Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I do not own the places. I don't own anything related to FFVIII, all I own is the plot.
- Chapter eleven: Dreams or Reality -
"So, care to tell us what this is all about?" Zell said as they seated themselves.
"It's about time too." Selphie whispered.
Squall checked the door first.
"…We received a message from Dollet."
"The note from Rajin." Selphie concluded. "The one about the threats, right?"
He hesitated. "Well…sort of…but not quite. It was a letter from Rajin, but it wasn't about threats. Rajin alerted us about the fact that he noticed several strange things happening in Dollet. He wanted us to know that, for example, certain parts of the army had been placed out of his reach. If he asked about them, he was told not to interfere. But there was more. Cid asked Edea for advice and they decided it was best to do some survey."
"But what about the threats?" Quistis asked curiously, slowly waking up from her shock.
"We…we made them up. They're not real."
The others looked at him with surprise.
"But…her father is in on it too? He asked for our help, right?"
"Yeah, and what about the attacker at the engagement party?" Selphie interrupted Quistis.
Squall ran his hand through his hair. "One thing at a time. Her father…he isn't in on it. We lied to him. He thinks there really were threats."
"You lied to Fujin's father? Man, you're not all there, are you?" Zell asked unbelievingly.
"And the attacker?" Quistis urged.
"We don't know. He suddenly appeared. That's why I was so surprised." Squall answered as he sat down.
Selphie poured herself a cup of coffee.
"Well, I still don't understand why we couldn't know." she said disappointed.
"Selphie, we didn't know for sure that Fujin was a threat. We couldn't tell anyone in case it would leak out. And another panic-wave wasn't something we could use."
It was silent for a while. Quistis sat down and thought deeply. Squall had lied to them about the mission. Squall had lied to her about the reason they were there. Everything he had said to her had been a lie.
'No, not all of it. He does care.'
He had been honest about his feelings. Sadly, this was the only thing she had wished to be a lie. Though all the anger and surprise had forced the memory of his lips on her own to the back of her mind, now she sat down calmly it all returned to her.
She shivered. Perhaps a year ago she would have been happy with his attention, but everything had changed. Her heart had never filled up when he spoke the way it did when she heard Seifer's voice. All she could wonder about why Squall had done it.
Had he waited for it all along, just being a friend to reach his goal? And then there was the possibility he really did love her and that he had thought confronting for her with Seifer like that would drive her closer to him.
But Quistis knew that all these thoughts left one big hole to fill. Where was Rinoa in all of this?
"There's one thing I don't get." Zell said. "Rajin. He's Fujin's and Seifer's friend. Why would he say anything that could put them in the spotlight like this? I would've kept quiet."
Quistis listened quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"The last war was devastating." Squall said heavily. "Friendships were tested and theirs in particular. Imagine the pressure behind Rajin and Fujin. Were they supposed to choose Garden's side or should they follow Seifer in his singular decision to join Edea. My guess is Rajin wanted to prevent another choice like that. That he wanted to prevent another sorceress' rise. Understandable."
"Hmm…I don't know…" Selphie said slowly. "Not wanting to have to choose again is understandable and all that, but still I think it's strange to rat on your friend the way he did. What if Cid had decided not to take chances and freeze her like they tried with Rinoa?"
Squall shrugged. "I don't know either Selphie. Rajin only knows why he decided to do this and it's not our business to poke around in his personal choices."
Selphie sat down next to Zell, pretending not to hear him. Quistis looked at her watch. She was tired and it was late and all she really wanted was to fall asleep.
"So let me get this straight." she said. "Fujin's a sorceress and we have to stop her."
"…Not quite." Squall said hesitantly. "We're only here to keep an eye on her. Only when she becomes hostile are we-"
"Hostile?" Quistis barked, her eyes narrowing. "Didn't you hear her? 'I shall lead this world into the future where order and serenity will rule.' How much more hostile can she get? She already admitted that she wants to rule the world, but we're to sit here like good little doggies and observe?"
Her anger leaked from every pore.
"When Edea wanted to do the same we were sent to assassinate her, but now Cid wants us to back off? I don't understand!"
"Quistis please…" Selphie warned tiredly.
"No! I want to know what the point of us is! What are we for if SeeD's aren't allowed to fight sorceresses anymore, even though that's what we were always meant to do!"
"The point is that Cid doesn't want more dead people!" Squall roared. "And if you have a problem with that then I don't understand you! You want to fight? You want to kill? Are you that hungry for her blood? Cid wants us to take her out in a different way so we'll do it that way."
The silence that followed was dreadful. Everyone felt the tension and Quistis felt her ears glow with embarrassment. Selphie got up silently and took Quistis' hand. She threw Squall an angry glance and dragged Quistis to their room next door.
"He was out of line." Selphie spat. "Shouting like that…"
But Quistis shook her head, feeling very small. "…No, I was out of line first. I shouldn't have raised my voice and I should have kept my temper. I just lost it. Especially because Squall-"
She hesitated. She had wanted to say 'because Squall acted cold towards me, as if nothing had happened.' But she had wisely decided not to say anything.
Selphie looked up. "Yes?"
"Nothing."
"Quisty, I can tell something's up. Did he insult you? What did he say to you?"
She knew she shouldn't say anything. Selphie could talk about this to someone else. But inside she needed to share her confusion with someone. She needed someone to help her.
"He didn't insult me. He…he took the mission a little too seriously."
Selphie raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"I don't want you to breathe a word about this to anyone. Ever." she warned.
After Selphie had sworn to keep it to herself, Quistis found the courage to say what had been on her mind.
"He kissed me."
Selphie stopped taking off her boots and stared up.
"Seifer was walking towards us and Squall wanted to convince Seifer that I really was with him. That's what he said, anyway."
"And you believe him."
Quistis opened the balcony doors and breathed in the cold night air.
"I don't know, Selphie. I really don't. But I do know that Seifer knows that that relationship was a lie. I didn't need to tell him, he just knew."
"Oh Quisty…" Selphie could hear the tears in her voice.
"He knew and he still cares. I know he still cares for me, I can feel it. I don't think I can stop feeling the way I do now."
She turned around and stared inside.
"I love him and seeing him again…he held me in his arms tonight. I've never felt so safe before. Not even when I tried to forget him and Squall held me like that."
"…Squall made you feel safe…?"
"A bit. But not the way Seifer does. I feel so confused…"
Selphie changed into her chocobo pyjamas. "Well, to be quite honest…Squall doesn't appear in your future the way I see it. Seifer understood what this was all about without needing you to say the words. He read you and you can read him. You don't need to explain more because I'm sure of it that this really is the real thing."
Quistis smiled softly. "Thank you, Selphie. It means a lot to me to know there's someone I can talk to, who understands."
She slipped out of her dress and put on a large t-shirt before she snuggled up under her sheets.
"I just don't know what to do anymore. Should I try and stay away from him or not? He's still marrying Fujin after all. The reason he left was because she's attack Balamb if he didn't."
"But…She's a sorceress now. A woman with magical craft beyond the spells we know." Selphie mused slowly. "She said she wanted to rule the world, right?"
Quistis nodded, staring at the ceiling.
"So if she wants to do that, she'll have to attack all the cities, including Balamb. I mean, Balamb will never surrender to a sorceress without a fight."
"So what you're saying is that she'll attack Balamb anyway, so why not forget about the wedding and take my chance." Quistis said slowly.
Selphie smiled. "Exactly!"
Quistis wondered about this for a moment. She longed to finally belong to Seifer again. To smell him, kiss him. She had missed listening to his heartbeat. But most of all she had missed knowing he would be there to close her in his arms whenever she wanted.
She blushed in the dark as she tried to remember what it was like to feel his arms around her. A feeling she couldn't give a name, a pleasant tingle filled her heart.
It made her want to jump up from her bed, run up to the mansion and throw herself into his arms that very moment. Knowing it was only a silly wish, she staid where she was, content with just thinking about him.
"Aren't you happy for me?"
Seifer looked at her silently. His head was full of confusing thoughts. Quistis was still there for him, that was the main thing. But now this disappeared from his mind as he stood face to face with this young woman.
Her face was the same but that was where the similarities ended. Her voice…her whole being had changed.
A shiver ran through his body.
"Don't you like it? I thought it would please you."
Seifer was still at loss for words.
"You're so…different."
"More confident?" she said with a smile. "That's how I feel. Oh Seifer, if only you could understand how grand it feels to feel this power flow through me. As if a constant fire burns inside me."
She twirled in a circle with her arms stretched out.
"…What happened to your voice?" was all Seifer could say.
She shrugged.
"I don't know. But what I do know…"
She stepped closer and traced his jaw with her finger. She brought her mouth up to his ear.
"I do know that I can say things I've never been able to say. Words and things no one ever heard from me."
Seifer swallowed difficultly. Her voice was warm and seductive. A whole new surge of involuntary emotions flashed through his body.
She kissed him softly on his lips and he couldn't object.
She smiled.
"A perfect dream, isn't it. A sorceress at last…and you a knight once more. Both our dreams reality."
Hey guys! I posted chapter 11 soon as compensation for the delay of the last one. I hope you enjoyed!
Firess Ifrit Devil: You know, I wrote this story so that Quistis and Seifer could see each other again after their dramatic ending. So their love had to come together again in this story :D But…Fujin's a real queen bitch now, isn't she. I mean, being a sorceress and all…danger is just around the corner for the gang!
PRODIGIOUS TECHIE: Well, as her father said; Fujin became eighteen and with this becoming of age, her powers woke up. But I think that this chapter explained it a bit better. And don't worry, I'll explain it even more in the coming chapters. Can't spill the beans all at once, now can I? ;)
Matron Raenee: Yeah, it really sucks to have stories removed. I mean, I had to delete about 10 songfics and a entire story of 11 chapters plus I had to change two stories just to make sure I wasn't breaking any rules. I really don't want my account to be closed, so, being the good girl that I am, I deleted and changed in order to keep the account. Anyway, glad you still like the fic!
Thanks again for your patient waiting and I'll see you guys really soon at the next chapter.
Love, Raven55