Blond Silence 2/?

By Nix Winter

Disclaimer: I don't own ff8.

Warning: Written at the bus stop, on my way home, with hopes to somehow finish my nanowrimo that I'm 20,000 words behind on and have four days to finish....

Chapter Two

Seifer had not gone to his own trial. Squall had.

He'd sat silently, arms crossed, listening.

Edea, already pardoned spoke of a boy with a ready smile and an audacious spirit of adventure. Cid spoke of a young man who had been head strong, but brilliant, perhaps one of the best warriors they'd ever had. Doctor Kadowski had spoken of a man with kind green eyes whose mouth could no longer lift into smile on the left side, who had supported himself as a wandering artist for months after his return from time compression. Seifer could not speak for himself.

Survivors of Galbadia spoke of violence and a gunblade so fast and deadly that some of them swore he had become a monster, become a demon who could not be defeated.

The judge declared him guilty, but granted clemency for his reduced state as long as he remain forever within the walls of Balamb, for so long as Balamb would grant him home.

And then Squall had risen and spoken.

Seifer was not to blame for crimes committed by Ultimicia. As Edea and Rinoa had been controlled, so too Seifer had been a victim of the sorceress. He swore on his honor that Seifer had even aided the defeat of the sorceress at the risk of his own life by holding back and allowing himself to be defeated, time and again, and that Squall had seen the marks of punishment on Seifer, and yet he had surrendered himself for the good of all. If Seifer were guilty, how more so the persons who never lifted a finger to defend their countries or lives.

The verdict was re-struck as innocent.

Seifer too was granted a share of the Sorceress' treasure, always to be listed amoung her victims.

To Squall, Seifer was a hero. He hadn't realized it until that point, hadn't realized the depth and power of what he felt. All his previous rage dissolved into guilt, shame, for he had been the one to scar and destroy Seifer. In the final battle between them, he had been the one to spells on his failing friend until there was nothing remaining.

(It had been his spell that burned Seifer's face until it could not heal, his rage and silence spells that had squashed out what he most wanted to hear now.

Returning to Balamb, Squall had sent Irvine to tell Seifer about the verdict. He had watched on video cam though and he'd expected joy, relief, some great burst of emotion, some strident agreement. Seifer had simply looked up, smiled as if he hadn't understood a word and offered Irvine half his sandwich. The therapist they'd brought in for him reached down and covered his free hand with hers, moved his longer fingers through signing as she spoke, "Hello, Irvine. I can understand what you say." He shrugged her hand off, took a bit of his sandwich.

"Well, I damn sure hope so! You understand they found you innocent?"

Seifer chewed his lip, eyebrows drawing down, then in really slow sign he replied.

"What's he say?"

The therapist, a doctor with short pink hair said, "He said, 'Innocent of what?'"

Irvine put a hand over his mouth. No one had really spent any time with Seifer, except the doctors and his new therapist. Irvine had thought he was just sick, tired, confused, and one more healing spell would do him right. "Do you know who I am?"

Seifer pointed towards a jar with word tiles, which the doctor brought to him. She spilled them out for him and he sorted through them, fingers pushing, lining up, then Irvine got it. "She said your name is Irvine," the tiles read.

Irvine took off his hat and leaned back. "What do you remember?"

"Gray eyes," they read, then Seifer mixed the tiles and offered Irvine the sandwich half again.

"Alright," Irvine said, taking the sandwich. He wasn't going to cry. It wasn't like Seifer were dead or something. "I got sooo many things to tell you about. You and I go way back. I knew you were you were just a kid." Irvine wasn't going to cry, he'd just talk till he didn't feel like it anymore.

Squall cried all night.