, and in an instant, she had her old whip, Save the Queen, in her hand. She could not comprehend how it got there, but there was no time to think. She could see in this new greyland an Iron Giant rise from the murky mist, suspended there, immobile.
Turning, she saw a young man, with dark brown, almost black hair, holding a broadsword as he leapt forwards to brush the shadow of the Iron Giant away from her, as though protecting her.
Quistis knew who he was, as he leapt into the fray. He fought like a man she knew well. It was Seifer's child she saw there, the one she carried inside her.
'Colum,' her mouth formed the word, it coming out of her in a slow, almost tired breath, 'Thank you.'
He turned to her for the first time. 'You do not belong here, Mother,' he said, a strong conviction in his voice, 'you need to return from whence you came, take this memory, and keep it safe,'
~
Seifer carried the body of Quistis in his arms, as he walked towards where he should have taken her a long time ago, when he found out from her that she had cancer. As he pushed open the doors and walked in, he found himself thinking of precious memories he had of her.
(May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How are you are from home)
~
They were children; around twelve years old. He stood at least five inches taller than her as he held her silver clip aloft, in the air. She tried to grab it from him, only to have him tug it out of her reach.
Quistis frowned. 'This isn't funny, Seifer,' she had said, pouting.
He stuck his tongue out, before doing something completely unexpected. He bent down suddenly, brushing his lips over hers.
~
(Mornie utulie
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie
A promise lives within you now)
Seifer continued down the long hallway of the Dollet Hospital, as he followed the bed that carried his Quistis to the nuclear medicine ward. How could he have let her get so sick, how could he have let her forget to take the medicine that sustained her. He hated himself at that moment.
As he glanced up at the doctor's face, he could see the doctor's jaw clench tightly in resolve. The hard ball of tension in Seifer's stomach slowly began to relax itself, knowing that the doctor was as determined as him to aid Quistis.
"Sir?" Seifer's head jerked up as the bed came to a set of double doors.
"Yes?" Seifer's voice was terse, strained, stressed with worry.
"You'll need to wait outside. I'm sorry, hospital rules," the doctor said.
"Do you not know that I am the Duke? My wish is law, and if I say I go with her, then, by all that I hold dear, I will. Nobody will stop me!" Seifer snapped, his veins bulging in his neck as he turned on the doctor.
The doctor blinked. He could not take the raving lunatic that stood in front of him seriously. Knowing the likeliness of someone dressed in a pair of stubby shorts, a Shearer's Singlet and thongs, claiming to be the Duke Seifer Almasy, it was more than likely that the two had probably just had a hit of heroin, and the woman was not able to cope with it.
"You're a lunatic!" The doctor shouted, not scared of this man that stood in front of him, "You're delusional—mad. Jachan Almasy is the duke!"
"No, you're wrong," said a familiar, rusted voice, and the two turned to face Dr. Helena Moriarty, standing there, looking like M, from a James Bond movie.
She conveyed an aura of power that Seifer could feel, radiating off her. Somehow, Seifer knew 'Helena' was not who she claimed to be.
"You're here," Seifer said, dazedly, "How'd you know to come to Dollet?"
Helena smiled much like the proverbial cat that had just swallowed the canary. "Are you not surprised to see me here, Seifer?" she asked, her voice peppered with sarcasm and a touch of sugar was thrown into the mix, creating a confusing concoction of a tone.
"Conna…?" Seifer wondered.
Conna nodded. "I'm glad you worked it out, Seifer," she said, "I masqueraded as Helena, only to gain your trust. It was easy. And, yes, Quistis will survive this lot of chemotherapy, I have cast such strong spells upon to ease her suffering."
Seifer stepped back, "There's no hope, is there?" he said, despairingly, "There's no hope for her and my child…"
(May it be shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun)
Conna placed a slim finger along her jaw, studying Seifer with an intense gaze. She knew that Quistis and the child would survive this time, but the Fates had decreed that she, the mother, would die, for the child to be the one who would become Ultimecia.
"She will survive," Conna said in her rusty voice, "And your son is going to live a long life. As for the daughter, there is a dark prophecy that tells of a darker time."
"What prophecy is that?" Seifer's interest was gained, as he was curious to hear about the prophecy that surrounded his eventual stepdaughter's future.
Conna smiled her wise smile. "Are you sure you want to hear it?" she asked.
Seifer glanced at Quistis, lying there so pale on the bed, her white skin pallid, almost as though Death had her in its grasp, and she was struggling not to give in to the oblivion that awaited her through painless, empty sleep.
"Cure Quistis, Conna, I just want her to be here for me, and she has to survive, she just has to," Seifer's desperate plea was in the tone of his voice.
~
Quistis took another step forwards in the new greyland. She was starting to lose her grip on this place as she tripped over a rock, sending her sprawling onto her bottom. She heaved a sigh as she stood up slowly, brushing the cloud of dust away.
She could see the figure of Raine as she had been seen last. Taking a cautious step forwards towards the form, she halted as Raine lifted a hand.
"You don't belong here yet, Quistis," Raine said softly, "It's not your time to die."
Nodding, Quistis turned numbly. "I understand," she said, in a flat monotone voice.
Turning away from Raine, she headed back through the smoky grey, back towards a monolith that appeared to spring out from the ground. Perhaps it had already been there for years, perhaps for centuries. She walked towards it, fearless and a new boldness overcoming her as she stepped up to it, touching it.
The monolith shimmered as she touched it, the iridescent purple changing into a shimmering dark blue, the first colours she had seen since entering this greyland.
~
(Mornie utulie
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie
A promise lives within you now
A promise lives within you now)
It had been days since Seifer had left the hospital. Constantly, he sat by her side, not wanting to leave in case she awoke to find him gone. As he kept a vigil, he saw her head move slightly.
A shout of joy erupted from his throat, an exultant crow, as Quistis opened her eyes. The unfocused irises and foggy gaze seemed to linger slightly upon Seifer's face.
"Quistis," he said, "Thank Hyne you're awake!" Seifer's face leapt to life with the sudden change. The ugly IV drips stuck in her arm made no difference to him as he kissed her gently on the forehead.
She smiled as she saw his familiar features.
"I saw our baby," she said, "And it's going to be a fine, healthy boy…"
He laughed then, hugging her to him tightly. Somewhat cryptically, he muttered, "Conna's magic is what saved you, Quistis Gosia."
Quistis heard the mutterings of Seifer, curiosity prickled by the cryptic comment. "Conna?" The question was plaintive, a quiet murmur in the dimly lit hospital ward.
"Helena," Seifer smiled, "Helena is Conna, the same woman who looked after you in Esthar. She's the Sorceress of great Compassion, she saved you with her magic."
Quistis smiled weakly as she lay back on her pillows, the bed placed into a sitting position. She could sit up, but the efforts were exerting for her.
"The son we shall have," it was a quiet murmur that Seifer had to strain his ears to hear, "His name will be Colum Darien Seifer Lukyan Trepe-Almasy. He is going to be dark haired, like Alyeena was."
Seifer brought his lips to hers, kissing her softly.
"I'll be well enough for the wedding," Quistis mumbled drowsily, before falling asleep in Seifer's arms.
A/N. Song used is May it be by Enya. Next chapter…Well, let's just say things are gonna speed up.