One Good Deed

By Caelia

Chapter Four: having fun yet

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  She hit the tree on the center of her back.  The noise was so loud, she was sure she the damn dragon had broken her back.  Surprisingly, Skyeli's back had broken the tree, and not the other way around.  Slowly she pushed her self up to a crawling position, keeping all fours on the ground, but trying desperately to lift her leg up and get back in the fight.  Seifer looked back at her just before calling out, "Magic… Cast… Fira!"

  "No!" Skyeli surged to her feet and limped as fast as she could to Seifer.  She had several gashes in her legs, causing the simple act of walking a few feet to be a most painful experience.  Seifer had been cut in his side and looked scorched due to all the fire attacks.  "What are you, crazy?" she demanded, as soon as she got close enough.

  "Gotta fight fire with fire!" he called back.

  Skyeli shook her head; this battle had been lasting way to long.  "Not when the thing you're fighting absorbs fire attacks, Seifer!" She then turned to the monster before her and waving the Glaive in small circles above her head as she called out, "GF Summon… Leviathan… "  Immediately, he faded behind a force-field, blocking him from the worlds view but allowing him to see the world.  While Skyeli's powers were intermingled with those of the Guardian Force, Seifer stared on in wonder.  He had never seen someone cause that much damage with a GF.  That kind of power almost made him want to practice more carefully with his own…

  The water receded into oblivion, leaving Skyeli standing among the trees panting.  As soon as her breath came at an easier pace, she tried physical attacks, futile as it was, on the creature while Seifer took up the cue to magic.

  "Magic… Cast… Double…" he called out, casting on himself.  He then faced Skyeli and cast Full-Cure on them both.  The cuts on her legs and his side instantly disappeared, they looked revitalized, but you could see how tired the pair actually was.  With this done he picked up the physical attacks on the beast, giving his brunette partner the opportunity to strike with magic.

  Skyeli quickly cast Triple and then attacked the monster at his weak point: water. 
"Magic… Cast… Aqua…" Hexadragon choked and fell down, disappearing into the dust.  Skyeli turned to smile at Seifer.  "Was this fun enough for you?"

  "Best time all year," he murmured as he turned on his Enc-None junction.  "Alright, kid, you look about as beat as I feel.  We can leave now."  He wasn't offering, he was commanding.  Skyeli didn't care.

  "Sounds good to me, I'm ready to drink some potions, take a shower and go to bed," she replied.  Using her Glaive as a walking stick, she made her way back to the Ragnarok slowly, all the time behind Seifer.  Not once did he look over his shoulder to check on her, but when they finally reached the space ship, he decided to break the silence.

  "So, why were you sulking around today anyway?" he questioned.  Not that I care, he reassured himself mentally.  "Were you just upset about that idiot ex-boyfriend of yours?"

  "No… " Should I be talking to him about this?  Well, asshole, who else is there?  Reiko went home…  "I guess I just missed my parents…" and I'm depressed.  My best friend is more interested in herself than anything else, and the sad thing is I don't have any other friends in this world.  I'm different…  She smiled, "Maybe it's just my time of the month."

  "Ewww…" Seifer scrunched his face into one of utter disgust, trying desperately not to think of icky feminine things.  But for Skyeli his face was too much to take.  Here she was, overtired and dirty, sitting next to the ex-Sorceress's Knight, and she had him making the most ridiculous face by a simple mention of her menstrual cycle.  Before she knew what else to do, she had hit the floor laughing.  "So glad you find this amusing…" Seifer grumbled, still a little appalled, as he took off.

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  Fujin tossed her weapon out in front of her and caught it easily on the return.  It was just another part of her image, as far as Raijin was concerned.  It was just another way for people to underestimate her, Fujin lived for that.  When the Discipline Committee was having its peak, Fujin would always take on the ones that towered above her.  Students and faculty built like himself and Seifer.  They all looked down on her, seeing only a slight woman, standing just over five feet tall, lacking the use of one eye and carrying a non-threatening, circular weapon.  They would taunt her first, but when in a moment they were flat on their backs, staring up in the gray eye of the victorious Fujin, they could find no one to blame but themselves.  After all, they started it…

  This evening while the "Heroes" of Balamb Garden were resting up, Fujin and Raijin stood in front of the Discipline Room, the same one that had held Seifer.  Since the blonde had disappeared before they could assign him to the guard duty, Fujin and Raijin kept Caine Morningstar confined to the small, whitewashed room.  They had only one hour left until their replacements showed up.  Raijin smiled at that thought.  One of the perks of having a fan club; new members of D.C. to train.  So, the wannabes can sit up all night guarding a cell, while I get to sleep in my warm bed…  But it didn't matter if they got relieved in an hour or two, they had to wait for Seifer's return.  They were to tell him Headmaster Cid and Squall's final decision.

  "So, how much longer, ya know?"

  "FIFTY-SIX.  STOP ASKING."  It was the longest statement he had gotten out of Fujin in years.  Raijin, optimistic due to this long response, decided to push for a full conversation.

  "So think he's going to take to this new one?  He almost swore off girls for a whole week, ya know!"  He tested the water; he tested Fujin against every rumor they'd ever heard, scrutinizing every look she'd ever given to Seifer, looking into every doubt he'd kept buried in his heart.

  "SHUT UP!"  There was no warmth there, Raijin reflected, just, as Fujin would say, RAGE.  Fujin had moved to block Raijin from her sight, hunching over she put her back to him and remained transfixed by the ground.  Raijin was provoking her that was clear enough.  Despite his skill for military strategy, he could not think up a sly way of asking her about her feelings for Seifer.  Then again, his battle approach was one of head-on, physical attacks.  This confrontation was the only one he could think up to get her to spill on her feelings for Seifer.  If this comment on Seifer's personal life didn't work he would another angle, only with increased stupidity and desperation.

  "Hey Fujin, what's wrong, ya know?"  Obviously she had let her silence run on for too long. 

  "I give up," she replied quietly, turning slowly back towards Raijin.  Ever fiber in her being doubted her ability to do this, to say this.

  "Give up on what?" he said, praying to Hyne that the answer would be simple and short.  In theory only one word was required: Seifer.  Fujin, however, felt more words were necessary.

  "ON WHAT?" she began.  "On you, of course.  Why are you so dense?  I gave up on Seifer years ago!  He had a new girl each week and I was NEVER one of them, so I got used to it.  But you!  Believing rumors flying through the Garden that I love Seifer?  You should know better, you're my best friend!  More than that!  I'm tired of waiting for you!"


  "Fuj…" Raijin attempted at an explanation, but was cut off by Fujin wrapping her arms around his next and pulling his head down into her kiss.  Fujin was ecstatic when Raijin actually tightened his arms around her waist and fell into the kiss.  It made her feel wanted for the first time in her life.  The two would have stayed that way forever, basking in a dream that neither had ever thought possible.  They were creating a world even they could finally be at peace.  They would have stayed that way, but they were interrupted.

  Somewhere in the background, a female coughed.  She was quickly followed up by a male voice, a familiar voice, filled with laughter.  "Took you long enough."

  Raijin pulled away as a crimson flush covered his entire body.  Fujin just pulled back and flicked her wrist at the back of her neck.  Standing before her, tall and straight, was Seifer, who was obviously refreshed by his battle.  Dangling off his arm like a limp, old bracelet, was the girl from earlier that day.  She looked worn, thinner than she had been this morning, and much more exhausted.  Fujin wouldn't offer any sympathy though, if the girl wanted to make it as a SeeD she need to get used to training sessions that aren't as easy as those found in the Training Center.

  Skyeli caught Fujin eye.  She saw the disgust that lay behind the glassy, gray surface.  She thinks I'm weak.  Not wanting to be the recipient of such a gaze any longer Skyeli did her best imitation of the boy next to her.  She failed miserably.

  "I think I'll go to bed now," the kid announced to no one in particular.  Tentatively, she removed her hand from Seifer's sleeve.  "Thanks.  You were right, I do feel better."  And with that she was content just to walk away.  But his voice called her back.

  "Yeah, so, if you're not busy with something else tomorrow, kid, maybe I'll see you."  He smiled, offering her a stance that mimicked the one he had displayed earlier that day: standing so proud, so shameless in that same open manor as if he was holding the world out for her.

  "Right, Sir Almasy.  Goodnight," and with a wave of her hand she walked off.  Seifer stared after the girl for as long as he could, confusion stirring in his green-blue eyes.  If anyone else had had the nerve to call him "Sir" he would have gone after them.  In fact he was still not sure why he wasn't holding her by the neck a foot off the ground.  But shaking his head, Seifer focused back on the girl.  If anyone looked at her they would have known immediately that she had just been through a great battle: her clothes were torn in several places, her limp was becoming more apparent with each step and her head was hung low due to exhaustion.  But that was if any person outside of Garden looked at her.  If anyone inside of Garden saw her, they would have thought that five burly, thugs had jumped her.  SeeDs are energized after a victorious battle.  At least that was what he had noticed over the years.  They never look so worn out unless they lost, and if they lost they were dead.

  "So what did you do that made her feel so much better, ya know?" Raijin asked as the grin that Fujin's kiss had put on his face spread due to Seifer's distraction.

  Fujin placed her hand on her hip and tilted her body ever so slightly, putting forth the only feminine pose she knew.  Seifer looked down at her, swearing that he had never seen someone trying to look so innocent.  Just as he convinced himself that she was going to defend him, Fujin busted out with the question.  In her loudest voice she asked, "SEX?"

  "Oh you two think you're so smart, don't you?  Well, I'm going to bed too." Seifer made a grand bow, holding out the ends of his trench coat, and started to walk away.

  "Hey!  Wait!  We've got stuff to report, ya know?"  Raijin turned to the silver-haired woman at his side and the two nodded at each other.  "Fujin, tell him."

  "AFFIRMATIVE." She cleared her throat, "After following your suggestion that he have a talk with the resident psychiatrist, Cid and Squall decided to give him two days in-house suspension and are allowing him to take his SeeD exam as scheduled," Seifer opened his mouth to protest.  "Let me finish before you scream the building down around us.  The kid has a spotless record.  He's never been in trouble before, and he passed the psyche-evaluation, Seifer.  No stalking or domineering tendencies what so ever.  Your little fuck buddy…"

  "Don't call her that Fuj," he warned quietly, but Fujin paid him no heed.

  "… on the other hand, is notoriously introverted according to Selphie's notes on her.  She only appears to have one friend and is given to dilutions.  Since no one witnessed who provoked the fight, and Caine," Fujin jerked her thumb in the direction of the door, "is claiming that she did, Headmaster decided to punish him lightly.  We did witness him push her to the ground, after all."

  "We were worried about you, ya know?  Going out into the Esthar wilderness with a confirmed psychopath isn't good for the health Seifer," Raijin said extending his hand and placing it on the shorter man's shoulder.

  Seifer brushed it off and smirked, "You think that I couldn't handle myself against one little, head case of a girl?  Heh.  Remember who gave Squall his scar?"

  "Remember who gave you yours," Fujin answered.

  Imitating the younger SeeD, Seifer folded his arms across his chest and looked off to the side, "Whatever," he mumbled.  Fujin giggled and Raijin clapped him on the back again.  "I'm going to bed now," he waved his hand at the pair and left them to their earlier, er… discussions.

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  Around the corner a female body had pressed itself tightly against one of the pillars.  Hearing the conversation ending, she slid down until she was resting on her butt with her arms wrapped around her knees.  Slowly she began to rock back and forth as the paranoia struck her.  It had been a long time since she used magic or GF, the summons today had drained Skyeli.  She had just been out of sight when she realized she needed rest again.  Unfortunately for her, Skyeli was not out of hearing range.

  The entire conversation had drifted down the hallway to her.  While it was going on, she wondered if other students were sitting up, listening to their leaders talking.  By the time it finished she had come to the conclusion that it didn't matter whether the students on this hallway heard or not.  They already avoided her and thought her insane.

  It was Seifer that was upsetting her so much.  He confused her.  One minute nice, the next minute demanding.  He had accepted Fujin's explanation easy enough.  Didn't even care when she said they were "fuck buddies".  So, that's how he would play it out, Seifer screws the crazy girl then drops her.  Using her hands she dragged herself, up the wall, thinking I knew I shouldn't have gone out tonight.  She made her way down the hallway humming softly to herself.

  "I do it for the joy it brings… because I'm a joyful girl… because the world owes me nothing… and we owe each other the world… I do it because it's the least I can do… I do it because I learned it from you… I do it just because I want to… because I want to."

  Skyeli faced her door.  She lifted her hand to enter in the code, but found she couldn't concentrate enough to enter it.  Not that it would matter if she could remember the code; her hand was shaking so badly, she had no chance of being physically capable of entering it.  She still had that vow that she made earlier in the day.  Tonight.  Today.  It was 11:47pm.  She still had time, just not energy.

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  2:06am and she was still broadcasting.  Neither of them realized what was happening.  Skyeli only believed herself to be dreaming, quite helpful dreams at that.  At this moment she was reclining next a river.  In her hand she was holding a well-used copy of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.  Skyeli had walked all the way from her house to read Septimus's self-slaughter.  She smiled.  Railing spikes were so messy.  She wanted to be a fish, she'd follow Woolf.

  Seifer sat across the raging river, waiting for the girl in white to look up from her book.  She was so still at times he doubted her to be anything more than a statue or a painting.  At last her head shot up, a malicious grin grew across her face.  Slowly, deliberately, she stood up and from his bank Seifer mirrored her every movement, until finally Skyeli put one foot into the water.

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  Seifer blinked his eyes open.  Seven times tonight.  He'd seen try to kill herself seven times now.  A lesser man would have thought it a dream.  A sign of his guilt.  Yes, that was it.  He felt bad about calling her crazy…

  …No that wasn't it.  He didn't feel bad.  He felt like she killed herself seven times tonight.  He felt like sleep would only bring an eighth time.  Forget sleep it didn't matter.  She didn't matter.  Today had been long.  In the morning he would wake up and be Seifer again.  No soft feelings for anyone.  He would see her in the morning or he wouldn't either way, he was certain she was still alive.  Wasn't she…?

  At 6:30am Seifer gave up all attempts at sleep.  During the long hours of the night he'd fallen asleep twice.  Each time he made it about twenty minutes into a dream before Skyeli's mind sought him out.  Pushing the covers off, he stared at the ceiling.  After finding no answer there, Seifer rolled out of bed and trudged off to the bathroom for his shower.

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  Every morning like clockwork, by 7:30am Skyeli could be found in the Training Center.  She was especially eager to get start working out because of how sore she was from yesterday.  She pulled her hair back into a simple braid, stepped into her usual outfit and headed off for breakfast.

  Skyeli felt light this morning.  That is to say, she felt untouchable.  Death had a very soothing effect on her.  Throughout the Second Sorceress War she had kept her cool above anyone in her class.  Many would whisper behind her back that her lack of fear was due to her welcoming death.  That was a little melodramatic as far as Skyeli was concerned.  She didn't welcome death, she didn't even call it.  She just accepted its presence.  So deep inside her, when she felt this calm, she knew death would follow.  It's the only thing to be certain of.  Except this time she was decided on her own death.

  With that in mind Skyeli Paige took the next turn with all the confidence in the world and walked straight into Seifer Almasy.

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A/N:  Alright, lots of explaining to do.  Well, when Skyeli is dreaming about killing herself I'm making some (obvious ^_^) references to Virginia Woolf.  When I said she'd follow Woolf, I meant she'd drowned herself as that is how Virginia Woolf killed herself.  By just walking the river near her home.  Mrs. Dalloway is a book by Woolf in which, the character Septimus, a shell-shocked survivor of WWI, eventually throws himself out the window onto the spike railing in front of his London flat.

Whew!  Hope that explained anything.  Anyway, mucho thanks to Vick330 and Pink-Flames!  I'm really glad that you guys like the fic so much and I promise to post faster!

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own them and I'm not strong enough to fight off everyone on FF.net for them. Skyeli Paige, Caine Morningstar and Reiko, so please don't steal them. They're all a little nuts anyway. . .