Part 24:

When the both of them had finished their chocolate cake, Ash got up from the floor and took Quistis's plate and cup, walking back into the kitchen and leaving her to herself.

'What a weirdo…' she said under her breath.

Quistis then, feeling silly to sit on the couch like she needed help to go anywhere, she got up slowly and made her way slowly into the kitchen, passing by Ash who was too busy washing dishes to notice her.

Quistis then too tired to move any further sat on the chair she had been sitting on earlier.

When Ash finally dried his hands, he turned around and faced her with a surprised look on his face, he approached her. She was leaning her head on her hand.

Is anything troubling you?' he asked gently as he pulled a chair and sat down next to her.

And as Quistis heard these words, a vision of Seifer's face frowning in awful pain pierced it's way through her mind again and immediately brought tears to her burning eyes.

'Heey…what are the tears for…?' he gently touched her arm comfortingly.

'These aren't tears…' Quistis sobbed with a stupefied chuckle.

'They aren't? then what are they? he asked.

Quistis didn't answer…she just hid her face with her hands.

'Quistis…is there anything you want to talk about?' he asked her still rubbing her arm.

'Does it have anything to do with what happened out there?' he asked.

Quistis gasped painfully as she just nodded her head, still covering her face.

'His dead…' she sobbed and hiccoughed sadly.

'Dead? Who is dead?' he asked her.

'Seifer…' she murmured in a small gasp.

'Seifer!...' he asked in disbelief.

'Seifer Almasy?' he asked.

Quistis then removed her hand of her face to look at him.

'You knew him?'

'No, I know him. And if it's that that is troubling you., Quistis…Don't be troubled. I can assure you he's not dead.' Ash said confidently with a grin on his face.

'But he just stopped breathing and then he disappeared…How can you be so sure that…' she cried softly, tears still rolling down her face.

'I grew up with him, we've known each other since I can remember and I know for sure, that he can't be dead…' Ash gazed out of the window as he spoke with a thoughtful look on his face.

'Ash…if you trying to make me feel better, it's no use…' she muttered softly as she wiped her eyes.

'Trust me Quistis, he is not dead. I know it, I'm sure. It couldn't happen now…the timing would be wrong and it would destroy all the chances of…believe me, where ever he is, he's alive and kicking…' Ash took her hands as he said the last words, giving her a reassuring look.

'I don't understand, Ash…you speak as if you know more than I, as if you know more than anyone... You know where he is, don't you? Ash, for Hyne's sake, take me to him…' she muttered worriedly, furrowing her brow in wonder as she tried to read what went on his mind.

Ash lowered his head.

'Please, Ash. This is very important to me…If there's anything you know about what's happening, please tell me…I need to know. I'm here to fight Sarakman, to help your people and avoid him from taking over…tell me what you know…please. I need to get Seifer back…' she tugged his arm gently as she looked him in the eyes, pleadingly.

'I won't lie to you Quistis. I do know more than I should, but believe me, it's not something I'm proud of…it's a burden, a great responsibility that I and Seifer have been carrying for some time now…and I can't reveal anything, at least for the meantime …I'm sorry…please don't insist.' Ash looked her in the eye furrowing his brow deeply with concern.

'But, I can help. I want to help you and your friends defeat Sarakman…'he gave her an honest look and somehow he seemed to be a bit emotional, as if helping really placed a great importance to him.

'Ash… I don't know how involved you are in this whole situation, but…I don't think it would be rational if I...' she muttered…'Quistis, there's no time to be rational…you've just got to trust me… and tonight…we must act. Time is scarce…the more we delay, the less chances we have of regaining what's ours…please.' Ash's eyes widened with anxiousness and worry as he tried to talk sense into her. He was technically begging her to trust him.

'Quistis, I can lead you to him. You and your friends. But you've got to trust me first…there's no other way…' Ash's eyes radiated his worry and his desperation to help her.

Quistis just stared back at him, not understanding why it was so important for him to have her trust him. But his eyes said it all, he was willing to help, his intentions were good. She could see he was also being affected by Seifer' appearance and wanted desperately the freedom of his home.

'…I trust you, Ash. I'm counting on you to take me to Seifer. I want you to help us win this battle against Sarakman...'

'Thank you…' he smiled relieved.

They both then fell silent. She would blush as he looked at her in her eyes and when he finally got the message, he cleared his throat and turned in his chair, scratching the table cloth shyly as he leaned his head on his hand.

He was very cute. His sweet, calm attitude combined with his shaggy brown hair and his amber eyes made him very interesting, but of course, there was no time for such thoughts.

Quistis could only think of Seifer right now. He was alive and she knew that wherever he was, he wasn't well, at least not well accompanied. And to this thought, her heart would ache. Despite Seifer being a nasty person to her since she could remember, she knew he had changed. She felt he was different, but right on the moment when her idea about him was about to change, he had disappeared into thin air as if he had died. Quistis's heart broke when he left her, but now Ash had given hope to her. He promised her that Seifer was alive, but not if he was ok. She then couldn't tell what was best, him suffering or actually dying.

She would do what ever she could, risking her life if she had to bring him back. It was what she wanted the most.

'You better get dressed…' he muttered lifting up slowly from the table as he kept his peaceful eyes on her.

'Um…yeah I suppose…' Quistis pulled her hair behind her ears with her fingers.

'Err…can I?' he asked gently.

'Hm? Can you what?' she looked at him.

'Can I take you upstairs?' he asked her with a small friendly smile under his blond beard.

'Oh! Um…yes, well, if you don't mind…I wouldn't want to fall again…' she chuckled nervously.

As Ash slowly bent down, he tugged Quistis gently by her arm and put it around his neck as he got hold of her legs and slowly, but effortlessly raised her in his arms.

'I've washed your clothes for you. I hope you don't mind…' he murmured as he walked up the stairs.

'Oh, thanks…I wasn't expecting that,…you're a really good host…' Quistis smiled gently as their eyes met once again and blushed

'Thanks…' he murmured looking down shyly and then looking up at her slowy

But Quistis's eyes swerved away immediately as she gave a small smile.

As Ash walked down the narrow darkened corridor with her in her arms, Quistis suddenly remembered something highly embarrassing.

'Ash! she said worriedly.

'Hm…' he murmured calmly.

'I'm not wearing my own clothes…' she said a little stupefied.

'I thought you knew that…' he murmured puzzled.

'Yeah, I did, but …'

'Oh, don't worry their my sister's…she won't mind…she loves sharing. I bet she'd rather have a sister than me…' he chuckled slightly.

And now he walked into the dimly lit room with her.

'Ash, who undressed me!' Quistis panicked.

'Oh…' he stopped abruptly with a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face and looked her in her eyes with some shock.

'It was your sister, right?…' Quistis looked him in the eyes warningly.

'…'course it was! Who do you think I am!' he gaggled nervously putting her on the bed as he took a few steps backwards…

'I don't know…That's why I'm asking….' Quistis muttered simply.

'Yeah, right…but I didn't… and I would never dare to…you know…just to…you know...' he waved his hands around as he explained nervously.

'Good…' Quistis cut the conversation.

'Thanks for bringing me up, Ash…' Quistis said shyly as she smiled shortly at him, with the intent to send him away.

Quistis then stared at him with the intent that he would notice that she needed him to leave, so she could get dressed.

'Oh, I'm sorry…' he scratched his head nervously as he stumbled his way out of the room and shut the door softly.

CLUMP…'Ouch! Damn it!' she heard him moan outside the door.

She then closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as she heard his footsteps go down the corridor.

'Oh…Hyne…make Seifer be alright…make him be alive and well…please' she covered her face with her hands as she muttered these words worriedly.

Quistis then sighed, lifted up from her bed and reached the desk where the lovely yellow rose stood in a small jar. She then brought her face closer to it and saw that the simple yellow rose had been pulled from its root and not cut off. Its root had a small piece of damp cotton wool on which it would survive.

'This guy really is weird…'she murmured as she frowned at the little flower in wonder.

Then she found her clothes on the heap of parchment roles neatly folded.

'And a nice house-keeper too…'she added as she unfolded the clothes gently.

Quistis then sat back on the bed as she slowly got her self dressed as she stared at the flower with a peculiar frown.

'Could that be the…no, of course not…he wouldn't stupid enough to keep in here near a stranger…but it is rather odd he keeps its root…' she thought to herself.

Once she was dressed, she cast a few cures on herself, making her wounded leg recover completely.

'Much better…' she muttered, giving a last glimpse at the little flower and finally getting up from the bed and walking out of the room.

Squall walked back outside to the balcony as he leaned his elbows on the stone wall covered in creepy- crawlies, staring into the distance as the afternoon sun weakened slowly. The sun hit his face gently, reflecting in his deep blue eyes frowning with impatience.

'I'm standing here, waiting for night to fall while I could have found that bastard long time ago…I can't take this anymore…I came here to fight, not to stand around…' he thought to himself.

Suddenly, Squall heard the balcony's door open softly as he turned his neck around to see who it was. After seeing who it was, he irritably, turned his face back to the sun.

'What now? If he thinks he can start his cheesy father talk with me, he's completely mistaken…I'm getting out of here before he even tries...' Squall turned around and head to the door casually.

Suddenly, Squall felt his arm being tugged tightly, turning around in surprise.

'You don't have to go…' Laguna trough him back towards the stone wall.

'I'm not going to start that talk again…'he muttered, leaning on the stone wall as Squall was doing before.

'I accept that you're not ready to...there I go again…I'll just shut up, before I get on your nerves again…sorry.' Laguna said bleakly, staring into the distance quietly.

And they both spend a few minutes silent, both leaning on the stone balcony, each one on the opposite ends.

'It's almost time…' Laguna said, giving a quick glimpse at Squall who seemed to be far away in thought.

'Don't you try and start your useless conversations with me again…' Squall thought to himself.

'I sure hope we are able to find Sarakman's hiding place before it's too late…' Laguna muttered.

'Good for you…' Squall murmured and walked back inside casually.

'What did I do this time!' Laguna banged his fist on the stone wall furiously.

'I can't say a word, he'll walk away and leave me talking to a wall…'Laguna mumbled.

'I guess Rinoa's right…what he needs is time and space…loads of it…too much actually…exaggeratedly…yeah…humph…' Laguna smirked as he had just had an idea…

'I'm a genius!' he said to himself.

'What! Whoa! Why didn't you tell us before, dude! If only I knew, I'd make you do my homework!' Zell walked out.

'Nah…I'm not a genius at homework…or at anything I do…it's just an idea I had, I'm not even sure if it'll work…but it's worth trying…' Laguna smiled bleakly.

'Whoa…self-esteem levels going down…need back up!... C'mon Laguna, you've gotta believe in yourself! You see! Only then you'll plans will start working out…it's all about confidence, you know?' Zell said waving his hands explicitly as he talked.

'Yeah, I guess so…' Laguna smiled.

'See, now that's a sign of no confidence! "Yeah, I guess so…". More like 'My plan is gonna work whether I like it or not!" ya know? Confidence is the key!' Zell smiled.

'Ok, my plan is gonna work, whether I like it or not!' Laguna said as his frowned as if what he had just said didn't make much sense.

'Or rather…my plan is gonna work! I want it to work…I need it to work…It's my only hope! It has to work!' Laguna said desperately.

'Geeez, is it that important…?' Zell looked worried.

'Well, at least to me it is…not that it'll make a difference in anyone's life, but it would really be great if it worked. I would be able to recover the time that I lost…' Laguna muttered looking at the floor thoughtfully.

'Well then, good luck…and remember: confidence is the key!' Zell pulled his thump up at Laguna walking out cheerfully. Laguna smiled.

'"Confidence is the key"…humph…I'd have loads more confidence if Squall never shut me out of his life all the time…but then, he kind of has the right to… It's my fault anyway…oh, Raine, how I loved you…how I would've done anything to bring you back…and now our son, look what has become of our relationship…we're like two strangers that are linked by blood and nothing more…things would've been different if I had returned earlier…we would've been a family. A happy one…Squall, you , Ellone and I…Just look at what we are now. Ellone's far away in Esthar, you are unreachable… Squall is right here with me and yet he's still far away from me…I don't understand…'

Laguna thought to himself.

'But I have to stick to my son, he's part of me and I have to make it work between us…He hates me now…but I'm gonna change that…I have to…' he frowned.

Laguna looked at the setting sun thoughtfully that reflected in his eyes, turned his face away and walked slowly back in…

To be continued…

That was part 24, hope you liked it! Sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for reading! Thank you so much! There's more to come… Please review.