Seifer looked up the sky to see the darkening clouds cover the sun. The wind had picked up its strength and it speed as he watched the clothes line near the tents flutter with newly washed laundry. He kept looking up and watching the skies, as if looking for trouble.

"What are you looking for, Mr. Almasy?"

He looked down to see Meiou gazing up at him. A serious expression covered her face and he swallowed to answer, "Just looking up the sky. I think there's a storm. Better warn the others…"

Meiou also looked up and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, as if she was smelling the air. Seifer watched her as the wind ran through her hair and made her even more beautiful. He blushed when he realized he was actually staring at her. Then a scowl appeared on her forehead, "You're right… There's the scent of water in the air. I'll go and warn the others."

Seifer nodded and she turned to him, with a smile on her lips. She blushed a little and he thought how about cute she was when she was like that. "Mr. Almasy… Seifer… I'd like to thank you for… what you did last night. I am… really grateful."

Now it was Seifer's turn to blush, "Ahh… It's nothing. I just thought you needed my help."

She raised an eyebrow at him as she said, "You know, for a mercenary, you certainly know how to deal with things like my problem…"

He waved her words off and continued to do his job on the concrete walkway. "Nah, it's nothing… it's a part of the job description."

"What? Be my knight in shining armor?"

Seifer stopped moving when he heard her words. Knight, he thought, After what I have done to this place, I feel like a murderer…

"Seifer, are you alright?"

He perked up at the sound of his first name on her lips. It sounded wonderful, coming from those red lips of hers. He looked down at her again, seeing the genuine concern on her eyes and the wind playing at her long unbound hair. He smiled warmly, with no trace of his smirk and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. You'd better warn the others about the storm."

She nodded, "Yes, I'll go now and…" She raised her hand and he saw she was holding out his coat that he had left with her last night, "Here's your coat back."

She smiled again as he accepted it. She turned to leave and Seifer watched her walk away. He held the coat to his chest, but he smelled something weird with it so he brought it close to his nose. His eyes widened at the scent that filled his nostrils.

It smelled like warm air and sunshine, as if it was washed earlier. A faint scent of lavender and roses mixed with it, and he guesses that it was probably Meiou's scent. He kept sniffing the scent of her in his coat, before finally sighing and turning back to work.

The wind howled outside his windows as Seifer lay on his bed in the dorms. As he had thought, the storm came directly after an hour that he had told Meiou. Everyone was brought immediately inside the tents and dormitories, and he was getting bored. It seems that the rockets also blew up their Training center. So he had nothing to do but lay in bed.

Seifer sighed as he stared up the ceiling, watching the lights play with the shadows and the occasional lightning flash through the shadows. He had so much to think about, but currently his only thought was of Meiou.

Meiou… she is just so beautiful and graceful that he even came to the point that he wanted to become good just to have her. He had never met anyone so strong-willed and skilled and brave altogether. He never found that on Rinoa, which may be why he never liked her as much as he like Meiou. Rinoa never had her bravery, her strong-will, her gentle and graceful movements, her scent even her body.

He cursed inwardly, damn! Why should I be thinking about this now? I never thought about women before! Why should I start now? He thought as he rolled to his side, But actually, I never met anyone like her. Does this mean that I'm… in love? He closed his eyes and sighed, She called me her 'Knight'… it's weird but it feels really good to hear that coming from her… I just wish I could be her real Knight…

Seifer opened his eyes just in time for him to see a shadow pass through his window. He looked out to see someone run across the yard, carrying a small bag. He squinted in the darkness only to find that it was actually Meiou. He cursed as he took his coat and went off.

Meiou gasped as she begun to rummage around the ruins of the old Infirmary. She found a small vial and read its label, but she cursed when she realized that it wasn't the medicine she was looking for. She continued to rummage again.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Meiou looked up to see a shadow above her. She tried to see who it was and was surprised when a flash of lightning lit the sky and revealed the man to be Seifer.

"I… I'm looking for an old potion here." She managed to gasp out, "I found some of it here before. One of the junior classmen is sick and is in need of the medicine I'm looking for. It's here somewhere…"

Instead of answering, Seifer got down to his knees and also started looking for the potion. She smiled as she also got down and started looking for the vial. She looked around, let out a hoot of joy and raised the missing vial, "I found it!"

Suddenly a lighting bolt came in contact to ground, hitting one of the trees nearby. It started to fall down on Meiou and all she could do was scream and hope a miracle would happen. She covered herself with her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself.

It darkened a little but was surprised to see that she didn't get crushed by the tree. She lowered her arms gingerly and she looked up to see Seifer above her.

"Me…Meiou…"

She gasped at the condition he was in. He was carrying the tree by himself on his back, his arms and legs widespread around her body to prevent it from squashing them both. She could see the pain and agony he was in, as a small trickle of blood came from a wound on his forehead and the heavy weight of the tree almost crushes his body.

"Oh, my God… Seifer…"

Seifer's face matted with dirt and sweat as he tried to keep himself up. "Meiou… go. Get out of here… while you still can!"

She shook her head, "No! I won't leave you!"

He cursed again, "Dammit! Please just go! Get help if you can! Just go!"

"No! I can't!"

"I can't hold on any longer, Meiou!" He cried out again, "I can't hold on! Just go! Please! I can't protect you much longer!"

Meiou's eyes filled with tears, "Se… Seifer…"

He looked at her with his ocean blue eyes, "You called me… your knight. And a knight swears his loyalty… to a lady." He smiled a little, but a trace of pain can be seen in his eyes, "If I can protect you… just this once in life, I'd do it. Because I swore my loyalty to you…my lady…"

She continued to sob then, "No… Seifer… please don't… I need you…"

An ironic smile played about his lips, "I know you do… and I do too. That's why I'm protecting you."

Meiou's blue eyes watered with tears again, but she raised herself up and kissed him fully on the lips.

If it hadn't been for the tree on his back, Seifer would've gladly embraced her. She kissed him deeply, her tongue exploring his mouth. He let himself go and replied her affection in earnest, but she stopped and pushed herself off the ground. "I'll be back for you, Seifer… please hang on…"

He nodded, shocked yet pleased at what she had done, and she took off to a run as she left to get help.

His strength is finally failing, but he kept himself up. Her kiss affected him more than he had thought, as he felt as if he was slowly but surely regaining his strength. Unfortunately, as the minutes dragged on, he felt the cold starting to enter his body, and he felt himself weakening from the wet cold rain and exhaustion. He waited long enough for some students to lift the tree off him by casting a 'Float' spell on it and pulling him out.

Weakened and bleeding, he submitted himself to the care of the Trabians. He was aware of the medicine being applied to his body, the cure spells cast on him and being dressed in a hospital gown. He was also aware that he was getting cold and nauseous. And even he had a little sense of consciousness, he knows that he was getting a high fever. His throat was getting parched and he felt himself slipping to the darkness.

"Meiou…" he was able to whisper.

A shadow came up to his line of vision and he struggled to open his eyes. His lips lifted to a smile when he saw who it was.

"You have proven yourself worthy, Sir Knight…" Meiou said as she ran her hand to his hair, "Thou shall have thy rest, for the sake of thine body. And when thee wakes, his lady shall be there to meet him…" Then as she had done before, she placed her lips on his for a soft kiss.

Her lips were the last thing he could feel when he finally fell asleep… tired, aching and feverish from his ordeal. And as the darkness lulled him, a thought came to his head and made him even more determined to live.

At last… I am a Knight… worthy of a lady…