------'-----,--- Beaten ------'-----,---
Get up Quistis.
Her internal need to protect herself was screaming at her. Its voice thundering through every bone in her body. She needed to move but there was something heavy on top of her. Her muscles screamed to be free from the weight.
Carefully she peeled her blue eyes open, her lashes crusted together. Her eyes had been watering badly, the secretion clinging to her cheeks. Cheek pressed hard against the floor she found herself staring into the single blue eye of the doll she had spent hours pulling from the dirt. Its filthy dress torn by the white broken shards that had sliced through it as it hit the ground.
Quistis took a deep breath and suddenly remembered Seifer. Seifer was the eight on top of her, he had hit his head.
Seifer was alive?
With tremendous effort she rolled over, shoving him off of her. He lay there sprawled on the floor, his trench coat spread out around him. His eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful there. She reached out and brushed a piece of his blond hair back from his face. Then suddenly his eyes flashed open and his fingers clenched around her wrist.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked with a growl. He got to his feet dragging her to her own beside him.
"Seifer" she whispered softly. Quistis remembered the day when they had dragged him off. His screams for Matron, and when he screamed her own name. It had broken her heart, but there had been nothing she could do.
Almost in slow motion Seifer started moving for his gunblade, his face contorting in anger. Her heart started to beat faster, thumping hard against her rib cage. His grip was digging into her wrist, tighter and tighter. Then with a sickening crack she felt her bone break. Seifer was so much stronger then before.
Run Quistis.
Obeying her inner voice she brought her boot heel hard into his knee. He faltered his grip slackening, and she made a break for it. Her booted feet pounded hard on the wooden floor as she left all her possessions behind along with a quickly moving Seifer.
Moving into the cobble stoned street she headed for the elevator, running as fast as she could. Seifer strode calmly after her, his black gunblade mingling with the shadows of the night. Quistis slipped suddenly her body crashing to the ground. Looking around she noticed it was a puddle of blood, Baker's headless body resting near by. Slowly she raised her good hand staring at the blood on it in disbelief.
Keep Moving.
Climbing to her feet she rushed into the waiting elevator. Jabbing the button she watched the doors close slowly, leaving Seifer on the other side of them. Collapsing on the read seats she took a moment to catch her breath as the elevator moved. Quistis hadn't been so terrified since the last battle with Ultimecia. Without a doubt Seifer would kill her if he caught her. She had to get the hell off this Island.
The Elevator doors opened again and she rushed into the upper part of the Shumi dome. Her eyes quickly took in the area, noticing the two dead guards and the still dormant Ultima Draw point. Clutching her hand around her broken wrist she rushed out of the dome to the only car parked outside. It was equipped for the snow of the island with heavy chains on its tires.
It wasn't in the best condition but it looks beautiful to Quistis. The black car contrasting with the snow. She trudged through the snow towards it glancing over her shoulder to see if Seifer was closing in on her. There was no sign of his tale tell coat as she yanked the door open and climbed into the driver's seat.
The luck of Hyne must have been with her because the keys were in the ignition. Keeping her weight off her wrist she turned the key and the engine roared to life. Pain was pulsing up her arm but she tried to grit her teeth and bear it. Reaching for the gearshift she was completely oblivious to the man dressed in black outside her window.
Only when his hand came crashing through the window was she aware of his existence. The glass shards showered down upon her, finding their way into her skin. The door was flung open, and then a strong person was dragging her out by her hair.
The snow met her in a cold embrace as she found herself sprawled out on the ground. It was all happening too quickly. There were three men standing over her, their forms shrouded in black. One of them still had a hand buried in her golden tresses.
"What do you want from me?" she asked her voice shaking. Her whole body was trembling like a leaf the snow soaking into her cloths. Once again she was hauled to her feet, but more brutality as they man handled her.
"Who are you" she asked trying to make her voice sound commanding. Failing she couldn't stop it as she clutched her broken wrist to her chest.
"Run" one of them whispered as the other released her hair. Quistis Trepe didn't have to be told twice. She was dashing through the snow away from the black car, the black clothed men and the black Hyperion in Seifer's hand.
The sound of a gunshot rang through the air and her world exploded in pain. She felt her leg give way and she came tumbling to the ground. Her blood seeped onto the snow staining it crimson. A scream tore from her throat the pain over bearing.
Rolling over she looked back at the three men who were soon upon her. Their fists found her flesh sending her mind revealing. Never had she received such a beating in her life. Then in the distance she could see grey on white.
Seifer moved in front of the car, his gun blade dragging in the snow. What was he doing? He pulled something from his pocket, shining in the light of the full moon. Silver, he made a movement with his hand and there was fire. A lighter, a lighter he was slowly lowering to the white cloth hanging out of the gas tank.
Quistis' eyes widened as the three men turned to look at Seifer. Then the car exploded in a shower of glass and flame. The sound filled the area, rolling through all of them with a tangible power. Glass rained down upon the snow like pretty snowflakes. Smoke stained the night sky obscuring the stars, the flames licking up Seifer's coat. As the fire rages on behind him he moved towards the three men. It was the perfect drop back for the rage in his features. The tight grip around his gunblade.
"I'll be with you in a moment, Quistis" he whispered softly meeting the first man head to head. His gunblade glimmered through the air as it sliced into the black wearing man. The sound of gunblade fire filled her ears, and suddenly she knew she had to move again.
So much pain filled her, it would be easier to let herself die in the cold, cold grave of snow.
Shaking off the thought she started pulling herself towards the forest. If only she could find a good place to hide. Praying to Hyne, her muttered prayer whispers soft.
She collapsed, her face falling into the snow. Too much hurt, too much panic. The sounds of footsteps in the snow were as loud as thunder. A hand on her shoulder, being rolled over. The stars so brilliant in the sky. Seifer placing a foot firmly on each side of her then squatting down over her.
Softly he reached out and touched her hair, brushing it back from her tear stained face. She cocked her head to one side puzzled by the gentle touch. Then slowly he placed his gunblade to her throat. A sob escaped her lips.
"Seifer. Please no" she whispered staring into his green eyes. There was a noise over head, the sound of a great engine. She looked up past Seifer and there amongst the stars was the red form of the Ragnarock. He turned and looked up at it, his gaze matching hers for a long moment. Then his head whipped around to stare down into her eyes.
Then something snapped and his eyes became crystal clear. His hands started shaking uncontrollably. He stood his gunblade falling to the ground beside her. Seifer stood over her staring at his shaking hands.
"What have I done?" he whispered her eyes tracing the lines of his palms.
"Seifer?" Quistis whimpered as the Ragnarock started to land by the still flaming car. He looked down at her tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Quistis, forgive me" he said softly. Moving away from her he dropped to his knees in the white.
"How are you still alive?" she asked with a tiny groan.
"It won't come off" he whispered burring his hands in the snow. He rubbed at them frantically, a sob falling from his mouth. With her good hand she pushed herself beside him.
"What is it Seifer?"" she asked meekly. Slowly he turned his head and stared deep into her eyes.
"The blood" he said stonily, calmly. Then a scream ripped from his throat, and she fell back onto the snow. A female voice was calling her name in the distance. Selphie, she thought but she couldn't be sure. Her leg was still bleeding so badly, and her whole body was shivering from the cold.
"I killed them all" Seifer shouted rising to his feet. Suddenly Selphie was there kneeling beside her and Zell was saying something to Seifer.
"Don't worry Quistis, we aren't going to let him hurt you" Selphie's voice was as warm as the healing magic she was using on Quistis. Her bones were healing, her leg was healing. The bruises the men had left on her were healing. But she was still exhausted. There was the sound of flesh meeting flesh, a fist on face.
"Don't hurt Seifer" Quistis cried into the night waiting for Zell's reply.
"But look what he did to you!" Zell responded slamming one fist into a palm. He was fully ready to hit Seifer again and didn't have any problems with it.
"He didn't kill me, and he saved me from the others" Quistis said looking at the three corpses lying in the distance. Seifer had killed them so quickly, too easily. Blowing up the car had just been a distraction. Or maybe he just wanted to cause a little extra chaos.
"Lets just get the both of you back to the garden, we can sort things out there" Irvine said helping Quistis to her feet. His hands were so warm as he led her into the Ragnarock. Zell shoved Seifer along, half dragging him through the snow.
Zell decided it would be best if he stayed in the cockpit with them all. That way they could keep an eye on him.
Quistis sat on one of the seat benches wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes never left Seifer's form. He was pacing the back of the ship muttering under his breath. Occasionally he would stop and stare at his hands for long moments, before forking them through his hair. At least Selphie had thought to grab his gunblade but not give it back to him.
Something was obviously very wrong with him. His mutterings were of pain and anguish and constant talk of blood on his hands. He was not the proud man she had once known, now he was broken much like the doll she had left behind in Shumi.
"What happened to you Seifer?" Quistis whispered softly under her breath.
------'-----,---------'-----,---
Authors notes:
I am sorry it took me so long to update this. But I hope that I have got my thoughts in order and can get on a more regular schedule for this. I've been having some personal problems in my life that I needed to get sorted before I could pick this back up again.
Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently or not so patiently for an update on this.
A special thanks to those who have stood beside me through all the troubles: Sharpedge, Jacks, FalteringHues, Kalouha, Neha, Athenaktt, Brazen Angel. and Mari. I love you all.