The floor trembled as the fight continued between the two behemoth Gardens. Galbadia had rammed and boarded Balamb and now the two flying schools were struggling to repel each other. Squall had gathered his top SeeDs at the front gate to plan their defense before sending them out again to complete tasks crucial to the defense of their Garden.
Quistis was to clear the classrooms of enemies and seal them. She was alone, traveling quickly from room to room, fighting any Galbadians that crossed her path. Everything was going fine, as an instructor she had received more training than most of the A-ranked Galbadian SeeDs.
She heaved a great sigh of relief as she reached the last classroom, the auditorium. Glancing around as she worked to check for enemies, she began to seal the door leading back to the hallway on the second floor. There was a back door that led to a stairwell that would bring her out to the teacher's lounge on the main floor.
She finished her work on the door and began to move up the rows of seats, looking left and right to ensure that she was alone. She was halfway up the rows when she heard the noise in front of her.
Slaying Tail was instantly in her hand, ready to strike should the need arise. The sight that greeted her from the top of the auditorium was enough to make her fingers lose their grip on her weapon's handle. She recovered herself quickly enough to snatch it from the air before it hit the ground. She knew that if she had dropped the whip she would have been instantly set upon by the man standing at the top of the auditorium.
He hadn't changed much since she had seen him last. His golden blonde hair was the same as ever. He still wore the same white trench coat. His chin was still tilted up in the arrogant manner that had infuriated her so much as an instructor. His proud face still proclaimed that he would never submit or surrender. In fact, she could only see one feature that had changed.
His eyes. They were still the bright green color they had always been but they were changed. When he had been a student his eyes were always filled with pride and arrogance. Occasionally another emotion would break through and his whole demeanor would change.
But now his eyes were lifeless, dull. They held no comprehension, no emotion. He had become a drone. The sorceress now controlled him so fully that he was not capable of showing any emotion.
For a moment Quistis prayed silently to Hyne that some part of the man before her would surface. Even if it was the sneering, angry teenager she had known before he had gone to the sorceress. It was terrible to see him like this. The man she had known was many things but he was never emotionless. That had always been one of his problems. He showed too much emotion.
At that moment she would have given anything to see an angry sneer on his face. Facing this…creature…was horrible.
She stared at him, waiting for something to happen. She heard gunshots and explosions from the battle that raged in the rest of the Garden. The floor rocked as there was another impact between the two schools.
Seifer turned, without a noise, and began to walk back towards the door at the back of the classroom. Quistis groaned and gave chase. As soon as she was close enough Slaying Tail's barbs shot straight out and wrapped themselves around Seifer's ankles. He fell, catching himself on his hands an instant before his face collided with the ground. Quistis flicked her wrist and the whip loosened. She snapped it back into her grasp and moved closer to him cautiously. He pushed himself to his feet and turned to face her, Hyperion gleaming darkly in his hand.
A smirk was on his face now but it was not his smirk. It was a mirror image of the smirk she had seen on the Sorceress Edea's face as she led Seifer into the portal that day in the Timber TV station.
The man before her was not Seifer. He was merely an extension of the sorceress. True, he had sometimes seemed in control of his actions and words but Quistis feared that he was just being teased with freedom at those times. And all of his bouts of free will had been when he was facing Squall in combat so Seifer would not have wanted to break free of her control entirely. If it meant he got to battle Squall Seifer would continue to defend the sorceress.
Hyperion's black blade was shining in the light as Seifer twirled the gunblade's handle idly in his fingers. Quistis' blue eyes stayed locked on his, waiting for a sign that he was about to attack.
His finger's grip tightened on the handle and the blade swung through the air towards her. Her Slaying Tail was airborne in an instant, sliding through the air to meet the blade. Quistis' aim was impeccable and the sharp barbs of the whip collided with the tip of the blade, knocking it to the side. The smirk that wasn't his widened on Seifer's face and Quistis grimaced.
He pulled the blade back up and extended his arm, pointing the gunblade directly at her face. She was tensed, ready for his next strike. Surprisingly, she didn't want to hurt him. She just wanted to keep him from hurting others.
He lunged at her, bringing the heavy gunblade down at her. She sidestepped quickly and snapped the whip at his legs. The barbs snagged his pants leg and tore them as she pulled the whip back into her hand. The curling weapon had scarcely touched her hand before it was back in the air, heading towards Seifer's face. He swung Hyperion into a whizzing arc that carried the blade in front of his face. The flat of the blade blocked the whip and instead of wrapping itself around Seifer's neck it ended up wound around the blade of Hyperion.
A strange, terrible laugh echoed from his lips as she flicked her wrist, bringing the whip back into her hand.
Before she had a chance to do anything to stop him Seifer leapt to the offensive, slashing his heavy gunblade at her head. Quistis threw herself into a dive, rolling across the floor away from him. She shot to her feet, whip flying towards him. Hyperion barely caught them in time. Panting, Quistis began to walk cautiously back towards Seifer. He didn't move, just watched her, smirking evilly the whole time.
When she got to where she was only feet away from him, she stopped, waiting for him to do something. The only warning she received was the slight bending of his knees. He jumped straight up into the air, rocketing over her head and landing lightly on his feet behind her.
She didn't have time to react before Hyperion's heavy handle hit her in the back of the head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Seifer kneeled down beside her body and turned her onto her back. She was breathing steadily, he noted as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest. She would be fine in a little while.
For a moment, as he knelt beside her, his green eyes cleared and he gazed down at his former instructor remorsefully. What could have happened if he had made a different choice that day? Would he ever have a chance to go back? Or was it too late for him?
Before he lost himself under the control of the sorceress again, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before he stood and walked out of the auditorium as silently as he had entered.
AN:Ok, in the long period of time that I have been without internet access I decided to write the next portion of Ballroom Dancing. I know it is not very long and hasn't been updated in a long time but I had planned on the thing being a one shot so... I am pleased with it the way it is.
Please review!
PS:According to my plan for this story there will only be two more chapters. Unless inspiration messes with the plan, of course.
Quistis was to clear the classrooms of enemies and seal them. She was alone, traveling quickly from room to room, fighting any Galbadians that crossed her path. Everything was going fine, as an instructor she had received more training than most of the A-ranked Galbadian SeeDs.
She heaved a great sigh of relief as she reached the last classroom, the auditorium. Glancing around as she worked to check for enemies, she began to seal the door leading back to the hallway on the second floor. There was a back door that led to a stairwell that would bring her out to the teacher's lounge on the main floor.
She finished her work on the door and began to move up the rows of seats, looking left and right to ensure that she was alone. She was halfway up the rows when she heard the noise in front of her.
Slaying Tail was instantly in her hand, ready to strike should the need arise. The sight that greeted her from the top of the auditorium was enough to make her fingers lose their grip on her weapon's handle. She recovered herself quickly enough to snatch it from the air before it hit the ground. She knew that if she had dropped the whip she would have been instantly set upon by the man standing at the top of the auditorium.
He hadn't changed much since she had seen him last. His golden blonde hair was the same as ever. He still wore the same white trench coat. His chin was still tilted up in the arrogant manner that had infuriated her so much as an instructor. His proud face still proclaimed that he would never submit or surrender. In fact, she could only see one feature that had changed.
His eyes. They were still the bright green color they had always been but they were changed. When he had been a student his eyes were always filled with pride and arrogance. Occasionally another emotion would break through and his whole demeanor would change.
But now his eyes were lifeless, dull. They held no comprehension, no emotion. He had become a drone. The sorceress now controlled him so fully that he was not capable of showing any emotion.
For a moment Quistis prayed silently to Hyne that some part of the man before her would surface. Even if it was the sneering, angry teenager she had known before he had gone to the sorceress. It was terrible to see him like this. The man she had known was many things but he was never emotionless. That had always been one of his problems. He showed too much emotion.
At that moment she would have given anything to see an angry sneer on his face. Facing this…creature…was horrible.
She stared at him, waiting for something to happen. She heard gunshots and explosions from the battle that raged in the rest of the Garden. The floor rocked as there was another impact between the two schools.
Seifer turned, without a noise, and began to walk back towards the door at the back of the classroom. Quistis groaned and gave chase. As soon as she was close enough Slaying Tail's barbs shot straight out and wrapped themselves around Seifer's ankles. He fell, catching himself on his hands an instant before his face collided with the ground. Quistis flicked her wrist and the whip loosened. She snapped it back into her grasp and moved closer to him cautiously. He pushed himself to his feet and turned to face her, Hyperion gleaming darkly in his hand.
A smirk was on his face now but it was not his smirk. It was a mirror image of the smirk she had seen on the Sorceress Edea's face as she led Seifer into the portal that day in the Timber TV station.
The man before her was not Seifer. He was merely an extension of the sorceress. True, he had sometimes seemed in control of his actions and words but Quistis feared that he was just being teased with freedom at those times. And all of his bouts of free will had been when he was facing Squall in combat so Seifer would not have wanted to break free of her control entirely. If it meant he got to battle Squall Seifer would continue to defend the sorceress.
Hyperion's black blade was shining in the light as Seifer twirled the gunblade's handle idly in his fingers. Quistis' blue eyes stayed locked on his, waiting for a sign that he was about to attack.
His finger's grip tightened on the handle and the blade swung through the air towards her. Her Slaying Tail was airborne in an instant, sliding through the air to meet the blade. Quistis' aim was impeccable and the sharp barbs of the whip collided with the tip of the blade, knocking it to the side. The smirk that wasn't his widened on Seifer's face and Quistis grimaced.
He pulled the blade back up and extended his arm, pointing the gunblade directly at her face. She was tensed, ready for his next strike. Surprisingly, she didn't want to hurt him. She just wanted to keep him from hurting others.
He lunged at her, bringing the heavy gunblade down at her. She sidestepped quickly and snapped the whip at his legs. The barbs snagged his pants leg and tore them as she pulled the whip back into her hand. The curling weapon had scarcely touched her hand before it was back in the air, heading towards Seifer's face. He swung Hyperion into a whizzing arc that carried the blade in front of his face. The flat of the blade blocked the whip and instead of wrapping itself around Seifer's neck it ended up wound around the blade of Hyperion.
A strange, terrible laugh echoed from his lips as she flicked her wrist, bringing the whip back into her hand.
Before she had a chance to do anything to stop him Seifer leapt to the offensive, slashing his heavy gunblade at her head. Quistis threw herself into a dive, rolling across the floor away from him. She shot to her feet, whip flying towards him. Hyperion barely caught them in time. Panting, Quistis began to walk cautiously back towards Seifer. He didn't move, just watched her, smirking evilly the whole time.
When she got to where she was only feet away from him, she stopped, waiting for him to do something. The only warning she received was the slight bending of his knees. He jumped straight up into the air, rocketing over her head and landing lightly on his feet behind her.
She didn't have time to react before Hyperion's heavy handle hit her in the back of the head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Seifer kneeled down beside her body and turned her onto her back. She was breathing steadily, he noted as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest. She would be fine in a little while.
For a moment, as he knelt beside her, his green eyes cleared and he gazed down at his former instructor remorsefully. What could have happened if he had made a different choice that day? Would he ever have a chance to go back? Or was it too late for him?
Before he lost himself under the control of the sorceress again, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before he stood and walked out of the auditorium as silently as he had entered.
AN:Ok, in the long period of time that I have been without internet access I decided to write the next portion of Ballroom Dancing. I know it is not very long and hasn't been updated in a long time but I had planned on the thing being a one shot so... I am pleased with it the way it is.
Please review!
PS:According to my plan for this story there will only be two more chapters. Unless inspiration messes with the plan, of course.