disclaimer, I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of the charactors pertrayed withing.

Seifer... where did you go... why did you leave us... I'm lost... where did you go... it hurts seifer... it hurts so bad...

she lay on the floor curled tightly her arms lax laying on the ground her eye stareing forward at nothing hier legs scrunched to her chest as her pale skin on her cheek slowly became flush as tears spilled from her eye in a flow her small lethe body wracked with the sobs as she slowly drew her long thin arms into her chest hugging herself as she cried into the empty small dingy apartment she had rented from a nice man who had offered to let her work off the rent in his store but every day grew longer each tick of the clock a whip against her back each tock a knife in her side. she had not seen her friends in so long... who was she kidding... she had no friends... only lost memories. no one cared for her... they never had, she had always been on her own... she had been an orphan like so many others but she had never fit in she was different, her vioce had always been broken since a sickness when she was still so young but this problem only added to her troubles, she slowly sniffled and tried to rise to her hands and knees her every muscle rebelled against the movement any movement as she worked to one knee her head bowed as tears still dripped from her chin and she sniffled and wiped her eye it had been a year... 365 days today... so long... since she had seen anyone she knew... she felt her heart tighten in her chest and brought her calloused hands to her face as she again broke into tears she missed him so much... she thought about his last words to her...

I'll come back. you see. they can't beat me, they never could. you'll see...

and he had left her there standing with Rajin... Rajin... agauin tears broke her as she cried out in hoarse pain deep within her bleeding heart the darkness of her life again overwhelming her as she remembered her brother... he was never the smartest but he tried so hard... he had always been there even before Seifer trying to make her feel better trying to make the bullies go away and protect her she wrapped her arms around herself as she fell against the wall and slowly slid down to settle on the floor her vision blurred and distroted as she remembered him and his goofy yet charming personality... then she remembered that night... he had been so close...

get back from her, I'll beat you into pulp!

he stood up barring the men... soldiers... Esthar as they cornered them in the alley he spread his arms in front of her stareing them down

I won't let you hurt her ya know that? I won't!

then he had ran at them with his staff he tried so hard he fought so hard so I could escape and I ran... I ran from them as I looked back I saw them overwhelm him I saw him look up at me and smile as they put the gun to his head and... she could not continue the thought, it hurt so bad... the image of it forever engraved in her mind as he mouthed his last words to her

goodbye.. my friend...

she slowly stood again, there was only so much on soul could carry before they were crushed under the weight of thier past, she had reached it so long ago as she slowly walked into the bathroom looking at her now short silver hair and ran her fingers through it slowly her hand comeing to rest on the eyepatch she had had for so long and her hand dropped to the counter next to her other one as she looked down into the stained porcieline bowl and leaned forward onto her palms as she watched the small orbs of water trickle from her nose and slowly drop to the bowl as she pulled on hand back and opened a drawer on the cabinet and pulled out a small thin piece of gleaming metal as she looked at the tiny razorblade she thought to herself about her friends... her only friends... her lost friends... she would never see either of them again as she began to tear again she slowly turned it over in her hand and brought it down to her arm and slowly dragged the blade up her arm long and deep as the dark fluid spilled from her arm she watched as she took the stained blade and again pulled it along as it easily parted skin and vessle letting the pain flow away as she slowly sunk to the floor a warmness swept through her body as she teared and there in her vision he stood in his long white overcoat with the red cross his arms open... he mouthed words and she tried to speak tried to call out to him as he just smiled and stood she reached out to him her mouth trying to form words as he just smiled and waited for her and then Rajin he was there his hand on Seifer's shoulder as he mouthed the words

we've been waiting for you for so long... where have you been? we've been looking for you ya know?

she smiled and slowly mouthed the word "Found" as seifer came forward and knelt down and slightly kissed her as the warmth slowly died away she could hear her heartbeat in her ears as he smiled his lips moveing

I'm back, we can all be together, just come with us, we'll take care of you... you don't have to worry anymore...

she smiled through the tears the first time in so long she smiled and reached out for him as she slowly faded away and felt herself come forward and embrace him and Rajin she was home... she had found them... only a small distance away

we missed you...

The next day the news came on qas normal, "body of Young woman found in her apartment aparent suicide the body identified as Fujin last name unavailible her body was brought to the morge for assessment today..."

so good to be home...

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it needwed to be written, sadness finds us all sometimes and sometimes more than others. just remember those who have been lost and may god rest thier souls, they have endured enough.

with forethought and hindsight,

-The Last Harelquin