Disclaimer: Square Enix, not mine.

Warning: Will contain shonen ai, maybe yaoi if rating goes up. Seifer/Squall. Some swearing.

GothicAngelEyeS: I don't know why, but i have a soft spot for Quistis as well, and you can see it in my fics. Congrats on your marks!

Hikari Heijin: Who would of thought brownies were so bad for you...

Konekomh: I'm pretty sure there's going to be some snuggling, and maybe a bit more... ;-)

Verdiani: Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it.

Unity-Song: So close yet so far...

Redrum: I got the image of Seifer swiping at Squall's hair in my head one night, and just had to put it in somewhere. (It's what inspired me to write this chapter, i just couldn't finish my essays with it in my head! ;-) )

Chapter 6

'Great idea Seifer, real great. Ow!'

Squall shifted his bag to his other shoulder.

"Fuck this thing is heavy."

Quistis smiled at the grumbling brunette.

"You know Squall, if you used both straps at the same time like you're meant to, then it wouldn't be so heavy. Now stop grumbling like the paper pusher you've become and take it like a man."

Squall glared at the laughing blonde.

"Ah shut up. I'm sure that the bag's heavier than it should be."

"We'll check it out we get to the site. I'm going up front to take over from Instructor Apen. You going to be alright back here?"

Squall just grunted as he shifted the bag again.

'Ow! What the hell you doing Squall? Bloody jumping in the streams or something?'

Quistis smiled and rushed up to the front of the group, smiling encouragingly at the tired cadets.

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Squall shifted the bag for a third time.

"Fuck!"

Squall dropped his bag down onto the ground and reefed the zipper open. Green eyes stared up at him from the depths. Squall silently pulled his cat out of the bag, shock clearly written on his face.

'Heh heh, hi Squall.'

"Meow."

"What hell are you doing in there Almasy?" Squall sighed.

"Well that explains the extra weight. When we get back, I'm putting you on a diet."

Squall placed Seifer back into the bag, leaving the zippers open at the top.

"You'll just have to stay in there for now. Really, you're quite a stupid cat sometimes."

'Hey!'

Squall carefully placed the bag onto his back, and set off to catch up with the others.

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Quistis waited at the end of the clearing.

'Really Squall, it shouldn't take you that long.'

Quistis caught sight of the brunette carefully making his way over.

"Sorry Quistis. You're not going to believe why my bag's so heavy."

"Meow."

Quistis stared at the furry head poking out the top of Squalls' bag.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope. He must have climbed in this morning when I was doing my final check and got stuck, though I'm surprised that he didn't make any noise."

Quistis sighed and shook her head.

"Really Squall, that cat is like way too attached to you. It's always within a few meters of you wherever you go."

"Well, I can't do anything about it now. It will give the cadets a good laugh at least."

"Meow."

Seifer slithered out of the bag and jumped to the ground, pleased that he had managed to pull his little stunt off.

'Now, where's that bitch of a sorceress?'

Seifer scanned the camp, ignoring the giggles from the young cadets as they spotted the commander's cat.

'There she is.'

Seifer spotted the deceptive sorceress sitting with a group of newly recruited Treppies.

'Treppies huh? Better keep an eye on Quistis then.'

"Hey Squall. I'm heading out with some cadets to gather the firewood needed for the next exercise," Quistis called out.

"Sure thing."

Quistis walked over to the bunch of treppies, the only people who would jump at doing any boring jobs, just as long as it was with her.

'Why did I get stuck with the crazies?'

"Right, I need some volunteers to come and collect up some firewood."

All hands shot up.

"Fine then, come with me."

Seifer followed close behind.

"Instructor Trepe, would it be better if we split up into pairs? We would gather more firewood that way," Jewel's voice rang out. Quistis smiled at the cadet.

"Good idea Jewel. Right people; split yourselves up into teams of two. Jewel, you can be with me."

Jewel smiled at her good fortune.

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Seifer split off from the main group, focusing on following Quistis and Jewel through the forest.

'Why me? I could be back in my room, curled up on my pillow and sleeping peacefully, but no, I had to come out to the forest, filled with big scary monsters, following an evil sorceress. So much fun.'

Jumping over a root, Seifer kept the two females in sight.

'I must admit, she's quite good, but not good enough.'

"Instructor Treppe! How about we look over that way? There seems to be plenty of fallen brunches there."

"Sure thing."

Ultimecia smiled. She had spent the whole of the previous night going over maps of the area, memorising the terrain, and if she was correct, there was a hidden ravine nearby.

'Too bad Quistis wasn't watching where she was going. A terrible accident to befall one of the Great Heroes.'

Continuing unsuspectingly, Quistis gathered a small load of twigs, just noticing the edge of the small cliff.

"Careful Jewel of the AH!"

'Watch out Quistis!'

Seifer watched in horror as Ultimecia reached out and gave Qusitis a firm push.

'No!'

"MEOW HISS!"

Seifer leapt with all claws out, landing on top of Jewel and reaching his paw out helplessly for Quistis. If he had been human, he would have caught her, but instead he watched her eyes widen in surprise as she tumbled backwards over the edge.

'No! Quistis!'

"MEOW! HISS! MEOW!"

"AH! Get off me you wretched thing! How dare you interfere, worthless knight of mine!"

'I'm not your knight!'

"MEOW!"

Quistis cracked her eye open as she heard the ruckus from up above her.

'Worthless knight? Seifer? Ultimecia?' An image of the cat reaching out to grab her fluttered across her mind as she fell into unconsciousness.

'Seifer...'

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Squall ran towards the shrieks.

'Hyne, what the fucks going on?'

Squall ran into the small clearing, finding Jewel in the process of ripping Almasy off, who was slashing out like there was no tomorrow. The young cadet was covered in scratches and looking not too pleased.

"What's going on!"

Both cadet and cat stopped their struggle and stared at the angry brunette.

"Meow!"

Seifer jumped down and ran over the ledge, looking up towards Squall.

'C'mon Squall! Quistis is down there and she needs help!'

"Meow!"

Squall walked over to his cat.

"What now... holy shit!"

"You!" he thundered to a nearby cadet. "Get back to camp and tell instructor Apen to radio for help now. Quistis is badly injured and requires urgent medical assistance. MOVE IT!"

He snapped his head around to face Jewel.

"You will remain where you are until I come and talk to you. Is that clear?"

Jewel just nodded her head as Squall hunted around for a safe way to get down to Quistis. Sliding down an overgrown track, Squall ran over to Quistis, followed closely by Seifer.

"Quistis. Quistis. Can you hear me?"

No response.

Squall checked for her pulse.

'A little erratic, but it might be from the pain she'll be in. She's still breathing, which is always a good sign.'

Squall quickly cast cura over the blonde.

'Nothing else we can do until we get her back to Garden.'

Seifer stared down at the unconscious blonde.

'I'm sorry Quistis.'

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"How is she?"

"She has quite a few broken bones and bruises, but otherwise she'll live. She's still sleeping so try not to disturb her."

Squall nodded.

"Thank you doctor."

Squall glanced over towards Quistis, sleeping soundly in the hospital bed; Almasy curled up next to her.

'Almasy? How did he... a fuck it.'

In no mood to work out his cat's uncanny way of appearing in the weirdest places, he took a seat in the chair next to Quistis. He had called the others and Edea, who dropped everything to make her way to Garden.

'Fuck.'

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Seifer snuggled up to Quistis.

'I'm sorry for failing you Quistis. I should of done something sooner.'

"Ow," Quistis moaned softly.

"Quistis."

Quistis opened her eyes, blinded for a second by the bright lights. Feeling her pillow move, she turned to face the cat next to her.

"Don't worry Seifer, you did your best."

Quistis closed her eyes.

"Quistis?" Squall called out, nudging the blonde gently, but she had drifted off again.

Squall stared, perplexed.

'Seifer? Maybe she got confused by the name Almasy.'

Seeing Dr K quietly motioning to him, he grabbed his cat and made his way out.

Seifer stared at Quistis.

'Hyne, she knows.'

Seifer gave the sleeping blonde a quick nudge.

'Don't worry, I'll find someway of warning Squall. Just rest up.'

Squall reached across.

"C'mon kitty. We need to go and speck to the other's before Edea gets here."

"Meow."

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Squall looked at the group in front of him.

"What happened out there Squall?" Irvine asked, cradling a crying Selphie in his arms.

"Well cadet Jewel said that Almasy pounced onto Quistis, startling her and causing her to fall backwards into the ravine, but if that was true, then there would be claw marks on her, but there's none." Squall debated wether to tell the group about what Quistis had said in the infirmary.

'Na, it was just the morphine speaking. No need for them to know.'

"Damn," Zell said, slumping across the couch. Seifer stared curiously at the blonde.

'Something's wrong about him, but what?'

"You've got that right. That leaves only Jewel. Quistis isn't stupid enough to just walk off a cliff like that."

"I guess we just have to wait until Quistis wakes up then, Rinoa said, staring out the window in boredom.

"How did you know that she fell? The ravine was quite well hidden. You had to be on top of it to see it," Selphie sniffled.

"Almasy actually. When I arrived at the scene, he stopped attacking Jewel, ran over to the cliff edge, and started to make a racket. I went over to grab him and there was Quistis."

Zell stared at the cat, who was nosing around Squall's computer.

"Wow."

"You know what Squall, I think there's more that meets the eye with that cat," Irvine drawled.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, just things. The way he sometimes acts, it seems too human like. What I find most curious though is how he has been acting since you met Jewel. Such as how he went berserk at Jewel when you were organising her training, despite looking close to death a few minutes before. He stole the biscuits that Jewel gave Zell and threw them out the window, and before you say it Selphie, it was no accident. That cat deliberately dropped those biscuits. Did you realise that he follows you into the training centre whenever you have training with Jewel? Very strange if you ask me."

"It seems that a lot of things have been going weird since this Jewel came along," Zell said tiredly. Selphie looked over towards Zell, concern written across her face.

"You ok there Zell?"

"Yeah, just feeling a bit run down at the moment."

"Hey Squall, have you been teaching your mongrel some tricks?" Rinoa suddenly piped up, pointing towards the cat.

'Ok, if I remember rightly, this key is U, and this one is L...'

The gang watched in amazement as Almasy pressed key after key in a slow, meticulous process.

'Damn, it would so much easier if I could read the stupid buttons. Who's the bloody idiot who thought that grey letters on black keys was the way to go?'

"Ah Squall, take a look at the screen," Selphie said slowly.

ultimecia is jewel would u drop the mongrel stuf its pising me offf

Squall stared at the cat, eyes widening.

"It wasn't just some rambling," Squall muttered in disbelief.

'Oh hyne oh man, that's Seifer I've been looking after all the time... fuck!'

Without another word, Squall took off, leaving the group in a daze as they stared at the screen.

Seifer jumped off that table and ran after the brunette.

'Squall!'

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Squall leaned on the railing in the secret room.

'Oh hyne, the cat was Seifer, it has to be. My rival, my...friend. All the things I said... he heard everything.' Squall blushed.

"Meow."

Squall looked down to see the cat standing at his feet.

'No, not cat. Seifer.'

"Is that you Seifer?"

The cat before him gave a very human like nod.

"Oh hyne..."

Squall slid down onto the floor, placing his head into his hands. Seifer walked over tentatively and nuzzled against Squall.

'Its ok Squall. Right now we have a sorceress to worry about.'

"How?"

"I did it to him, though if I had realised how annoying he was going to be I would of killed him instead," a cold voice rang out. Seifer hissed at the advancing figure.

Squall stared up at Jewel.

"You're Ultimecia..." his face darkened. "Change him back!"

"Sorry, no can do Leonhart," Ultimecia said, smiling down at the brunette.

"I've managed to gather much energy from your friend. I must admit, I was planning to wait a while until I had gathered more energy up, but a certain someone's interfering has caused me to speed things up."

'Zell!" The 3 SeeDs stared at the unconscious blonde.
"Zell, wake up!"

Ultimecia let out a harsh laugh. "I suppose you're wondering how I survived, worthless knight. It was just as surprising to me as it is to you. I was sure that I would of used the last of my powers on you, but I managed to save a tiny amount. As you know, a sorceress can not move on to the afterlife until her powers have been completely passed on. My body died, but I didn't. I drifted through time and space, a bodiless soul until I came across Jewel. Such a sweet girl, though her powers are weak. I took control of her, and eventually became her. Now I've come to finish you off. I will have this world as my own!"

'No!'

Seifer leapt towards the sorceress.

"Not this time kitty."

Seifer buckled in mid air as a wave of power flowed through him, sending him flying into the wall, landing in a heap. Squall stared at the lifeless form.

'No!'

"NO!"

Jumping to his feet, Squall grabbed the limp Seifer and dodged Ultimecia attack, knocking her to the ground. Squall continued past, helpless without his gunblade. Ultimecia laughed at the retreating commander.

"Run little SeeD, while you still can!"

Spotting Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa entering the training centre, Squall ran over to them.

"Quick! This way!"

Tensing up, the SeeDs leapt into action, but by the time they arrived at the secret room, it was too late – Ultimecia was gone.

AN: I'm not too sure how this chapter turned out. I just don't like the way I wrote it, but the changed version was worse :-(. Before anyone comments on the spelling in Seifer's message, it's meant to be like that. Remember to read and review.