Author's Notes: Going for finishing the whole thing in one night! The Italics are memories running through the mind of the character. I hope they are familiar, since they are from chapter 8!

Chapter 10: The Rivalry Fulfilled

Because I am going into the castle, alone, Nida forbade me the use of a communications system. The radio waves would give Squall a method of finding me before I wanted to be found. So, here I am, no contact with my friends, and with only the icy Shiva to my name summon wise. Shit, why exactly did I want to do this again? Oh yeah, save Squall and them, but mainly Squall. Sure, the others were family to me and all, but Squall was… was… Well, he just was okay? I had promised. I owed him his freedom.

With a sigh I allowed my left hand to reach out, searching for a purchase on the stone walls. For thirty minutes I have been climbing, gunblade strapped to my back. Still, I was only halfway up the wall of the castle, and no where near halfway to the final goal. I was glad now that rock climbing was a required subject for a SeeD cadet, because I would have died already without it. Finally my hand grips a ledge, and I succeed in pulling myself up through a window. And no sooner am I through the window than a blade is pressed to my neck. Not just any blade, but the familiar gunblade of my rival.

"Well, well," Squall practically purred, "What have we here? A wayward SeeD? Surely this isn't all they are sending against me. Maybe they were a little too cocky with their plan."

My green eyes looked up to meet the cloudy sapphires that demanded my attention. Though the look in his eyes is not as clear as the look of last night, it was far healthier than the look that haunted me from the wedding so many years before. Somehow over the years he has broken the spell on him to some degree during the hours she was most aware of him. Maybe with every year he became stronger, and freer.

"I got in, didn't I?" I spoke with a sneer.

"You won't live to celebrate that Almasy," he spoke, the tip of the blade pressing against my neck.

"Normally I am the one underestimating you Squall, It was sad to see that even in our recent fight you needed the help of cowboy to beat me."

"You are wrong Seifer," Squall hissed, his blade dropping to the choker at my neck. I knew instantly that he intended to cut it off, and I refused to accept that. The Squall I loved had given it to me and I wouldn't let this Sorceress Knight take that from me!

Before I knew what I was doing I had grabbed the gunblade from my back. Carefully I kicked out at him, knocking the unprepared Black SeeD away from me. Quickly I rose and brought Hyperion up to the defensive.

"I do not want to fight you Squall," I hissed, "I promised not to hurt you!"

I had been tracking his movements up the side of the wall for a while now. It was quite easy to do at first, watching the perfect golden strands falling in emotional eyes. But every inch closer he drew the more I became aware of Ultimecia pushing in on my mind. Then, by the time he climbed into the room I was barely in control of myself. I leveled Revolver at his throat before he could react.

"Well, well," Rinoa purred through my lips, "What have we here? A wayward SeeD? Surely this isn't all they are sending against me. Maybe they were a little too cocky with their plan."

After a short moment he countered with, "I got in, didn't I?"

"You won't live to celebrate that Almasy," she said with my body, forcing me to press the tip of the blade harder against Seifer's neck. I could actually see blood welling up around the tip.

"Normally I am the one underestimating you Squall. It was sad to see that even in our recent fight you needed the help of cowboy to beat me."

"You are wrong," I hissed out, this time my words were my own. I didn't need anyone and it wasn't me underestimating him. Yet because of this anger I did not notice that Rinoa had forced my blade to Seifer's choker. I knew now that I was in a bit of trouble. Only Seifer and I knew the true meaning of the thing. Of his position as White Knight.

I couldn't even follow his movements with my eyes. All I knew was that suddenly I was stepping away with a sharp pain in my leg and his Hyperion was raised defensively before him.

"I do not want to fight you Squall," his voice cut through my mind. "I promised not to hurt you."

Suddenly the fury driving me to fight him was all my own fury. He left me for Rinoa, he left me for Edea, and he left me for Ultimecia. He tortured me, he fought me, he called me name and he let me become this and he was saying that he promised not to hurt me? I swung Revolver at his head, intending to destroy those lying lips forever, but my gunblade sung out when it contacted with Hyperion. In a matter of moments it degraded into a full blown duel. My strikes were started by my anger and strengthened by Rinoa's fury. Seifer was quickly put completely on defense. It only took a few heartbeats before Seifer was unarmed and my blade had drawn blood from Seifer's arm.

"Well, looks like you are the better fighter," Seifer groaned in pain.

"You've lost your fighting spirit Seifer," I accused him angrily. "You didn't even try to hurt me!"

"I promised I wouldn't, because I love you Squall."

'But when was the last time I said I loved you?' words, of his, over two decades old, came to my mind.

"You don't love me!" my response came at the same instant my memory provided my answer from years ago.

'You haven't.'

"I never wanted to hurt you Squall, and I didn't let you know that enough. I failed you. And I never wanted that! I do love you!"

'Well then, no better time than the present. I love you Squall, no matter what. I never want to let you down or hurt you.'

'Then don't,' echoed in my mind, but the past is dead.

"Then don't," I agreed with the voice.

"But I have to Squall. I never will stop loving you." And with that he pressed closer to me, and I raised the gunblade between us. The man's neck was now against my blade.

'But I have to, you know that. But it's only an act. They would kick us both out if they knew. So we have to be rivals… But you've gotta tell me when I hurt you.'

He looked as if he was about to take another step forward, force his neck open upon my blade. I wanted to pull away, but Rinoa would not allow it.

"Seifer," I spoke, trying to be icy but failing.

'Seifer,' came my memory.

The voice from the past was cut off by his voice from the past, 'I know that forgetting your birthday and eating your cake hurt you lovely… From now on, just say something okay? I promise I'll stop…"

His foot finally hit the floor, everything in slow motion. Blood against touched the Revolver and all I could do was throw the thing aside. There was a look of relief and shock on his face. Seifer had been risking a lot on that movement, and my habit of overthinking.

"Damnit Seifer," I gasped, looking at the discarded weapon.

"I had to Squall," he mumbled, "Fate says so. You aren't supposed to be here when the past comes. Griever and Tiamat are meant to be free."

He was right, and I knew it, but Ultimecia was still in my head.

"Cast her Guardians out and you will be free," Seifer pleaded.

It took a lot to cast the two out of my mind. They did not want to leave, and Ultimecia, my Rinoa, did not want it either. When I achieved this goal I almost collapsed from the strain.

"One last thing, we must break her claim on you Squall."

No, I could not handle that. The pain of severing this bond would kill me.

"You have to. And I'm sorry, but it is going to hurt. But once this is over we will be able to get the others and stop the Black SeeD…"

And then it would be over…