EverShadow: Talk about last minute update! It's the 31st people!
Tiger of Blackness: Cutting it close, eh?
EverShadow: Hehehehe…sorry...midterms and such. But the important thing is that I got it, right?
Tiger of Blackness: Why do I feel like you're going to make it a bs chapyter?
EverShadow: Hey! Read first, then judge!
Tiger of Blackness: That's not how I do things.
EverShadow: …on with the show.
It Was Worth It All
Streamers and confetti flew through the air like snow the minute the reception began. Seifer kissed Quistis, both of them covered in pieces of white, blue and pink paper. Everyone around them cheered and clapped. Rinoa was busy plucking tissues from a nearby box and Selphie was elated beyond all reason that the reception looked wonderful and she was convinced it was due to her planning. In the corner, several Trepies were crying their eyes out, saddened immensely by the fact that their beloved Instructor had gotten married to someone else, "riff raff" even! The Quad was filled with people congratulating the just married couple who had gone to Balamb to get married, and then returned to the Garden for the reception.
"We're so happy!" Selphie squealed.
"Thank you, Selphie, for planning this. Everything looks wonderful. Zell came up behind Seifer and clapped him on the shoulder, his mouth full of cake.
"Gud fer you, Seifer." He mumbled, sending crumbs flying onto the groom's tuxedo. Seifer brushed them off, along with Zell's hand.
"Thanks, Chicken-Wuss." He smirked before following his wife to their table.
"HEY!" Zell cried after them, and then pouted. Seifer kissed his wife on the cheek.
"I love you." He whispered. "Everyone!" He caught everyone's attention. "I have a surprise for all of you! It's our entertainment for the night, besides the wonderful band." He lifted a bell in the air and rung it. A moment passed and everyone looked around. Seifer rang the bell again and everyone heard squeaky footsteps nearing. When they saw what exactly was going on, they all laughed, Rinoa the hardest.
"Oh my!" Quistis exclaimed. Squall walked down the steps in giant clown shoes, dressed in a yellow and red polka dotted clown suit with a red nose and painted face. Irving swung his camera to capture the once in a lifetime event. Squall did not look happy at all. Rinoa walked over.
"What is going on!" She asked between giggles.
"I had to keep a promise." He muttered, crossing his arms. Seifer wasn't going to let him off that easily. He walked up to Squall and clapped him on the shoulders.
"Good man!" He laughed. "Now, show us what you can do."
"I refuse." Squall persisted.
"Oh really? Is that anyway to treat your girlfriend's savoir?" Squall muttered a stream of curses under his breath and then walked up to the nearest piece of cake. He hesitated a moment before plunging his face into it. The crowd roared in laughter. Even Edea gave in and chuckled a little. Cid smiled and shook his head, glass of champagne in hand. Squall then proceeded to remove several red balls out of his pockets and began juggling, cream still all over his face. Of course, Squall turned out to be a horrible juggler and dropped the balls on several occasions. After he was done that, he proceeded to make balloon animals, something he had learned in the past day, for the children of Balamb Garden. The kids eagerly received them and ran off to play with them. Squall sighed and wiped his face off with a napkin. He could feel his reputation and his masculinity slipping down the drain as time wore on.
"You've suffered enough." Quistis said, dismissing him. "Go on and get properly dressed." Seifer pouted and put an arm around her waist.
"Aww, I was having fun too. We didn't even get to the unicycle." Squall on the other hand was all to glad to comply with Quistis's wish and sauntered off, the squeaking of his shoes echoing throughout the entire Garden. Rinoa walked up to the two.
"I can't thank you enough. Maybe this'll knock down a few more of his barriers."
"Or put a few more up. I'm never letting him live this down." Irvine said, patting his camera. Seifer nodded.
"You better send me some copies." He said.
"You got it!" Irvine, having spotted some cute girls to film, sauntered off. When Squall returned, Cid clinked a fork against his glass.
"Attention, attention everyone." Everyone around them went silent again. "I'd like to make a toast to the happy new couple. I'd like to wish them happiness and longevity, especially in their love. I admit, Seifer, I had my doubts about you. You were always so fiery, so unpredictable. But I suppose you turned out alright after all. Good luck to the two of you, Mr. and Mrs. Almasy." Everyone clapped at the end of his speech and Edea touched his arm affectionately. Selphie was the next to propose a toast.
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd get married, Quistis!" Everyone laughed and Quistis shot her a mock glare, even with a smile on her face. "But you were the first one of us to get married. I hope that you two are happy for the remainder of your lives and let them be long lives to boot! And if he ever hurts you…you let me know and I'll be all over his ass like…" Irvine grabbed Selphie's arm before she degenerated into a Seifer bashing speech.
"That's enough now." He said, taking the champagne away from her. Selphie pouted. Seifer stood up.
"I'd also like to make a toast…to my lovely and wonderful wife. I know I haven't been the best student, or the best person." He looked her in the eyes and said earnestly, "I know I've made some bad decisions, some that have affected everyone in here. And I've been an arrogant bastard most of the time. But my feelings have never changed for you, not since those days in the orphanage, when we came here…even when we fought. I've got my regrets, and who doesn't have regrets? But I never regret that I ended up finding you again and saving you, and loving you. If I had to go through it all again just to save you, I'd do it a thousand times just to see your eyes, your face, your smile and just to hold you again." There was a collective "awww" that went through the room and Quistis, almost in tears, reached up and kissed Seifer deeply. More clapping followed. The two of them embraced.
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The reception ended around early in the morning, when everyone was tired and wanted to go get some sleep. Only Seifer and Quistis remained, sitting at the edge of the Quad waiting for the sunrise. Quistis leaned gently against Seifer's chest, in his embrace. Seifer had his cheek to hers and the two could never have been happier.
"You look amazing in that dress, do you know that?" He whispered. Quistis giggled.
"I can't believe you got Squall to do that." She said. Seifer smirked.
"That'll be a few years worth of teasing at least." He replied. "I can't believe messenger girl threw up all over the cowboy."
"Ew, yeah, that was probably the worst part. Well, he was nice enough to carry her back to her dorm at least." The two sat in silence until Seifer broke it.
"So…what about children? You know I'm just dying to have a couple of little Seifers running around." Quistis blanched at the thought.
"Oh no…that would be terror on the entire Garden. I'd much rather have little Quistis's."
"Wonderful…little stuck up know it alls…" Seifer teased. Quistis smacked his leg.
"Hush you." She said. Seifer hugged her closer. He didn't care what their kids turned out like. With both of their parenting…it would turn out ok. He was sure of it. But for now, he couldn't be any happier. He thought back to how they first met, tentatively at the orphanage. He thought about how they grew up as children together and how they parted ways and came back together. He remembered the feeling of loss when the Omega Weapon took her and he was glad to have her there.
"We ought to thank Hyne." He said. "He brought me to you when I thought I had lost you." Quistis nodded and lifted her glass which was resting nearby. Seifer did the same.
"To Hyne." They toasted in chorus. Behind them, Synk took a glass from the table, watching the two bask in the early morning light and sipped a bit of champagne. He lifted his glass as well.
"To the both of you, for reminding me that love comes in many different forms and persists through time and space." He whispered and just before they turned around, he vanished.
"Did you hear something?" Quistis asked.
"Maybe…" Seifer smiled. "Yeah…but he's not quite social of a person." The two glanced knowingly at each other and turned back just as the sun broke across the horizon, basking their faces in the warm light of their new morning.
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Fin
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EverShadow: Wow…this…this fanfic has really been a pleasure to write. It's taken me quite a while to finish this but I'm glad I did in the end. I'm taking a different direction with my favorite character, Quistis, in my more recent fanfic (though it's not recent at all) "King's Heart." Be warned, it's nowhere near Quifer, it's rather a QuiXu, so if you're interested in that…check it out. EverShadow signing off for the last time.