Seifer watched in horror as Kaiser Deling approached Quistis and the two fallen SeeDs. He brought Hyperion down hard and pulled the trigger. The bullet embedded itself in it's target, the man he had been fighting, and Seifer ran towards the redheaded man. By this time, Quistis was on her feet and attempting to cast Shockwave Pulsar.
From Seifer's point of view, everything was in slow motion as Kaiser cast Flare on Quistis. The spell hit her, sending her flying backwards. She collided with the balcony railing and then toppled over.
"Quistis!" Seifer screamed and without thinking, summoned Ifrit. While the fire demon attacked Kaiser, Seifer ran over to the balcony and looked down. Quistis was nowhere to be seen.
"Quistis!"
"Quistis!"
Seifer sat straight up in bed, his breath coming in short gasps. He looked around quickly and saw that he was in bed in him dorm room. It had been a dream, or more accurately, a memory. It had been ten days since the Garden had been attacked by Kaiser Deling, ten days since he had lost the woman he loved. He had had the dream every night since.
After Quistis had fallen, Seifer had gone into a rage, attacking anything that stood in his way. He had practically torn apart Kaiser Deling and had slaughtered most of his soldiers. It had taken a Stop spell to end Seifer's murderous rampage and even then, the others had been afraid to release him from it.
Once he had calmed down a bit, Seifer had made Nida turn the Garden around and search for Quistis. They had looked well past dawn but had found no sign of the beloved Instructor.
Since then, the Garden had been in a solemn mood. In the cafeteria, laughter was seldom heard and if it was, the person who had dared make the sound was glared at by the Trepies. Beside her friends and Matron, the Trepies were taking Quistis' death the worst.
Seifer looked at the digital clock on his bedside table. The glowing blue numbers read 0719. He kicked the blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Normally, he would've stayed in bed until at least 0900 hours but without Quistis in it, the bed was too lonely. He loved waking up next to her and holding her as she slept. Those were only two of the millions of things he would miss about her.
He glanced over at the picture of the two of them that rested in a silver frame on his nightstand. It had been taken at the SeeD ball after he had become a SeeD. It was taken before they had officially been a couple, but in the picture you could tell that there were unspoken feelings between the two. Unable to look at it any longer, he turned away.
The blonde man stood up and walked over to his closet. He reached in and pulled out a pair of black jeans, a black tank top and a black trench coat he had bought a while ago but never worn. He threw the coat on the bed and took the shirt and pants into the bathroom, where he showered and shaved. Today was Quistis' funeral and he figured he should look nice, even though he felt like crap. Once he was done in the bathroom, he went back into the bedroom/living room and sat down on the bed. He put on a pair of socks and his boots then looked back at the clock. 0753.
Seifer hung his head and took a deep breath. He knew he should go. The word of his and Quistis' engagement had made it around Garden and he figured people would probably want to give their condolences and he'd rather they do it before the funeral. He was sure he wouldn't want to put up with people afterwards.
"Might as well get this over with," he muttered to the picture and stood up. He slipped on the black coat and left the dorm room. As he walked down the halls towards the cafeteria, he passed a few students. Not many were out at this time, but all who he passed were wearing black and either expressed their sorrow to him or avoided his gaze. Everyone grieves in different ways, he thought.
When he reached the cafeteria, he wasn't surprised to find it was a sea of black and gray. He had only taken a few steps in when he was met by Fujin and Raijin. Fujin was wearing black slacks and a black blazer over a dark gray tank top, making her pale skin seem virtually colorless. Raijin was dressed in a black suit. They both looked somber.
"OKAY?" Fujin asked gently.
"I'm fine, Fu," Seifer assured with a week smile.
"Are you sure, ya know?" Raijin prodded, "We know this is tough for you, ya know." Seifer nodded and patted the huge man's shoulder.
"HUNGRY?" Fujin questioned.
"No," Seifer replied, "I don't think I could eat even if I wanted to."
The pale woman and the dark man looked at their friend sympathetically. Seifer tried to smile but failed, making him look more miserable than before.
Raijin placed a hand on Seifer's shoulder. "Come on, the other's are waiting for you, ya know." Seifer nodded and the posse made their way across the cafeteria to the table where "the gang" always dined. Everyone was seated around the table and they all tried to smile as Seifer, Fujin and Raijin took their seats at the table. There was only one seat left at the table. It was the chair next to Seifer, the one Quistis always occupied. It was almost too much for him to look at it and he turned away quickly.
"How're you holding up Seifer?" Irvine inquired. He was wearing an outfit similar to Seifer's but his was topped off with his ever present cowboy hat.
"I don't know," Seifer shrugged, "It hurts to know that she's gone, but I don't think I've fully accepted it yet. Everything is messed up."
"We know how you feel," Zell told him, "It's just so hard to believe she's really gone." Zell was wearing a tuxedo-like suit that he looked extremely uncomfortable in. Seifer assumed that Cammi had made him wear it. She was sitting next to him, clutching his hand tightly and wearing a plain black dress. Her braid was tied off with a black ribbon.
"We all loved Quisty." It was Selphie who spoke this time. She wore a short black dress and her eyes were red. "She was…" Without warning, the petite brunette burst into tears and buried her face in Irvine's coat. The cowboy stroked her hair and whispered soothing words to her.
Seifer saw Rinoa glance over at Selphie and then her eyes locked with his. She was wearing a low cut black dress with a black shawl around her shoulders and it was obvious that she had been crying. She started to say something, but then closed her mouth and looked away quickly as a tear slipped down her cheek. Squall leaned over and whispered something to her and she shook her head. Squall wore his normal battle gear but had a black shirt under the coat.
Seifer, becoming more depressed by the actions of the others, looked up at the clock on the cafeteria wall. It read 0837. Seifer looked back to the people around the table. "We should head to the Quad. It starts in about twenty minutes."
The others nodded and the somber crowd headed out of the cafeteria and towards the Quad. Seifer had balked at the idea of having her funeral in the place where she had died but it was the only place that could hold the entire Garden population at once. He hadn't been there since that night ten days ago and when he entered, he saw that the blood from Kaiser Deling and the others he had slaughtered in his rage had been cleaned or covered up. The group of friends made their way to the front of the chairs that had been set up.
Only four people were currently in the Quad. Headmaster Cid, Xu and Nida stood in front of the empty casket resting on a platform. Seifer cringed when he saw it but none of the others noticed. The fourth person in the Quad was Matron. She sat in one of the chairs in the front row. She wore a simple black dress and a black veil over her face. In her pale hand she clutched a black handkerchief with which she periodically dabbed at her eyes. She stood up as she saw her "children" approach.
"Hello my children," Edea greeted with a trembling smile, "how are you all doing?"
"We're doing the best we can, Matron," Squall answered.
"You know," Selphie started, "when bad things would happen, we used to rely on Quisty to help us get through it. What are we supposed to do now?" Selphie sobbed hard and Irvine led her to one of the chairs to sit down.
Matron nodded solemnly and her eyes fell on Seifer. "Seifer." Matron walked past the others and stopped in front of the tall blonde. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. Just remember, we are all here for you."
"I know Matron," Seifer told her. Matron wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a fierce hug. Seifer was caught off guard but soon hugged the short woman back. After she released him, they all took their seats in the front row. Before long, other students and SeeDs of the Garden entered and took seats in the chairs or stood against the walls. By 0856, the Quad was filled with the occupants of the Garden. Four minutes later, Xu walked up to a podium set up in front of the coffin. She was wearing a black skirt and top, which was surprising considering she was almost never see out of her SeeD uniform. She cleared her throat daintily and the Quad fell silent.
"As you know," Xu began, "we are here because we lost someone very dear to all of us. She was, to most, a teacher or colleague. To those of us who were lucky enough to know her personally, she was a wonderful friend and confidante and to one, she was a loving fiancée." Xu paused to look at Seifer, who nodded slightly. "But most of all, she was one of us and we're here today to honor the memory of someone who was taken from us too soon, Quistis Trepe, Instructor #14 of Balamb Garden. At this time, I'd like Headmaster Cid to come up and say a few words."
Cid stood up form his chair, patted his wife's hand and walked up to the podium. Xu stepped aside and the Headmaster took her place. "Quistis Angelica Trepe grew up in the orphanage run by myself and my wife Edea. At the age of ten she joined Garden. She excelled at combat and, by the age of fifteen, had passed the SeeD written and field exams. For most, that would have been enough but not for Quistis. She strove to be something better and at the age of seventeen she received her Instructor's License…" Cid droned on.
Seifer sat in the front row, staring at the casket surrounded by flowers and other plants. Even though it was empty, he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling it gave him. Maybe if it wasn't empty, maybe if they had found her body and it lay in the coffin now, he would have had an easier time accepting her death. As things were, his mind wouldn't comprehend that she was really gone. There was even a tiny part of him that believed she was still alive, that any second she would walk into the Quad soaking wet and pissed that they had left her behind but otherwise all right. His thoughts were interrupted as Cid finished his speech and left he podium. Xu had now resumed her place at the microphone
"Now I believe Commander Leonhart would like to say a few words."
Seifer glanced over at the younger man as he stood and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Squall didn't reply and stepped up onto the podium.
"Public speaking isn't really my thing," Squall stated, "but I wanted…no, needed to say a few words about Quistis. I owe her that, if not a lot more." He paused as he collected his thoughts. "As some of you know, Instructor Trepe and I grew up together, along with Zell Dincht, Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt and Seifer Almasy. Out of all of us, Quistis was always the mature one. Sometimes she could be a little bossy but she was always there for us. She would break up our fights, kiss our scrapes and always loved us no matter what. Even after the GFs erased our memories, Quisty still stuck by me and Seifer to make sure we weren't trying to kill each other and believe me, we didn't make it easy for her. She is the reason that I am a SeeD and commander, and is probably the reason many of you are SeeDs as well. Even Seifer, who failed the test numerous times and cost her her Instructor's License found a special place in her heart." Seifer shot Squall a glare but he ignored it. "She never discriminated against anyone. She loved all. When the Trepies used to follow her around and bug her nonstop, the rest of us would ask 'Don't you get tired of them?' Quisty would just shrug and say 'No. I enjoy their company.' That was just how she was. She was never rude to anyone, no matter how they treated her. When we lost her, we lost a part of ourselves and possibly the best friend any of us have ever had or ever will." Squall paused again and Seifer was surprised to see tears running down the commander's cheeks. When he continued again, his voice was thick with emotion. "She was truly an angel and she was taken from us too soon. We miss you Quisty and we always will." Squall hung his head and left the podium.
Seifer looked from left to right and saw that almost everybody was openly crying. Matron was holding her handkerchief to her eyes as Cid rubbed her back. Raijin and Fujin, who had known Quistis the least of all her friends, had tears in their eyes. Selphie was sobbing into Irvine's shoulder. Irvine was holding her as the sobs racked her tiny body and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Rinoa had the back of her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle her cries and wrapped her arms around Squall as he sat back down next to her. He pulled her closer and they cried silently together. Next to them, Cammi was patting Zell's hand as he shamelessly bawled into the tissue she had given him.
Seifer felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Fujin holding a tissue out to him. He looked at her questioningly and she motioned to his face.
"TEARS," she murmured and sniffed.
Seifer reached up and was surprised to find his own cheeks wet with tears. He took the tissue and wiped his face quickly. He was crying. He hadn't cried since…Hyne, he couldn't even remember that last time he cried.
"Thank you Squall." Xu was now back at the microphone and was wiping tears off her own face. "That was very touching. Now, Irvine Kinneas will play a song he wrote for Quistis."
Irvine untangled himself from Selphie and walked up to Xu, who had retrieved his guitar from it's place on the platform. She handed it to him and he nodded his thanks. While Xu made her way off the platform, Irvine strummed a few notes on the guitar to make sure it was in tune. When he was satisfied that it was all right, he turned to the microphone.
"Hi, y'all. Quisty was one of my very best friends and one Hell of a woman on top of that. She may be gone but she'll never be forgotten. This one's for you Quisty." Irvine began playing a slow, melancholy tune. After a few notes, he began to sing.
"To see you when I wake up
Is a gift I didn't think could be real
To know that you feel the same as I do
Is a three-fold utopian dream
You do something to me that I can't explain
So would I be out of line if I said
I miss you?
I see your picture
I smell your skin on the empty pillow next to mine
You have only been gone ten days
But already I'm wasting away
I know I'll see you again
Whether far or soon
But I need you to know that I care
And I miss you."
As Irvine strummed the last few chords, Seifer looked at him and wondered if Irvine could read his mind because that song perfectly described how he was feeling. Tears began to gather in his emerald eyes and he blinked them away quickly.
After Irvine had left the podium, Xu once again took her place in front of the microphone. "Now it is time to pay your respects. If everyone could form a line over there," she pointed towards the right end of the casket, "you will each get a few minutes to say goodbye to Quistis."
Before Xu had even finished talking, a line began to form by the casket. The Trepies, of course, were the first ones in line. Others joined them after Xu finished talking. Squall and the others stood up and began making their way to the line. Seifer stayed where he was. Fujin noticed he wasn't following and stopped.
"COMING?" she asked.
"I'm gonna go last," Seifer told her. Fujin nodded and joined the others in the line. From his seat in the front row, Seifer watched as the endless line of people paid their respects to the empty coffin. The more he saw, the more irritated he became. The casket's empty! He wanted to shout; She's not in there! You're wasting your time! Of course, they all knew that and he knew they did.
After a while, the line of people ebbed and finally disappeared. Seifer stood up and glanced towards the back of the Quad where his friends, Xu, Headmaster Cid and Matron were waiting expectantly. He sighed and slowly walked up to the casket.
"This is so stupid," he started, "I know you're not in the casket so what good does it do me to talk to you? Even if you were in there, you wouldn't hear me so this whole concept is stupid. Everyone else came up here crying and saying 'I'll miss you' or 'I love you' but none of them know. None of them know what it feels like to truly miss you, to truly love you. I do. I miss you every second of every day and I always will. I think the worst part is knowing that I could've saved you. If I had seen that bastard Kaiser coming towards you sooner or if I had hit him with a spell before he attacked, you'd still be here. I should've saved you and I didn't. I failed you. Big surprise huh? I've screwed up at everything I've ever tried to do in my life but I thought that this time I got it right. Guess I was wrong again. I don't know how the others can even stand to look at me. I should've protected you but instead, I let you go. You were everything to me Quistis, everything, and I really don't know how I'm gonna go on without you. I feel dead inside." Seifer took a deep breath and tears stung his eyes. "It's not fair damn it. Everything was perfect and I had to fuck it all up again. Typical. It should be me lying at the bottom of the ocean, not you. Hyne, I just don't know what to do." The tears that had been threatening to fall finally did and he wiped them away furiously. "I'm sorry Quisty. I'm so sorry. I love you so much and I always will." He wiped his eyes again and joined his friends at the back of the Quad.
"Seifer," Edea spoke, "I think you should take a few more days off to rest."
"Matron, I'm fine," Seifer insisted.
"Please Seifer," Matron begged, "at least for the rest of the day. This is much harder on you than it is on anyone else. You loved her like none of us ever could. Please Seifer, take the time you need to recuperate."
"All right," Seifer agreed. He wasn't in the mood to argue. He said goodbye to the others and left the Quad. On the way to his dorm, he was stopped by various students and SeeDs who gave their condolences. Seifer tried to listen, but he was in a daze of guilt and sorrow. When he finally made it back to his room, he collapsed on the bed as the strength left him. He didn't even bother to take off his shoes as he began to drift to sleep and soak his pillow with tears.
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In Winhill, an elderly couple walked their dog down the beach. The sun was setting behind the mountains and the weather was perfect for a leisurely stroll. As the couple meandered down the shore, they noticed something on the sand about a hundred yards away.
"What is that?" the woman asked and pointed to the object.
"I don't know," the man answered, "looks like seaweed."
Suddenly, their dog began barking hysterically and took off down the beach towards the object, yanking his leash out of the man's hand in the process.
"Tank!" the man called as the golden retriever sped away, "come back here!"
The couple watched as Tank stopped by the object, sniffed it, then turned towards them and barked furiously. The couple looked at each other and hurried down the beach. Because of the setting sun, the object wasn't identifiable until they were right next to it.
"Oh my Hyne," the woman whispered as the color drained from her face, "it…it's a body."
The man leaned down and pressed two fingers to the woman's cold neck. "She's alive, the man announced.
"Oh James, are you sure?" the woman asked.
"Yes," the man assured, "but she needs medical attention." He scooped the peach clad woman into his arms and they hurried back to the town to fetch the doctor.
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Yeah, another chapter! I know this one is kind of depressing but what did you expect? They are at a funeral. I know I'm gonna probably get reviews about Seifer crying. I know, he doesn't seem like the type that would cry but he did just lose the love of his life. Everyone has a breaking poing and I think that would be Seifer's. Oh yeah, and "Irvine's Song" is actually a song by Incubus called "I Miss You." Till next time...