XIV – The sorceress and her knight

Disclaimer: I don't own Seifer or Fujin. But I own Temera and its characters

A.N.: So guys, last but one chapter now . Hope ya like it

"Seifer!" Shocked to the bone, she searched for his pulse. Weak. Much too weak for someone like Seifer. "Seifer, damn it, don't do this to me, you hear me?"

"Like I have the choice…." Feeling her shiver from his words, he opened his eyes again slowly. The tears on her face made him smile sadly. "Hey… why are you crying? Let this foolish bastard get what he deserves."

"You are no foolish bastard, damn it!" She couldn't tell whether it was some damn reflex or the frightening thought of him just leaving her like that which made her pulling him closer. She had never, never in her life hugged anybody. Not even her beloved brother, Raijin. Still, it felt good to have her head rest on his shoulder and his on hers. "If you die like that, disciplinary committee will be gone forever, you know."

"Will it?" Another smile crept across his lips. "God, Fujin, I'm sorry. I treated you and Raijin like slaves for the last ten years. Foda's right about that." When she shook her head in protest, he laid a finger on her lips, to keep her silent. "I did, Fuu. I'm totally aware of that. Give me Hyperion. Please."

"What?" Totally confused now, she pulled back again and tried to look straight into his face. "Seifer, what-?"

"Hyperion, Fuu." As he felt the cold metal in hands again, he stumbled back a few steps, before shooting one bullet into the sky, where it exploded in a mixture of red colours. No one would mistake that for simple northern lights.

"Flares…."

Smiling at her stunned face, he sank down at the trunk of a tree again. "I took one with me. Just in case…"

"Seifer, this-"

"They'll find us, Fuu. If you don't want to leave me – fine. But I won't let you die here together with me. They'll get you out of here. That's all that matters."

When he closed his eyes again, she shook him slightly. "Seifer, damn it, wake up! You're not going to die here, got that? You just can't leave me alone like that!"

"Why alone?" Surprised that she was talking in longer sentences now and he in one-word-sentences, he giggled slightly. "You're not alone, Fuu. You've got Raijin."

"He's my brother and not my…" Swallowing the words, she turned away again. What was she supposed to say? Leader? Seifer was more than some leader. Boyfriend? No way in hell he would have dated her ever, so how did she even get the idea of calling him that? Wasn't he somehow a mix of both? Leader and boyfriend? The word that came to her mind again struck her like a bolt of lightning. Sighing, she sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder. "You're my knight, Seifer."

"I wish I was."

"No, really, you are."

"And you are my sorceress." When she glared at him confused, another smile flickered across his lips. "Well… didn't they always call you witch, demon, whatever?" As she smiled back faintly, he closed his eyes again. "Do me a favour, Fuu, please. Don't go. Don't leave me alone. Stay here."

Totally startled now, she turned to stare at him again, but his eyes had already closed. She could feel he was still alive, still breathing, but she could also feel that pain and cold made his body weaker with every second. But what really got her worried, was the expression of his face. There was the usual Almasy-dignity, yes. There was dignity, pride and lots of concentration, but she also found something new about it. Something she would never have connected with Seifer.

Fear.

It was hard to believe, even for her, but he, Seifer Almasy, leader of the disciplinary committee, Seifer the heartless heartbreaker, was afraid. The man who was said to be one of the bravest cadets of Balamb Garden. His eyes were closed, but still she could see the fear in them. But what the hell was he scared of?

Freezing to death near some godforsaken mountain village? No. Seifer was not afraid of death, she knew. He was a man who'd face it with the same courage with which he faced every goddamn monster.

Dying as a loser? Since defeated by Leonhardt, the word echoed in his head, she knew. Loser. It was his personal nightmare. Or at least, that was what everyone had always thought. Now that she saw him, she simply couldn't believe it.

Loneliness? Slowly, Fujin felt her body shiver, too. She remembered the times when she had read about psychological phenomena and how childhood could form a human being. She hadn't known why she had always been interested in such stuff until she had met Foda. She had also read about how people who had never experienced real love, people who had lost their family and all their friends, often wandered from person to person just to find someone to stick with.

Seifer had been wandering around lots of times, she knew. And she also knew that he had been raised in Edea's orphanage, that he had always been the bad guy. Without real parents, without real friends. Was this Seifer's most horrible nightmare? To die without having found someone?

"Hey, you're not alone, Seifer, you hear me." The hell with her own life. It was junk anyway. Slowly, she moved her arms around him again and drew him closer. The cold from his body immediately made her shiver, but she knew that her own warmth would at least keep him alive for a few more minutes. Content, she rested her head on his shoulder again.

"You're not gonna die alone, Seifer. I won't let you alone. Promise. My brave knight."

A.N.: Sooooooooo, as you've probably realised, we're shortly before the end . Next chapter will be the last, so watch out for updates - Thanks again to all my reviewers. You guys are great.