Disclaimer: I do not own God, he simply works for me when he feels like existing.
Oh, wait…
Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters that belong to Square. Simply think of it as giving them depth.
Mini-Disclaimer: I did not find the words Adel speaks (sorta), I found them on Eoko and Kitty's website. It's under theories section or whatnot, and it made sense to me.
Warnings: Sap. Sap Sap Sap. Sap. Sap. Sap. Sap. Angst. Fluff. Sap. Sap. Sap. Sap. Shonnen-ai, sap, sap sap. Yeah, it was a very emotional time for me. Not really.
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Chapter 9
"Zell?"
Zell puked again, trying not to think about what had just happened. The servant walked in after Adel had left. The servant tried to pat his back, but Zell only glared at the cloaked man as he wiped his own mouth. "Don't touch me," he hissed, clenching his jaw. He hated this; he hated the way Adel could reduce him to begging, how Adel could reduce him to being nothing more than a whore version of himself. And this time, there were no potions to blame it on, though Zell was tempted to blame it on the power inside him.
"Milady," the servant stated, trying to comfort him.
Thwack.
Zell's fist flew at the servant's face. Blood speckled onto the floor as the servant flew back, head hitting the tub with a sickening thud. The cloaked figure didn't move at all, and blood pooled underneath him.
The sorceress's stomach tightened as he realized what he had just done. The servant was only trying to help; help did not deserve that reaction. "Hey," Zell called out, worried.
No response. Sickened, Zell realized blood was spreading on the floor. Oh, shit, he'd just killed his only friend-like person here. He crawled over to the man, removing the hood to examine the wound.
It was Seifer.
Zell gasped, casting a curaga immediately. "Seifer?" he asked, pulling the knight to him. Seifer remained unconscious. "Oh, fuck, Seifer," Zell whispered. "I'm sorry." Zell started crying, Seifer hadn't left him at all.
But he knew the memory was real as well. Had Adel brought Seifer back? What…what had Adel thought, placing Seifer with him?
Tears fell onto his knight's face, allowing a pathway to consciousness to form. Green eyes opened. "I'm sorry," Zell cried. "I didn't know it was you."
"What?" Seifer asked, confused. With a start he realized the hood was off. He scrambled to place it back up, covering his face. He started up, but Zell pulled him down and the servant trembled as Zell took hold of the hood, placing it down. "Please, milady, don't-"
Zell silenced him with a kiss. Seifer closed his eyes, this felt familiar, like from something long ago. When Zell pulled away the knight actually made a noise, and Zell smiled. "You don't remember, do you?" Zell asked softly. Green eyes winced as Seifer tried.
Seifer swallowed. "I remember loving you," he admitted. "Trying to push down feelings that wouldn't leave." Zell had been crying, he realized, wiping away some tears. "Milady…" His sorceress was beautiful when he smiled, but Seifer had never thought that tears and smiling would look so wonderful together.
Letting him go, Zell gave the only instructions he ever wanted to give his knight. "Leave your hood down when we're alone," Zell told him. "Please?"
Seifer nodded incredulously. Zell didn't find him ugly or worthless. Zell had returned his affections. "Milady? Who am I to you?"
Zell smiled and kissed him again, suddenly not wanting to stop. Please, Hyne, don't make him stop, Seifer prayed. Zell pulled away, breathing heavily. Zell got up suddenly, leaving a very aroused servant on the floor. "I must have been someone important," Seifer whispered to himself, getting up and following Zell. He couldn't stand to be far away from him, even a room's length.
As soon as he stepped out, Zell was there, handing him the choker. The knight blinked. This wasn't his, he realized. What was his sorceress thinking? "But, milady, this is…"
"This is yours," Zell told him, trying to put it on, but he was far too short. The choker instead hit Seifer's neck and Seifer froze, then slowly grasped Zell's hand. Zell's face fell into sadness; he hoped desperately he hadn't hurt Seifer again. Seifer then placed the choker around his neck, staring at Zell. Zell looked up curiously. "Seifer?"
"Some dress you've got there, Chickenwuss," the man stated. "Fancy throwing a tea-party?"
Zell broke into a tearful grin as he flew into Seifer's arms, crying happily that his knight was back and that his knight had found him. The knight held him until the tears were replaced by kisses, and Zell forced the two on the bed. "Seifer," Zell whispered as if Seifer would break when exposed to high decibels. "My knight."
"My sorceress," Seifer told him, laughing. "Some power you've got there, that brings people back from the dead."
Zell blinked, the statement suddenly coming to a grim realization as his power floated back into him, no longer being used to protect Seifer's memories. "My power?"
Seifer poked his nose, drawing Zell closer. "Your power. One-hundred percent you." Zell smiled and snuggled into his knight's warmth. He forgot Adel, he forgot Odine, or the fact he was a prisoner. All he could remember was that Seifer was alive, and this was too his fault.
He'd never been happier at such a fact. "Seifer…" Zell smiled and pulled Seifer closer to him. "I've missed you so much…"
Seifer held him tightly, not wanting to ever let go. But his arms gave out and he was tired now, and he needed to plan an escape from this place with Zell. They could wait until SeeD arrived, he supposed, and sneak away in the chaos. Zell giggled.
"Thinking hard?"
Seifer let the thousands of sleazy remarks fly by his brain. "Yeah," he stated, resting his head on Zell's bangleless arm. Zell moved a bit to find that his knight had fallen asleep. Zell got up and kissed the sleeping blonde again, thinking that he might also nap later on. Seifer looked very cute like this.
Chuckling to himself, Zell placed the hood back on in case Adel returned and went to the door. It opened silently. Zell waved goodbye to his knight and shut the door.
"Waving to what, are we?" came a grumble and Zell turned to see a very, very angry Odine.
"I…" Zell trailed off as Odine cocked his head. "I…"
"You zhould not be outzide without your zervant!" Odine stated, pinning Zell against the door. "I heard you were very zick, zo I decided to zee what I could do."
"I'm better, now, Odine, enough to cast sleep." Zell gave a smile and Odine cocked an eyebrow. "I…I…" Zell needed a lie, and quick. "I wanted to see you." He stated, hitting himself in the head mentally afterwards.
Odine puffed out his chest a bit, a completely useless gesture for one who was always bent over. "Yez, well, that iz to be expected from my zorcerezz." Odine smiled and petted Zell's hair. "Do not worry, I have come to you."
Zell whispered something as he fell into Odine's chest, and Odine grinned. Odine, you dog, you ztill have it! "What was zat?" Odine asked huskily.
"Sleep," Zell whispered and Odine crumpled before his door. Zell pretended to dust off his hands and continued walking to his destination. "Zilly, zilly man," Zell mocked.
When he made it to Adel's room, he quietly pushed the door open. Adel wasn't in the room, and so Zell entered, still not sure if Adel was hiding or not.
Something was missing, he realized, looking at the cabinet. There wasn't anything calling him from there, so curiously Zell opened the door.
The ashes were gone.
Zell swallowed, suddenly. He didn't think he'd brought Adel's knight back to life; that would also cause a drain on his power, and that's the reason he'd come. Another helpful friend would have been wonderful, especially if Zell could bring the man to life. He shut the door and a hand placed itself on his shoulder. Zell froze and the hand started to caress his neck, just like Seifer had done.
"Seifer," Zell whispered and his knight kissed him softly behind the ear.
"Shh, Zell. Let's get back to your room." Seifer pulled back and went out of the door first, and Zell followed, head bowed. Seifer said nothing until they reached the crumpled body of Odine, and Seifer chuckled. "Nice."
"I know," Zell told him happily, and suddenly froze. There was a power in that room, and Zell knew it far too well. Seifer noted Zell's hesitation and replaced his hood as he opened the door.
It was Rinoa. She smiled and waved as Angelo gave several sharp wags of a tail. Zell smiled and rushed up to her, hugging the dog happily. "Angelo!" Zell cried. His hot-dog buddy was back with him and now the two could run to the cafeteria together and eat hundreds of hotdogs.
Seifer shut the door quietly. "How'd you get here, Rinoa?" he asked, and the weaker sorceress covered her mouth in surprise. Tears formed on her face as she walked up, removing the hood slowly. Zell and Angelo watched slightly smugly; Zell had known before she had, and Angelo had smelled it when Seifer walked into the room.
"You're…alive…" she whispered and Zell grinned, getting up. Suddenly Seifer was forced into a hug and Zell watched sadly as Seifer returned it. "You're okay, but how?"
"Zell," Seifer told her simply. "Zell's power brings the dead back to life." She turned and Zell shrugged, scratching his head. Seifer gave him a small smile as he let Rinoa go, and Rinoa hugged Zell this time.
"I was sooo worried!" She stated. "You contacted me and so SeeD let Seifer go with him, but he told SeeD to run as soon as he saw Adel. Squall stayed and watched Seifer die, he won't believe me, but-"
Zell was watching Seifer as Rinoa talked and she pulled away, understanding. "Oohh." She stated finally. "You're a couple, aren't you?"
Zell blushed as Seifer nodded, walking over to his sorceress. He held the younger blonde and placed his chin on Zell's head. "That's kind of what happens when you're knighted."
"Hey, I didn't think of it that way," Zell stated, and Seifer looked down at him. Zell sighed. "Okay, well I did, but I think…"
Rinoa giggled. "You two look cute enough. Come on, SeeD sent me so I could get you out in time. Squall's leading SeeD on Galbadia garden- they're not equipped to be as much of a learning center as we are, and we're attacking soon." Angelo gave a whine and Rinoa smiled at the two, leading her dog into the bathroom and closing the door.
"Seifer?" Zell asked softly as Seifer smiled. "Are we a couple? Really?" He turned around and Seifer kissed him lightly as an answer.
"I'd like that," Seifer told him, "having died over you."
Zell smiled and tears started to come again as he held Seifer tightly. "I'm glad," he whispered. "I would have died if you hadn't come back."
Seifer squeezed Zell softly. "I love you, Zell," he told the sorceress, and Zell smiled as he sighed, hiccupping.
"I love you too," he stated happily, snuggling into Seifer's chest. The knight smiled and kissed Zell's forehead softly. (1)
"Zell…" Seifer told him. "We've got to go." Rinoa opened the door as Angelo flushed the toilet like a good puppy and the two smiled.
"Let's get out of here. The servants obey a sorceress, so I could slip in this way. Who clocked Odine?" Zell raised his hand sheepishly, still being held. "Good job," Rinoa congratulated, and took a step forward. Angelo gave a whine, growling at the door. Zell suddenly stepped in front of the blue-clad girl.
A flare burst through the door, with a very, very angry Adel on the other side. Zell had a shell on him instantly, and Seifer wished for his weapon. Rinoa casted a haste on Angelo. "Get help," she told her loyal friend who dashed off faster than Zell could.
"You've been very naughty," Adel stated, casting another huge wave of magic. Rinoa gritted her teeth as she felt her hastes slip away from her. Zell managed to protect the group again, and Seifer turned to Rinoa.
"Give me a GF," Seifer told her, and Rinoa let Pandemona slip into Seifer's mind. Pandemona used to be Fujin's, so he knew the GF on a name on name basis. Still the links would take some time to form. Odine had slipped away, Seifer noted, and Rinoa casted a haste on the party.
Zell nodded his thanks and sent a wave of Ultima at Adel, who flung it away. Zell paused. Adel shouldn't have been this strong! Adel simply pointed at Rinoa as his power suddenly flared up like a great snake behind him, slamming into her. She let out a scream as it shattered her shell and slammed her into the wall. The power, satisfied that it had done a good job, retreated to its position behind Adel.
"They will kill me, and I will not return," Adel stated quietly. Seifer returned to junctioning as he felt the castle shake. SeeD was bombing the place. Adel turned to Seifer and his face grew angry. "You come back from the dead, but you will not return!" Adel shouted and the legendary sorceress's power gathered, preparing to throw all of itself at Seifer. Seifer started a summon.
Zell cast a reflect at Seifer, trying to do the same with his power, but it was already strained. Zell needed rest, and he couldn't match the intensity that Adel had at the moment. / Run, you idiot!. / . Looking for the source of the voice, Zell noted the necklace around Adel's neck, one of several. It looked a lot like a vial and… oh, hyne, Zell knew what had happened to the ashes.
The power flew at Seifer, and Zell strained to make his power protect his knight. The two collided, leaving everyone blind for several seconds.
When it was over, Adel was standing. His power had gotten through Zell's shield, shattering the younger sorceress's power and rendering Zell unconscious. The shield had worked to some degree, Seifer was trembling over his fallen sorceress's form. The girl gave a moan and Adel kicked the knight, ready to attack again.
They were coming, Adel remembered angrily. He had no time to loose, and he picked up his boy, watching as the knight rushed him. It was a pitiful attempt and Adel managed to throw the blonde knight into the wall next to the weak sorceress. "We will not return," Adel said somberly and hauled the boy over his shoulder, stepping out the door.
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Blame this sappiness on listening to FFVIII soundtrack, "love grows" and "eyes on me".
Again with the mini-disclaimer.
The words from Adel are actually from Eoko and Kitty's website, under the theories section. I thought it was a good point, so I used it. Many thanks, otherwise there would be a non-talking Adel.
There. I've quoted my sources, teacher, can I go now?
See you soon! One more chapter till the end!