Disclaimer: lemme think.........nope, still don't own it. (Dûh!) anyway, the only
thing I own is the plot. After I'm done with borrowing the characters I'll
put them back nicely in their cupboard. I don't hear them complain, so I
guess they don't mind starring in this fic.
AN: w00t, another chapter finished. Hope y'all like it.
~ Chapter seventeen: Bittersweet ~
Would she be able to do it? What if she was just too weak. Was she ready to sacrifice someone's life for her own good? She didn't know. But her heart was killing her. He told her. Straight to the face, that he was in love with someone else. With Quistis for Hyne's sake.
Hearing him say that. Hearing those words from his lips. It hurt her more than when she had seen them kissing the day before. But it was all his fault. If he hadn't taken the bracelet off, then none of this would have happened. They would've gotten married and been happy.
But now, now she would have to take revenge for the hurt he had caused her. How could he say such things. He had just left her. She was still too numb to get up and do something about it. On the floor was the bracelet.
'Stupid thing.' She thought.
It hadn't secured his love for her at all. She looked at the photograph on Seifer's bedside table. Smiling faces. Seifer, with his hand on Quistis' shoulder. She suddenly realised she had made her decision. One way or another she would make him pay. Make them all pay.
If she couldn't kill the one that stole Seifre from her, then she would have to do something else. And with the knowledge that she had an entire army at her beck and call, she strode out of the room. To make a few phonecalls.
* * *
"She said what?!" Selphie exlaimed. "She won't really do it, will she?"
"I don't know Seph..........I didn't know anyone else to talk to. I can't even face Quistis. What if Fujin saw me with her again." He gulped.
Selphie was pacing up and down.
"Maybe," she opted. "Maybe she didn't mean it. I mean, you just had a fight with her. You just told her you loved someone else. That hurts Seifer."
"But you don't understand!" he countered. "There was this thing, this bracelet. She was practically forcing me to wear it. I didn't understand before, but every time I touch it, it makes me love her. Hyne knows what she's done with it. It must be.........I don't know, bewitched?"
Selphie gave him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure! I finally understand what made me ask her to marry me in the first place! Didn't you think that that was all so sudden? I know I did. I never ever considered love for her. She ties that THING around my wrist and lookie here, I'm on one knee."
He was now pacing up and down the room.
"Seifer, doing that isn't going to help. Go talk to Quistis. She needs to know."
He nodded. "Alright. I'll go see her. Thanks Seph."
She smiled. "No prob."
* * *
"Yes ma'am. Loud and clear. We'll be ready at 1700 hours."
"GOOD."
"It will be an honour for us to fight for the cause. Long live Dollet!"
She hung up, rolling her eyes. Stupid soldiers with their stupid clichées. At least her father had consented without hesitation.
'I promised you, my daughter. No man has the right to harm you. Like I said before, I won't forgive that so easily. Do as you see fit, for you have my full permission for any action you plan. I trust and believe in your leading skills.'
Yes. This would work. At least it would scare him. Perhaps that would be enough.
* * *
"Yes? Who's there?"
"It's me, Squall. Can I talk to you?"
Seifer opened the door to let him in. Squall's face was serious.
"Listen. The negotiations with Dollet were going just fine. Then all of a sudden Fujin comes up to me and Cid and says that 'the current situation was not to their liking' and that, if it did not change real soon, they'd pay us a nice visit with their army. What the hell was that about? Are you two having a fight?"
Seifer stared at the ceiling in a desperate attempt to escape Squall's eyes.
"She said that? Hyne! She's capable of doing that.........all because of me.........?"
"So you DID have a fight?" Squall asked.
Seifer shook his head confused. "It's.........none of your business, okay?"
"Well whatever it is, fix it. Because I don't want to end up with an all out war on my hands."
Squall turned around and left. Seifer's head was spinning. Fujin had threatened to kill Quistis.........and now she was going to start a war, just because he didn't love her anymore.
'She's nuts!' he thought.
* * *
"Hey!" Selphie said, tapping Quistis on her shoulder.
"Oh, Hey Selphie." She replied.
"Quisty.........have you seen Seifer? Has he told you?"
"Told me what?"
Selphie hesitated. Quistis saw her troubled face.
"Is something wrong? What's going on.........is he-?"
"He's still in love with you if that's what you're worried about. He'd jump to the moon if you asked him. But.........there is something else. You MUST talk to him as soon as possible. It's urgent."
Quistis didn't quite understand but nodded. "Well.........okay, if you say so. I'll go to his dorm........."
She didn't know why Selphie was acting so weird but it had worried her.
"Seifer, are you in?"
The door opened and Seifer peeked outside. "Quisty! It's you! Quick, come inside."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.
"Seifer, what's going on? Selphie was acting all weird, telling me to talk to you and now you act as if you're hiding. Is this some sort of joke? Because it's not funny."
Seifer closed the door behind him. "No, this is not a joke. It's dead serious. Sit down."
She seated herself but kept looking at him. She had seen him serious before, but never this worried.
"Please tell me what the problem is."
"The problem.........is Fujin."
"Yes, I know she's back. You said so this morning. Have you told her.........about us yet?"
He nodded. "Yes, I have."
Seeing the grave look on his face made her nerveous.
"You did tell her nicely, didn't you?"
He hesitated. "Well.........I wanted to.........but.........then she went all freaky and.........I sort of blurted it out, because I was angry."
She rolled her eyes. "You what? Why were you angry? What do you mean 'all freaky'?"
"Well, you know that bracelet she gave me? Everytime I touch it, she is all I can think about. It becomes tighter, hurting me. I get flashes of white light in my head and I can hear her voice in my mind. So I confronted her with that and then she got all pushy and angry and then.........so did I. But she already knew. She had seen us."
"I told you we had to be more careful." She said. "But this is not the end of the world. At least she knows the truth now."
He took her hands and kissed them.
"That's not all. She-" he couldn't tell her, straight to her face. He couldn't. Hyne, he felt like drowning in those blue eyes.
"She also.........she threatened to hurt you Quisty. She said that if you were in her way, that she would.........that she would kill you."
Quistis gasped.
"I know.........I know! I won't let her hurt you Quisty. I won't let her. I won't let her hurt the woman I love."
Quistis looked into his eyes. He was serious.
"She wouldn't.........would she?"
"I think.........that she is capable of anything Quistis. She had this look in her eyes. She's gone mad. I don't know what to do. I've never seen her like that. I didn't recognise her anymore."
Quistis was staring out the window.
"Seifer.........what will we do?"
"I'm scared Quistis. I'm scared she'll hurt you."
He hugged her. She was fighting back her tears.
"I'm scared too Seifer.........so scared!" she whispered
"We could run away. You and me. Tell no one, just go. If we went now, then we would be miles away before she noticed we were gone! We could go and live somewhere else, we could-"
"Seifer.........we can't." she sighed.
"Why not? We could start new. And, if you wanted to, we could get married!"
She sighed and started to sob. Pictures of them together, happily married, happy in their own little house were passing infront of her eyes.
"If.........if we go she might not kill me, but she might as well hurt others. Selphie, or Squal.........or anyone. I know our lives would be perfect. There's nothing else I want in this world but you. I'd do anything to be with you. I love you. But I can't be happy with you when I know someone else suffered because of us. I couldn't live with that. Could you?"
"But Quisty.........maybe she won't hurt them. If everything turns out okay then.........will you marry me?"
She smiled from behind her tears and kissed him.
".........yes........." she whispered in his ear. "You know you are the only thing that matters to me now. I love you so much!"
He held her close. She was his. Somehow.........somehow it just HAD to work out okay. He kissed her, softly. The most passionate kiss they had ever shared.
"I love you Quisty."
"TOUCHING." A cold voice sounded from the door.
Fujin was looking at them furiously, her Zahn in her hand.
"SEIFER. COME."
He stepped in front of Quistis protectively.
"Fujin, please just leave us alone. You'll find someone else. You don't have to hurt us."
But Fujin laughed coldly. "I KEEP MY PROMISES. I WILL DO IT. YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE."
"But Fujin.........we're in love and you have to understand that." Quistis tried.
"I WANT SEIFER AND I WILL HAVE HIM." She snapped her fingers and two soldiers came marching in.
"COME WITH ME. WAR WILL BEGIN IF YOU DON'T. AND YOU KNOW WHO WILL WIN."
"I can't believe you Fujin. Why do this."
She snapped her fingers again. "THE GIRL."
Obediently the soldiers stepped forward and tried to grab Quistis' arms, but Seifer knocked their hands away.
"Don't touch her!" he hissed.
Without hesitation the soldiers now both grabbed one of Seifer's arms, making sure he couldn't move. Fujin raised her Zahn. Quistis gasped as Fujin took her aim.
"No!" Seifer tried to wrestle himself free from his captors, but their grip was too strong.
"YOUR CHOICE SEIFER."
"No! No please don't hurt her! I'll do anything." He could barely hide the tears in his voice. "I'll.........I'll come with you." He whispered hoarsly.
"Seifer! No!"
"I'll come with you." He said again.
Again Fujin snapped her fingers and the soldiers released Seifer from their grasp. He ran to Quistis and hugged her tightly.
"I'm so sorry! It was the only way. I can't let her hurt you."
"But living without you is woirse than death. I can't live without you Seifer. You're all I have."
Fujin snapped her fingers one last time and the soldiers left the room.
"SEIFER. NOW."
"Fujin, please. I have given you my word. I never break a promise. I will go with you. Just.........let me stay here until the boat leaves. Give us that time. We'll never see each other again when I leave, you can't be so heartless as to deny us this."
Fujin hesitated. What harm could it do. After that, he would be hers and hers alone.
"FINE. TOMORROW AT THE HARBOUR. OR SHE DIES." She pointed at Quistis. Then she left.
Quistis shuddered.
"I never thought this would happen. This isn't real. I'm so scared."
"So am I. I won't let her hurt you because of me. We've got one more day."
He soflty kissed her tears from her cheeks.
"I'll die without you Seifer." She sobbed.
He was all she had. Nothing else mattered. And tomorrow he would sail away. She would never see him again.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
* ~ * ~ *
The seventeenth chapter.........and also the last BUT ONE. Yes, that's right, there's only ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO! Only one more chapter and you will all know how this story came to an end. But for now, I'd like to thank those fabulous people out there who took the time to read and to review chapter sixteen. SO here goes:
Dark Angels: hehe, yeah, I updated sooner than I had planned, but hey, it was worth it wasn't it. Hope you liked this chapter and I hope to hear from you when you've read the next and last chapter. See you then!
Sickness in Salvation: How did you guess? About Fujin using her dad's army? Hmm.........well, maybe that was THE obvious way the story was going. Anyway, thanks for the review!
Firess Ifrit Devil: Thanks! Evil Fujin indeed. Read the next chapter to find out how cruel she can be.
Verdanii: Well.........Seifer did love Fujin as a sister before all this happened. But would you still feel the same after that 'little sister' used you, bewitched you and made you believe in something that was not real? I wouldn't. Anyway, thanks for the review
Savggrl: I'm glad I created a Fujin that makes you want to read on. Too bad the story isn't going to take much longer before it's finished.
Mintaka: I updated A.S.A.P (Well, I had the chapter ready for a while, but appart from msn, the computer wouldn't start internet.) So, I'm glad you like it. And I hope this chappy is good enogh like the others
Well, that's all the reviewers thanked.........I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT THE NEXT CHAPTER, the last chapter and the final chapter. But that one's still coming. See y'all in a week or so! ~Raven55
AN: w00t, another chapter finished. Hope y'all like it.
~ Chapter seventeen: Bittersweet ~
Would she be able to do it? What if she was just too weak. Was she ready to sacrifice someone's life for her own good? She didn't know. But her heart was killing her. He told her. Straight to the face, that he was in love with someone else. With Quistis for Hyne's sake.
Hearing him say that. Hearing those words from his lips. It hurt her more than when she had seen them kissing the day before. But it was all his fault. If he hadn't taken the bracelet off, then none of this would have happened. They would've gotten married and been happy.
But now, now she would have to take revenge for the hurt he had caused her. How could he say such things. He had just left her. She was still too numb to get up and do something about it. On the floor was the bracelet.
'Stupid thing.' She thought.
It hadn't secured his love for her at all. She looked at the photograph on Seifer's bedside table. Smiling faces. Seifer, with his hand on Quistis' shoulder. She suddenly realised she had made her decision. One way or another she would make him pay. Make them all pay.
If she couldn't kill the one that stole Seifre from her, then she would have to do something else. And with the knowledge that she had an entire army at her beck and call, she strode out of the room. To make a few phonecalls.
* * *
"She said what?!" Selphie exlaimed. "She won't really do it, will she?"
"I don't know Seph..........I didn't know anyone else to talk to. I can't even face Quistis. What if Fujin saw me with her again." He gulped.
Selphie was pacing up and down.
"Maybe," she opted. "Maybe she didn't mean it. I mean, you just had a fight with her. You just told her you loved someone else. That hurts Seifer."
"But you don't understand!" he countered. "There was this thing, this bracelet. She was practically forcing me to wear it. I didn't understand before, but every time I touch it, it makes me love her. Hyne knows what she's done with it. It must be.........I don't know, bewitched?"
Selphie gave him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure! I finally understand what made me ask her to marry me in the first place! Didn't you think that that was all so sudden? I know I did. I never ever considered love for her. She ties that THING around my wrist and lookie here, I'm on one knee."
He was now pacing up and down the room.
"Seifer, doing that isn't going to help. Go talk to Quistis. She needs to know."
He nodded. "Alright. I'll go see her. Thanks Seph."
She smiled. "No prob."
* * *
"Yes ma'am. Loud and clear. We'll be ready at 1700 hours."
"GOOD."
"It will be an honour for us to fight for the cause. Long live Dollet!"
She hung up, rolling her eyes. Stupid soldiers with their stupid clichées. At least her father had consented without hesitation.
'I promised you, my daughter. No man has the right to harm you. Like I said before, I won't forgive that so easily. Do as you see fit, for you have my full permission for any action you plan. I trust and believe in your leading skills.'
Yes. This would work. At least it would scare him. Perhaps that would be enough.
* * *
"Yes? Who's there?"
"It's me, Squall. Can I talk to you?"
Seifer opened the door to let him in. Squall's face was serious.
"Listen. The negotiations with Dollet were going just fine. Then all of a sudden Fujin comes up to me and Cid and says that 'the current situation was not to their liking' and that, if it did not change real soon, they'd pay us a nice visit with their army. What the hell was that about? Are you two having a fight?"
Seifer stared at the ceiling in a desperate attempt to escape Squall's eyes.
"She said that? Hyne! She's capable of doing that.........all because of me.........?"
"So you DID have a fight?" Squall asked.
Seifer shook his head confused. "It's.........none of your business, okay?"
"Well whatever it is, fix it. Because I don't want to end up with an all out war on my hands."
Squall turned around and left. Seifer's head was spinning. Fujin had threatened to kill Quistis.........and now she was going to start a war, just because he didn't love her anymore.
'She's nuts!' he thought.
* * *
"Hey!" Selphie said, tapping Quistis on her shoulder.
"Oh, Hey Selphie." She replied.
"Quisty.........have you seen Seifer? Has he told you?"
"Told me what?"
Selphie hesitated. Quistis saw her troubled face.
"Is something wrong? What's going on.........is he-?"
"He's still in love with you if that's what you're worried about. He'd jump to the moon if you asked him. But.........there is something else. You MUST talk to him as soon as possible. It's urgent."
Quistis didn't quite understand but nodded. "Well.........okay, if you say so. I'll go to his dorm........."
She didn't know why Selphie was acting so weird but it had worried her.
"Seifer, are you in?"
The door opened and Seifer peeked outside. "Quisty! It's you! Quick, come inside."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.
"Seifer, what's going on? Selphie was acting all weird, telling me to talk to you and now you act as if you're hiding. Is this some sort of joke? Because it's not funny."
Seifer closed the door behind him. "No, this is not a joke. It's dead serious. Sit down."
She seated herself but kept looking at him. She had seen him serious before, but never this worried.
"Please tell me what the problem is."
"The problem.........is Fujin."
"Yes, I know she's back. You said so this morning. Have you told her.........about us yet?"
He nodded. "Yes, I have."
Seeing the grave look on his face made her nerveous.
"You did tell her nicely, didn't you?"
He hesitated. "Well.........I wanted to.........but.........then she went all freaky and.........I sort of blurted it out, because I was angry."
She rolled her eyes. "You what? Why were you angry? What do you mean 'all freaky'?"
"Well, you know that bracelet she gave me? Everytime I touch it, she is all I can think about. It becomes tighter, hurting me. I get flashes of white light in my head and I can hear her voice in my mind. So I confronted her with that and then she got all pushy and angry and then.........so did I. But she already knew. She had seen us."
"I told you we had to be more careful." She said. "But this is not the end of the world. At least she knows the truth now."
He took her hands and kissed them.
"That's not all. She-" he couldn't tell her, straight to her face. He couldn't. Hyne, he felt like drowning in those blue eyes.
"She also.........she threatened to hurt you Quisty. She said that if you were in her way, that she would.........that she would kill you."
Quistis gasped.
"I know.........I know! I won't let her hurt you Quisty. I won't let her. I won't let her hurt the woman I love."
Quistis looked into his eyes. He was serious.
"She wouldn't.........would she?"
"I think.........that she is capable of anything Quistis. She had this look in her eyes. She's gone mad. I don't know what to do. I've never seen her like that. I didn't recognise her anymore."
Quistis was staring out the window.
"Seifer.........what will we do?"
"I'm scared Quistis. I'm scared she'll hurt you."
He hugged her. She was fighting back her tears.
"I'm scared too Seifer.........so scared!" she whispered
"We could run away. You and me. Tell no one, just go. If we went now, then we would be miles away before she noticed we were gone! We could go and live somewhere else, we could-"
"Seifer.........we can't." she sighed.
"Why not? We could start new. And, if you wanted to, we could get married!"
She sighed and started to sob. Pictures of them together, happily married, happy in their own little house were passing infront of her eyes.
"If.........if we go she might not kill me, but she might as well hurt others. Selphie, or Squal.........or anyone. I know our lives would be perfect. There's nothing else I want in this world but you. I'd do anything to be with you. I love you. But I can't be happy with you when I know someone else suffered because of us. I couldn't live with that. Could you?"
"But Quisty.........maybe she won't hurt them. If everything turns out okay then.........will you marry me?"
She smiled from behind her tears and kissed him.
".........yes........." she whispered in his ear. "You know you are the only thing that matters to me now. I love you so much!"
He held her close. She was his. Somehow.........somehow it just HAD to work out okay. He kissed her, softly. The most passionate kiss they had ever shared.
"I love you Quisty."
"TOUCHING." A cold voice sounded from the door.
Fujin was looking at them furiously, her Zahn in her hand.
"SEIFER. COME."
He stepped in front of Quistis protectively.
"Fujin, please just leave us alone. You'll find someone else. You don't have to hurt us."
But Fujin laughed coldly. "I KEEP MY PROMISES. I WILL DO IT. YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE."
"But Fujin.........we're in love and you have to understand that." Quistis tried.
"I WANT SEIFER AND I WILL HAVE HIM." She snapped her fingers and two soldiers came marching in.
"COME WITH ME. WAR WILL BEGIN IF YOU DON'T. AND YOU KNOW WHO WILL WIN."
"I can't believe you Fujin. Why do this."
She snapped her fingers again. "THE GIRL."
Obediently the soldiers stepped forward and tried to grab Quistis' arms, but Seifer knocked their hands away.
"Don't touch her!" he hissed.
Without hesitation the soldiers now both grabbed one of Seifer's arms, making sure he couldn't move. Fujin raised her Zahn. Quistis gasped as Fujin took her aim.
"No!" Seifer tried to wrestle himself free from his captors, but their grip was too strong.
"YOUR CHOICE SEIFER."
"No! No please don't hurt her! I'll do anything." He could barely hide the tears in his voice. "I'll.........I'll come with you." He whispered hoarsly.
"Seifer! No!"
"I'll come with you." He said again.
Again Fujin snapped her fingers and the soldiers released Seifer from their grasp. He ran to Quistis and hugged her tightly.
"I'm so sorry! It was the only way. I can't let her hurt you."
"But living without you is woirse than death. I can't live without you Seifer. You're all I have."
Fujin snapped her fingers one last time and the soldiers left the room.
"SEIFER. NOW."
"Fujin, please. I have given you my word. I never break a promise. I will go with you. Just.........let me stay here until the boat leaves. Give us that time. We'll never see each other again when I leave, you can't be so heartless as to deny us this."
Fujin hesitated. What harm could it do. After that, he would be hers and hers alone.
"FINE. TOMORROW AT THE HARBOUR. OR SHE DIES." She pointed at Quistis. Then she left.
Quistis shuddered.
"I never thought this would happen. This isn't real. I'm so scared."
"So am I. I won't let her hurt you because of me. We've got one more day."
He soflty kissed her tears from her cheeks.
"I'll die without you Seifer." She sobbed.
He was all she had. Nothing else mattered. And tomorrow he would sail away. She would never see him again.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
* ~ * ~ *
The seventeenth chapter.........and also the last BUT ONE. Yes, that's right, there's only ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO! Only one more chapter and you will all know how this story came to an end. But for now, I'd like to thank those fabulous people out there who took the time to read and to review chapter sixteen. SO here goes:
Dark Angels: hehe, yeah, I updated sooner than I had planned, but hey, it was worth it wasn't it. Hope you liked this chapter and I hope to hear from you when you've read the next and last chapter. See you then!
Sickness in Salvation: How did you guess? About Fujin using her dad's army? Hmm.........well, maybe that was THE obvious way the story was going. Anyway, thanks for the review!
Firess Ifrit Devil: Thanks! Evil Fujin indeed. Read the next chapter to find out how cruel she can be.
Verdanii: Well.........Seifer did love Fujin as a sister before all this happened. But would you still feel the same after that 'little sister' used you, bewitched you and made you believe in something that was not real? I wouldn't. Anyway, thanks for the review
Savggrl: I'm glad I created a Fujin that makes you want to read on. Too bad the story isn't going to take much longer before it's finished.
Mintaka: I updated A.S.A.P (Well, I had the chapter ready for a while, but appart from msn, the computer wouldn't start internet.) So, I'm glad you like it. And I hope this chappy is good enogh like the others
Well, that's all the reviewers thanked.........I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT THE NEXT CHAPTER, the last chapter and the final chapter. But that one's still coming. See y'all in a week or so! ~Raven55