A/N: Thanksfor all the reviews and support! Sorry for the lateness in updating, I'm suffering from a mild case of writer's block ... and also, seeing as how this fic is almost coming to an end, I've been thinking about a new idea for a new fanfic ... anyways, I'm not that far yet, so let's just make do with what we already have :) Enjoy the chapter, everyone...
Lost Memories of my Love
Chapter 35 – Truth
"Oh mother, this is horrible!" shrieked Ashleigh, "She has her memory back, and she knows who she is! What's going to become of me?"
Ashleigh and Sera were in their first-class seating arrangements on the Esthar Airlines together, discussing their woes and problems. Sera had quickly recovered from Rinoa's sorceress attack after the extra and careful attention she received at the Estharian hospital. Ashleigh was still unaware of her mother's 'unfortunate' encounter with the sorceress. The both of them were heading back to Deling to meet General Caraway, as Sera had told Rinoa, to meet him for the engagement celebration. The both of them were unsure as to whether the engagement was still on or not.
"It won't be long until she remembers that I almost killed her," said Ashleigh in a panicky tone.
"Hush, not so loudly," hissed Sera, eyeing the airhostess that was about to come out of her quarters. "Don't worry about it. It always works out for us. Why did you not visit me in the hospital wing yesterday?"
Ashleigh looked very surprised all of a sudden. "What? You were in the hospital?"
Sera rolled her eyes. "My … you definitely should win daughter of the year, shouldn't you?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Ashleigh gasped, putting her hands to her mouth in shock. "Are you serious, mother? How come nobody told me?"
"Well, you said all Squall could talk about was how Rinoa got her memory back," said Sera bitterly, taking a sip of her champaign. "I suppose he was so caught up in announcing it, that he forgot to tell you about my unfortunate mishap."
Ashleigh pulled a sour face. "Humph. Don't remind me."
Sera smirked. "Quite rude of him. But I suppose he was gallant enough to save me…."
"Save you?" repeated Ashleigh, blinking in astonishment. "Mother, what happened?"
"Well," said Sera, "I ran into Rinoa in the elevator. She was quite sweet to begin with, but then she started going on about how she remembered. I somehow made her angry and she just … lost it."
Ashleigh blinked again in puzzlement.
Sera lowered her voice. "Rinoa is a sorceress."
The younger woman's eyes widened in bewilderment. "You have to be kidding."
Sera shook her head simply. "No, I'm quite serious. She was … confused. She lost control over her body and attacked me, full throttle. She tormented me with her sorcery … almost killed me. If it hadn't been for Squall then I wouldn't be here right now."
Ashleigh stared at her mother, letting the news sink into her brain. "Does he … does he know?"
Sera shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not. But do you know what this means, Ashleigh?"
"Um … it could mean a lot of things," said Ashleigh slowly.
"It means that if Squall marries Rinoa, he will lose face," said Sera.
"He would?"
Sera rolled her eyes again. "Yes, he would. Think about it … the vice president of Esthar marrying a sorceress. And Esthar is known for having wars with sorceresses, and hating sorceresses. If Squall marries a sorceress, then he will lose his reputation."
Ashleigh nodded slowly in accord. "Yes … but nobody knows that she's a sorceress."
Sera looked at her daughter with the pettiest look. "Maybe so. But we can change that."
Ashleigh's worrying face suddenly disappeared, and a twisted smile took its place.
"I just got off the phone with your dad," said Squall. "He said it was okay if you go."
Rinoa held her cell phone to her ear nervously, trying to pay no attention to the loud clickety-clack of the train on the railway. She had suddenly decided to see Seifer after her short conversation with him. She packed her suitcase and left the house straight away with a quick 'I'm going to see Marcel' to Min, and headed for the train station. It was halfway through the train ride that she decided to call Squall to tell him know where she was going, and the news of her departure caught him by surprise.
"What did you say to him? Did you tell him … what happened?"
Squall had only found it right to inform General Caraway that Rinoa was coming to his house. After all, it wasn't everyday that your long lost daughter rocked up on your front doorstep.
"I tried to tell him the story as best I could," explained Squall, "It's just hard to explain sometimes. But he took it really well…"
"Did he sound sad?"
"He was in shock at first," said Squall, "But then … he seemed kinda happy. Well, that's just my guess anyway."
"What if he isn't happy that I'm back?" said Rinoa nervously.
"Why wouldn't he be happy?" asked Squall, as if it were the dumbest thing ever.
"Because you said I never got along with him…"
Squall laughed weakly. "Maybe you didn't care about him, but he sure cared a whole lot about you."
"But—"
"Rin, you'll be fine," assured Squall firmly, "I know you'll be okay."
Rinoa fiddled with the rings on her necklace. "Yeah … but … it's just so weird. Meeting my dad … for the first time…"
"Don't say stuff like that," murmured Squall, "It'll be okay. Trust me."
"If you say so…" Rinoa stared out the window at the changing scenery in front of her. Squall didn't know she was going to meet up with Seifer on the way … and that was the real thing she was worried about… "I think we're losing reception, Squall. I'd better hang up."
"All right," came a fizzled response, "Don't worry."
Rinoa smiled weakly. "Bye, Squall." She contemplated on whether to say 'I love you' or something like that, because she was unsure about how he was going to act. "I miss—"
As she was about to finish her sentence, the connection dropped out. Rinoa sighed and put her phone away, once again staring out the window, wondering what being in Deling would mean to her…
Seifer rang the doorbell what had to be seven times already, impatient with Caraway's slow response. He despised waiting, and was keen to get hold of the man. Finally, the door swung open, and an irritated-looking Caraway came out of the house.
"I heard you the first—" Caraway stopped his mumbling midway, as he looked up to see Seifer. The last person he had ever expected to see. "Seifer?"
Seifer smirked. "Yes, it's me, your stepson."
"Yes, yes … how come you're here, Seifer?" asked Caraway curiously, "I haven't seen you for a while. Your mother isn't here right now."
"Yeah, well I got bad news for ya, I'm not here to see her, I'm here to see you," said Seifer.
Caraway still kept his bemused look pasted on his face. "Me? Hmm … I suppose you'd better come inside, then."
Seifer shrugged and walked in through the doorway as Caraway stepped aside, gathering his surroundings and remembering the somewhat frightening memories that lived within the mansion. He shuddered them off as he walked deeper into the house.
"So, Seifer … where have you been for the past few years?" asked Caraway. He had a sneaking suspicion that Seifer was after something, namely money.
"Just working my way around," said Seifer. He folded his arms and suddenly looked menacing. "Hey … are you expecting anybody today?"
Caraway paced himself. "Yes, I am actually. Your mother and sister are coming here today … for her engagement, you see. Did you know she's getting married to vice president Squall Leonhart of Esthar?"
"So I've heard," said Seifer through gritted teeth.
"Actually, he's a lot like you," said Caraway.
"Are you expecting anyone else?" asked Seifer before Caraway got into too much detail about Squall. Frankly, he didn't want to hear it. In fact, it was one of the last things he wanted to hear.
"Yes," said Caraway slowly. "I'm quite nervous about it, actually … I'm seeing my daughter again later. Rinoa." He, too, was unsure about the engagement between Squall and Ashleigh – if Rinoa actually turned out to be Rinoa … then he didn't know if he would have any power to stand between Squall and Ashleigh. That is, if he had the guts to.
Seifer's eyes lit up, but he quickly tried to mask any emotion he might have been showing. "I see."
"You don't seem surprised," said Caraway, raising an eyebrow. Then he suddenly remembered that Seifer hadn't even showed up to Rinoa's funeral.
"Yeah, I'm quite aware that everyone thought she was dead," said Seifer dryly. He quickly steered the conversation topic away Rinoa. "When are you expecting all these … people?"
"About six o'clock tonight," said Caraway slowly.
Seifer smirked. "I see. Well then, do you mind if I hang around the back for a while until then? It'll be like … a family reunion."
Caraway eyed Seifer suspiciously. "All right then…"
"See ya later," said Seifer, walking out of the house and into the back porch. Yes … what a sweet family reunion this will be… He finally had the courage to confront himself. He didn't even care if it would cost him everything he had.
Rinoa got out of the taxi and paid the fare to the driver, dragging her suitcase out and shutting the door afterwards. She watched the cab drive away and turned to the grand house before her. Its magnificence was only magnified with the starry night sky in the background. She remembered coming to this house with Squall before, but when she looked at it again, excitement jittered across her senses.
'Mom, dad! Look, I can do it! I can do it!'
A young raven-haired girl sped up the sidewalk on a blue bicycle, laughing as she pushed hard on the pedals.
Rinoa blinked long and hard as the flashback faded from the back of her mind. She opened her eyes again and took a deep breath, stepping up on the front porch and putting her finger at the doorbell. She left it there, pointing in midair, part of her wanting to ring it and walk in, the other half just wanting to run away. After a short while, she pressed the button and took a step back. She turned around and drew another deep breath.
After what seemed like forever, she heard the door behind her creak open, and she tried to turn around. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Rin … Rinoa?"
That voice…
'Stop being selfish, Rinoa. You know that I would always put you before my job. You should know that I love you more than anything.'
A thirteen-year-old Rinoa threw a pillow at her father in frustration. 'Just leave me alone! I don't care anymore!'
Rinoa turned around and faced her father. His aging face still looked exactly the same to her. He looked somewhat perplexed, but when the young woman meekly smiled at her father, remembering his face clearly, the man just knew that it was his daughter for sure. For he, too, was under the secret impression that she was never Sierra Hearten from the moment he laid eyes on her … Rinoa's smile was enough to make anyone feel at ease.
Caraway lost himself in a sea of muddled emotion and flung his arms around his daughter, embracing her tightly and not wanting to let go. He remembered he had let go of her so many times … until she one day just slipped through his fingertips. Rinoa was suddenly having flashbacks of her father again…
He put his arms around her as a lame attempt to show affection. Rinoa showed no acknowledgement whatsoever and pulled away, rolling her eyes in irritation.
Rinoa shuddered, not wanting such a negative weight sitting on her shoulders.
"Dad," she muttered.
Her mind went blank for a split second again…
'Dad…?'
'Hmm?'
'I love you…'
And with that, Rinoa threw her arms around her father, crying her eyes out over the things she had lost – over Squall, over Ashleigh, over everything she hated…
Rinoa blinked back tears as she remembered that the relationship with her father had patched up over the last few years of her 'life'. Everybody thought her to be the rebelling princess that despised her father with passion, but when everybody had left her … her father became one of the most precious things to her. And that was something she didn't want to forget.
"I missed you," murmured Caraway. He ended the embrace and held her by the shoulders, looking into the eyes of his daughter. "I'm not letting you go again."
Rinoa said nothing and simply smiled. After about a minute's worth of silence, Caraway beckoned her into the mansion. The young woman picked up her suitcase and wandered inside, the mere smell of fading tobacco bringing back more familiar surroundings in her mind.
As she walked around, she couldn't help but reminisce on what the house held for her. Everything she looked at sprung something back to mind – the piano, the pictures on the wall, even the colour of the wallpaper.
Caraway went into the kitchen to fix some coffee, while Rinoa explored the house some more. She walked into the den and ran her fingers across the spines of the books on the bookshelf; the leathery feel left somewhere in the midst of her mind. She made her way to the glass cabinet that she recalled was the 'Rinoa shrine' since her previous visit to the house. She gazed into it dreamily, looking at the items inside it. There were some more photographs of herself, from when she was a child to when she was a teenager. The pinwheel Squall taught her to use again was placed back on the shelf, and she smiled at the memory of the time when she and Squall were on the beach together.
Her eyes darted toward the very top shelf, where a photograph stood out. It was a picture of Squall and Rinoa when they were teenagers – Squall had his arm around Rinoa and the two of them were smiling. The picture was torn down the middle but was stuck back together again with sticky tape. But what made the image most disturbing were the crimson stains that were left on the photograph.
Curious, Rinoa stood up on her tiptoes and reached for the photo. She stared at it longingly, fingering the sticky tape and the dry blood stains. She cocked her head in reflection…
Rinoa took the photo out of its frame and placed it on the shelf.
She found it in a box a couple of months later, noticing that it was torn right down the middle. The name Ashleigh was virtually written all over the crime. She frantically tried to piece it back together.
Even later in her life. She was running and running … she was going to meet Squall. She clutched the photograph in her hand. CRASH. Blood everywhere…
Rinoa blinked fervently, trying to look deeper into the memory … trying to analyse it with everything she had. But she couldn't … nothing came to her. It stopped there.
Rinoa placed the photograph back on the shelf carefully and walked past the grand white piano, dragging her hand against the smooth timber as she went. She made her way out of the den and walked up the stairs.
From there, she went on the journey of her life – piecing together everything she had. Her room brought back many fond memories – the colour, the layout. She looked into the cabinet that was in the corner of the room, skimming through everything in there. It was in somewhat of a mess, there were photographs and papers all over the place. As she went through them all, she couldn't help but feel a little more complete about herself.
And she smiled, wondering how she could ever forget such a wonderful life…
Caraway poured the boiling water into the mug of coffee and swished the contents around in a daze. He couldn't believe it … his very own Rinoa was back again … it was enough to make him jump over the moon…
"Honey, I'm home," came the boastful chirping of a familiar voice.
Caraway's chain of thoughts broke as he abandoned the coffee and walked to the front door to greet his wife and stepdaughter. Ashleigh took off her designer sunglasses as she walked into the house, and put a most fake smile on as Caraway came out to meet her.
"Oh, here are my two princesses," said Caraway, pecking his wife on the cheek and lightly patting Ashleigh's head in welcome.
"I missed you terribly, father," said Ashleigh sweetly.
"Likewise," said Caraway, "So, my girl is finally getting married, eh? Squall is … one lucky man." He felt uncomfortable uttering those words, knowing thatRinoa was upstairs.
"Yes he is," said Sera richly. "So, what do we have planned tonight? Exquisite dinner, maybe?"
"Oh, yes of course," said Caraway, nodding, "But I have a surprise for both of you."
Ashleigh beamed at her stepfather. "Really? Let me guess what it is! A new sports car, maybe?"
"No, much better," said Caraway. He read the excited look on Ashleigh's face and was eager to share the news that Rinoa was back. The general walked towards the staircase. "Hey Rinoa, come down here please!"
Ashleigh's heart dropped rapidly. She stared at Caraway in horror. No … this can't be happening! Hell no! Rinoa is going to ruin my life … why did she have to survive that stupid car accident?
"R-R-Rinoa?" said Sera, who finally found her voice. She was just as shocked as Ashleigh was.
Caraway looked at the two women and nodded in enthusiasm. "Yes. It's wonderful, isn't it? She lost her memory and only recently got it back. When I heard the news, I was practically jumping for joy."
Sera gave Caraway a very wry smile. "Y-Yes … absolutely wonderful…"
Both mother and daughter quickly tried to think up a plan to minimise any potential damage. But nothing came to mind.
"Come on, Rinoa!" called Caraway.
"I'm coming!"
In an instant, Rinoa came bolting down the stairs with a placid grin on her face. As soon as she got to the bottom, however, her grin faded and she was in a docile state. She looked at her father with a questioning expression.
"Rinoa, you remember Sera and Ashleigh, don't you?" asked Caraway.
What the hell are they doing here? Rinoa smiled dryly. "Yes," was all she said.
"Oh," said Caraway, expecting a more joyous response from all three women around him. However when he was met with no such response, he suddenly felt awkward. "Right. Aren't you all … happy?"
All three women remained silent, exchanging dirty glares. Caraway seemed very puzzled and was left hanging.
"Well … aren't you?" asked Caraway slowly.
"What's there to be excited about?"
Everyone turned around to find Seifer leaning against the wall with a smug smirk. He looked at them all with an amused expression. His smirk only widened when Ashleigh and Sera's jaws dropped open.
Damn … what the hell is this? Ashleigh fondled with her scarf nervously. This can't be a good thing…
Rinoa narrowed her eyes down at Seifer, a million thoughts whirring around in her head. She had expected him to come, but in the excitement of being home again, she had forgot about his very existence.
"Ah … hello there," said Caraway in a somewhat grateful tone that someone had broken the awkwardness.
Rinoa kept a straight face. She folded her arms and looked at Seifer with a blank expression. It might have been blank, but it was one of the most poisonous ones she had ever given anyone.
"All right, what's going on?" asked Rinoa flatly.
"Get out of this house, you little swine," said Sera sharply, addressing Seifer. "You decide to leave without a trace, not caring about the awful events that have gone on in this house, and now you come back expecting something? You have no right to be here."
Seifer got off the wall and looked at his mother, keeping the same smug look on his face. "Hey, I have as much right to be here as you do." He looked at Rinoa, not changing his expression. "And Rinoa, I'll tell you exactly what's going on. I'll tell you all what's been going on for the past six years."
"Get out of here!" shrieked Ashleigh, glaring dangerously at her brother.
"Hold on … what are you talking about?" asked Caraway, blocking Ashleigh from charging at her brother.
"I'm talking about the truth," said Seifer, "The real truth. Would you like to hear it?"
Fear and panic surged through mother and daughter of the party. Their fun-expected weekend turned out to be an emotional and face-ruining disaster. Ashleigh felt like throwing Seifer off a building and walking away.
"Leave right now before I call the police," said Sera, glaring at her son in disgust.
"Fine, go ahead," said Seifer with a smirk. "Rinoa, Caraway … listen to me and listen to me good, because I'm not gonna repeat it."
Rinoa gave Seifer her undivided attention. She was quite eager to hear what he had to say, and desperately wanted to shove something down Sera's throat for trying to prolong what ever was awaiting her.
Seifer's eyes fell onto Rinoa for a second, and for that split second, Rinoa could have sworn that she spotted fear and remorse in his eyes. He looked away and his gaze was set on Ashleigh.
"Ever since Sera moved into this house," began Seifer, "There was nothing but trouble. Ashleigh had been ever-bullying Rinoa, pushing her around like a broken fence post. She's been taking Rinoa away from her friends, away from that Squall guy. She's been an annoying little brat by nature."
Rinoa tried to take in the information slowly, not removing her sight from Seifer. Her eyes blurred for a moment…
A younger version of Ashleigh spilled ink all over Rinoa's dress. The dress Squall had given her. Rinoa charged at her with a mighty force, but when Sera came into the room, Ashleigh acted innocent and blamed it all on Rinoa.
Ashleigh gaped at her brother. "Excuse me—"
"You can't even imagine what Rinoa went through because of her," said Seifer, pointing at Ashleigh. "And that woman over there is no different. In fact, she must have been worse than Ashleigh. Do you know what she did to your daughter, Caraway?"
Caraway said nothing in response, which Seifer took as a 'no'.
Sera looked as if she was going to bite Seifer's head off. "This is outrageous, you—"
"For Hyne's sake, the woman locked Rinoa in a fricking closet twice to avoid her seeing her friends," said Seifer in disgust.
Rinoa sat in the linen closet, bawling her eyes out. She began to sing her mother's song, wondering if she would ever see Squall again…
"The woman abused her to death, Caraway," continued Seifer. "She slapped the shit out of her for not calling her mother. God damn it, and you know what else?"
Caraway was almost afraid to answer. He didn't know whether to believe what Seifer was saying or not. But everything else in the room seemed distant, and all that even mattered to him was what Seifer had to say.
"That's quite enough," said Sera, panic rising in her chest. "Nobody cares about your little drama. Just leave already or I'll do it the hard way."
"Oh no, not until I've finished my epic tale," hissed Seifer.
"Shut your mouth, you ungrateful worm!" shouted Ashleigh, "That's it, I can't handle any more of this." She pulled out her cell phone from her purse and dialled. "Hello, police? This is Ashleigh Caraway, there's a—"
Rinoa was sick of Ashleigh's constant interruptions. The new information the sorceress had acquired was sinking in, and the more that sunk in, the more she remembered, and the more she remembered, the more her hatred grew. She grabbed Ashleigh's cell phone and threw it with force on the wooden floor, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Rinoa's mind blanked out for a second…
Rinoa threw her own cell phone on the floor with immense force. It shattered into a thousand pieces. She looked up at Sera triumphantly.
Ashleigh stared at the remains of her phone, then up at Rinoa. The redhead was speechless.
"If he's lying, then it shouldn't make a difference to you, should it?" snapped Rinoa. She looked back at Seifer, ignoring Ashleigh's shocked face. "Continue."
Seifer smirked; appreciating the fact that Rinoa was hearing him out. "As I was saying. Have you ever wondered what happened to your dear daughter four years ago, Caraway?" Before Caraway could even consider answering, the blonde continued to speak. "She was indeed in an accident. A car accident, to be exact - the one that caused her memory loss; the one that took her away from everything and everyone. And guess who was operating the very car that ran Rinoa over?"
Rinoa didn't even need Seifer to answer. She had already pieced it together.
"…Your dear stepdaughter, Ashleigh," hissed Seifer.
The general's eyes widened in horror. He looked over at Ashleigh and Sera, who looked outrageously shocked. Caraway was about to say something, but Sera began to speak instead.
"You honestly don't believe him, do you?" spluttered Sera, "Obviously, he's lying. Why, Ashleigh would never do such a thing. She has no reason to."
"No reason?" said Seifer in disbelief, "What do you mean no reason? Her reason was because she wanted to be with that loaded president so badly. And guess what, mission accomplished. She's now engaged to the president of Esthar, and she could never have done such a thing if she hadn't tried to kill Rinoa."
Rinoa was running … she grasped the photograph in her hand, excited about meeting Squall again after four years. She crossed the road, but heard a speeding car towards her. She quickly jerked her head to the side to find a redhead figure driving a car … CRASH. There was blood everywhere…
That redhead, thought Rinoa, It was Ashleigh…
"Is … is this true … Ashleigh?" asked Caraway, staring at her with the utmost seriousness.
Ashleigh stammered at first. "W-What! Of course it's not true!"
Seifer snorted a disapproving laugh. "And even now, she lies. So you see, old man? You've been a blind bat all this time. You couldn't even see what your own daughter had to go through. You married a cold-hearted bitch who probably only cared about your money in the first place, and sacrificed your daughter for her own personal gain."
"Who are you going to believe, Fury?" asked Sera in Ashleigh's defence, "Your own stepdaughter or … or this bastard who abandoned us."
"Hah, considering the options, I'd go with the bastard," said Seifer smugly.
"Lies, everything he says," hissed Sera. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Caraway seemed to consider Sera's argument. "Well, Seif—"
"…It's true," Rinoa spoke up at last.
All eyes were on Rinoa at that very moment.
"What is it, Rinoa?" asked Caraway.
"He's not lying," said Rinoa passively. Her eyes were glassy. "I … I remember. I remember it all…"
Seifer smirked. "So, Caraway? Who are you going to believe now? Your own flesh and blood, or your stepdaughter…"
Rinoa looked at Caraway, her bottom lip trembling. Caraway was staring at his daughter with shock at first, but then softened his expression. He approached Rinoa and put his arms around her. Rinoa flung her arms around him, having the urge to cry. She wasn't sure why … the overwhelming turn of events took her by surprise and was more emotional than she made it out to be…
"Of course I believe you, Rinoa," said Caraway gently, stroking her raven hair softly.
"Fury, you can't possibly—"
Caraway looked up at his wife sharply, interrupting what she had to say. "Get out."
"Ex-excuse me?" stuttered Sera.
"Get the hell out of my house," said Caraway with a quick flicker of his tongue. "You have no place here."
Sera gawked at Caraway in disbelief. She wanted to say something, but words failed her. It wasn't as if words would solve her problem this time, anyway.
"Both of you!" shouted Caraway, "Get out now!"
Sera glared one last time at Seifer, and then grabbed Ashleigh's arm. "Come on Ashleigh, we can't stand here and let this group of idiots humiliate me."
"But…"
And with that, the two of them left the house without another word. Caraway's eyes followed them out all the way, and when they were out of sight, he looked at Rinoa.
"I'm … I'm sorry, Rinoa," said Caraway, shaking his head, "I can't believe I put you through all of that. I can't believe I was so goddamn blind…"
Rinoa smiled weakly up at her father. "No … it's all the past now … please, let's forget it…"
Caraway returned the smile without a word. He looked back at Seifer. "But … please tell me, how did Rinoa ever survive?"
Seifer sighed, not wanting to get to this part. "Yeah, that's the other half of the story. I suggest you both sit down."
Rinoa, not wanting to walk too far, simply sat on the bottom step of the staircase. Caraway sat down next to her, looking up at Seifer and listening intently.
"Well," Seifer began, "After the accident, Ashleigh took Rinoa's body to my dad's place, 'cause he's a doctor. Apparently, Ashleigh had somehow left back some kind of information to imply that Rinoa was dead, some mumbo jumbo about her ID getting messed up. Anyway, my dad tried to fix Rinoa up, but we weren't sure if she was going to make it because she was really bloody and her head was all messed up … and stuff. But in the end, we pulled through, and Rinoa was well again."
"Oh … but why didn't you tell us?" asked Caraway.
Seifer sighed again and began pacing himself uncomfortably. "You see … the thing is … I was being a blind idiot, acting first and thinking later. I really regret doing what I did … but I feel it's only right that you both know the truth." He took a deep breath. "When Rinoa woke up from her coma, she didn't remember anything. She couldn't recall who she was, where she was … nothing. And me, being the blind idiot I was, fed her a stupid lie that her name was Sierra Hearten and all of this other load of bullshit. She bought it and believed it. So, if you think about it, the time I disappeared was the time when Rinoa was supposedly dead. I took her to Trabia and we led a new life there under a different identity."
Caraway, once again, was aghast with this information. He didn't know what to think or feel or do, but instead asked more questions. "But … but why?"
Seifer shook his head in guilt. "Okay, call me crazy, but I was an idiot …I thought I was in love with you, Rinoa. I don't know … out of jealousy, out of spite … something made me lie to you about who you were. But as time passed, I found that it was harder for me to tell you the truth, so I just let you live a lie. I'm a fucking idiot, I know. And now that I have this conversation with you, Rinoa … I realise that I never loved you more than a sister. It was just … I was so blinded by my emotions … because … argh, forget it."
Seifer sighed again and headed towards the door. He looked at Rinoa. "All I want to say is, I'm really sorry for everything I brought upon you and your family, and friends, and Squall… bah. So I'll tell you what I should have told you two years ago. Your name is Rinoa Heartilly, you live in Deling City, and your family didn't die in a fire. My name is Seifer Almassy, and I'm not your boyfriend … I'm your stepbrother."
Seifer stood there for a split second, observing Rinoa's changing emotions, and laughed bitterly. At what he did in the first place. At the brief, happy life he had for a short two years. At the stupid outcome of his very lie. And most of all, at himself. He couldn't help but feel so pathetic and dumb, and he just wanted to stab himself already.
And with that, Seifer opened the front door, and slipped away as if he were never there in the first place.
Rinoa was left staring after him, her blood stirring. The feelings she felt weren't explainable. She didn't know what to do – to laugh, to cry, to scream?
I'm your stepbrother.
The words rung in Rinoa's ears like an ongoing church bell. My stepbrother … out of all people, he was my stepbrother. Somehow, she didn't feel angry. Strangely, she felt nothing.
'Thank you, Seifer.'
'What? I didn't do anything.'
'You let me out of the closet this morning. I had a really important place to go to…'
"…Rinoa?"
Rinoa snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her father. "I'm sorry. Hang on, I'll be back."
She got up and ran out the front door. As soon as she took her first step out of the house, she was met with a freezing cold breeze rushing past her. She saw Seifer's lone figure walking away with his hands shoved in his pockets.
Rinoa stared at him for a moment, wild thoughts flipping in her mind.
"Wait!" she shouted.
Seifer turned around, and smirked in disbelief when he found Rinoa standing on the front step of the house. He simply decided to ignore her. He felt like an ass at that moment, and Rinoa's presence was only going to worsen that feeling. He turned his back on her and continued to walk away.
Rinoa whimpered. She ran after him, as fast as her legs could take her. For some reason, she didn't want to see him leave. She didn't want her stepbrother to just walk out of her life like that … it just pained her to even imagine it. She did not feel hatred towards the man, strangely enough.
Seifer heard her footsteps chasing after him, and just couldn't believe she was so pursuing. Before he could pick up the pace, she had caught up to him, and flung her arms around his waist, resting her ear on his back.
"Where are you going, big brother?" asked Rinoa quietly.
Seifer shook his head. For a split second, he endured Rinoa's touch and her willingness to still speak to him with relief, but remembered his pride and how it was hurt so much. He felt so much shame. Just being with Rinoa made him feel like a pile of turd.
"Somewhere nobody would ever find me," answered Seifer.
"Not even me…?"
"Especially not you," he growled.
"Seifer…"
"Look, I don't need this right now, okay?" said the blonde, almost forcefully. He pulled away from Rinoa's grip. "Just … just looking at you makes me churn inside. Please, if you know what's good for you, just leave me the hell alone."
Rinoa looked up at him with silent sympathy in her eyes.
Seifer was tempted to give in, but knew that there was no point. He was only going to make her life worse. "Goodbye, Rinoa." He turned around, and kept on walking, his white trench coat brushing against Rinoa slightly.
Rinoa sighed. She wanted to run after him some more, but the day was tiresome. She wanted to be forgiving – it was in her nature to be forgiving. She wanted things to go back to the way they were, as hard as it may seem. But inside of her, she knew it was next to impossible, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she still didn't trust Seifer as much as she once did. But considering everything he did for her and forgetting what he did to her; he helped her when she was young, told her the truth, even brought her happiness at some stages … she didn't want to shun him from her life forever. And it even brought her a slight feeling of joy in her heart, thinking that, for a short two years, she had made a lost soul feel happy, even if it meant sacrificing her own wellbeing.
"Typical Seifer…" A tear rolled down her cheek, as she let one of the most important people in her life disappear.
