That was… love? Quistis thought to herself, passing a look at the handsome man catching his breath laying next to her in her usually lonely bed.
"You haven't answered my question." Quistis reached out to him again, biting his lips.
"Which one?" Seifer replied back with another kiss, his hand grabbed her head to move her closer.
"Should I correct people… that you're my boyfriend?" Quistis bit her lips. She was not the type to ask for this kind of question, it sounded weird coming out from her, even after they had just proven their feelings with passion.
"I don't want to be your boyfriend," Seifer released her, replying so clearly that Quistis was unable to find an explanation.
"… What?" she asked, confuse in her look as Seifer parted the bed, put on some clothes and reached out for his trench coat on the floor. "Seriously? Are you leaving now?" Quistis felt her confidence shatter along with her heart. He wouldn't turn his back away now he got her love, would he? It felt so real, at least to her. After they had proven they could have died for each other, he wouldn't return to the bad boy version at this worst possible moment, would he? She reflectively reached for a thin blanket and covered her chest, wanting to protect it from a potential upcoming heartbreak.
Just as he saw her frozen face, he reassured, "No way, unless you ask me to. Hold on, I have a gift for you."
Seifer came back and kneeled down next to the bed, raised her hand and took out a shiny object he had prepared for the night. "I meant to give this to you for a while. I've been struggling to find the right moment. But now, I'd say... forget any plans. Our lives so far haven't gone according to plan anyway, right? But I'm giving this to you, without any pressure, if you choose not to label us. I give you this because... it used to belong to my mom. I hate the feeling of instability, of nothing being permanent. Now I hate it. I'm tired of playing guessing games, tired of the fear of rejection. So you keep it, alright? Keep it and know that my feelings for you are permanent. I'll say it again: I'd die for you, I'd run to you whenever you need me, no matter who you decide to spend your life with. I'm... happy for you, as long as you're alive and happy."
Seifer wrapped her hand around the ring for her to squeeze it as he spoke, his words not quite coherent.
Quistis opened her palm and looked at the beautiful, golden ring with scratches that showed the passage of time. He had given her a sacred gift from his late mother. Quistis felt the urge to end Seifer's struggle to find the right words.
"Thank you! It's beautiful," she said, holding the ring with her fingers. "Can you help me put it on?"
Seifer felt a wave of happiness wash over his heart. He assisted her in putting on the ring, which fit perfectly on her ring finger.
Quistis wanted to reciprocate his affection. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her level, keeping a short distance between their lips. Seifer couldn't help but fix his gaze on her inviting lips, unable to maintain any distance.
"So, just to be clear, you don't want to be my boyfriend?" Quistis teased, her lips parted in a playful and inviting way.
Seifer smiled, climbed back to bed and kissed her passionately. From this moment, as he revealed himself and his feelings to her, he felt so relieved that she also felt the same way. He wanted to give her again all the love he could have.
"Say, do you want to follow Zabac's tradition?" Quistis turned her head to Seifer, who was spooning her. "Husbands take their wives' last names, correct? So... Mr. Seifer Trepe?"
Seifer chuckled at the odd combination of their names. "You're terrible at anthropology, Instructor Trepe. Please don't teach your students that half-truth. It's only true if a Zabac man marries a Zabac woman, then yes, they have to adopt the woman's clan name. But you're no..."
Zabac. Seifer didn't finish his sentence out loud. Quistis also noticed his uncertain assumption, recalling their time at Shumi Village. [1]
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Quistis asked reluctantly.
"No!" Seifer almost yelled, rejecting any idea that was brewing in her mind.
Quistis paused for a moment but decided to press on.
"The Moombas always shout the same word, 'Luluna,' whenever they see us. And you mentioned that 'Luluna' is a common name among Zabac's descendants. I also... have similar hair and eye colors to you..." She presented these facts.
"No, Quisty, no..." Seifer shook his head vigorously. "I grew up with my parents before the orphanage, remember? They wouldn't have given you up and kept me for five years before dropping me off too. It doesn't make sense."
"Well, it's an orphanage. Maybe we're not siblings, but what if I'm your cousin?"
Seifer didn't respond to Quistis. The idea seemed crazy to him, especially after they had just made love. He regretted teasing her about the incest joke back in Shumi Village, as it had now planted this insane thought in her mind. [1]
"A quick DNA test would settle it, you know?" Quistis lightly suggested.
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Drop it, Quisty. There's no way we're related. Let's just get some sleep!"
"I have a lab right next door..."
"For Hyne's sake!" Seifer sighed. "Can't this wait until morning?"
This time, Quistis paused. Her silence made Seifer realize that her curiosity would keep her awake all night.
"Fine... if you can't sleep, then I can't sleep either, can I?" Seifer relented.
"I'll be quick!" Quistis felt a mix of happiness and fear as Seifer agreed to the idea. She wrapped the blanket around her body and headed into her study room.
"Wait... You're serious about having a lab right here? Not in the hallway, but right in your residence unit?"
"Reading Martine's research on magic puppets has been so much more interesting than our garden's on low-level monsters", Quistis returned wearing her nerdy glasses and directing a flashlight at his eyes. "Just a little prick, Mr. Almasy..."
"Ouch!" Seifer yelped as she pricked his finger with the blood test kit.
"Really? You're afraid of needles?" Quistis teased.
"No!" Seifer retorted. "I'm just creeped out by the way you hold it, like a freaking Tonberry!"
Quistis chuckled at Seifer's metaphor, observing herself dressed in a loose blanket, wearing thick glasses, and holding a syringe in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
"Sorry for scaring you. Normally, DNA testing only requires a cheek swab. But since we've exchanged quite a lot of saliva tonight, I thought this would be more accurate."
As she carried his sample back to her study, with a computer already on, he interrupted.
"Wait, why don't you analyze your own blood first?"
"What difference would that make? We need both samples for relationship DNA testing anyway," Quistis asked.
"I don't know... Maybe yours could reveal which clan your ancestors come from and save us from a potential heart attack?" Seifer explained, and Quistis nodded in agreement.
"Uhm… I see your point…" Quistis couldn't deny that Seifer was a quick decision maker despite his notorious rule-breaking nature.
However, there was a small problem. Quistis held the blood test kit to her own fingertips and closed her eyes.
"I can't do this to myself…"
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Really? Just a little prick, Miss Trepe?"
She playfully stuck out her tongue, something that Trepies would die to see.
"Does the fear of needles run in the family?" She teased.
"Oh, please!" Seifer swiftly pricked her finger, causing her to scream. He had to hold her and blow on the bleeding finger. "I told you, this is pointless. Why are you torturing yourself in the middle of the night when we could be sleeping peacefully?" Seifer questioned.
"The truth, Seifer. How can you sleep knowing that we might be related and having..."
"I wouldn't mind, honestly..." Seifer blurted out, but as Quistis rolled her eyes at him like an animal, he gave in once again. "But if you do, fine..."
Quistis inserted her sample and began typing on the screen.
"Okay, moment of truth…"
The computer screen instantly displayed her DNA analysis, catching them off guard with the result.
Zabac: 20%
Innooit: 12%
…
Oh! For fck's sake. Literally.* Seifer thought, placing his palm on his face.
"Oops... I'm also..." Quistis's mouth hung open in disbelief. She was indeed a Zabac, just like him. Their tribe was believed to have been wiped out during an ancient Lunar Cry that struck Centra.
"Do it!" Seifer handed her his own sample.
Quistis slowly and shakily inserted it into the machine, this time programming a compatibility test.
"You're 55% Zabac. Quite pure..." she commented, trying to bring up a glimmer of hope.
The computer screen continued to flash.
"Is it done yet?" Seifer grew impatient.
"Not yet. It has to analyze a series of markers like STRs and SNPs..."
"Yeah, I remember from Aki's genetics class. Short Tandem Repeats and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. By the way, did he ever get married? I hope his children don't inherit his caterpillar eyebrows."
Quistis was surprised at his memory.
"You remember these scientific abbreviations yet refer to people as 'bacon boy', 'redhead', and 'chicken-wuss'?"
"Their names make zero sense. Easier to remember them that way. Like, what does 'Quistis' mean?" Seifer explained. Perhaps he had a disability in remembering people's names, but he didn't really care. Some found his alternative nicknames more intimate and not at all offensive.
"Hyne. So what do you call me then?"
"What?" Seifer looked away from her, wanted to dodge the question.
"My nickname? From you. What is it?" She pressed.
"Um... you probably wouldn't want to hear it."
"Really, Seifer? What could be even more inappropriate than what I've already heard from you?"
"You'd definitely kick me in the balls if you heard it. I'll wait until you're in casts again to be safe." He smiled at her, gently caressing her bare shoulders.
"How dysfunctional we are!" Quistis exclaimed, realizing the absurdity of their relationship.
"Or I'll tell you after our wedding when you can't run away."
"There may not be one if…" Quistis pointed to the flashing screen, which suddenly popped up the result.
"20%? That seems... significant?" Seifer asked, his voice trembling, while Quistis printed out more pages filled with numbers and figures.
"Not really. Direct siblings should have around 99% compatibility. I'm checking the threshold for distant cousins…"
Seifer held his breath as Quistis sketched something on paper.
"I think we're in the clear. We're not closely related," she announced.
Seifer sighed in relief and quickly carried her back to bed. "You owe Mr. Seifer Trepe a lot of cuddling for wasting half an hour of his life in terror."
Quistis burst into laughter. "Trepe was my foster parents' last name. We need to find my real last name. Who knows? Almasy was a popular one in Zabac. You might even get to keep yours."
"Anyway," he looked tenderly into her eyes, "we'll share the same last name, whichever one you choose, yeah?"
"Yes." She nodded like a kitten.
Seifer sealed their joyous moment with a kiss, relishing the success of his proposal. Quistis ran her fingers through his hair and drew him nearer before reaching for her glasses.
"Keep them on," he whispered, causing her cheeks to flush.
And so, the tale of two fated children who managed to find each other, grow up together, fight against each other, and ultimately fight together, concluded with their ultimate reunion and the beginning of their own family.
Phone call from Balamb Garden to Galbadia Army.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing well. You've asked a million times, Seifer."
"No morning sickness, no fatigue?"
"No, not all pregnancies are the same. I'm strong, that might explain it."
"Not like you're hiding your fatigue just to cram in more work before your maternity leave?"
"I knew you would say that! Definitely not. Am I that much of a workaholic to you?"
"Well, don't work too hard. I know I sound kind of selfish. It's my fault too for getting you pregnant right after you got the job."
"Seifer, our child is not anyone's fault. I love the news, we'll do this together."
"I know. I'll do my best for you and... well, if only you go for a doctor's check-up once and find out the gender. It's kind of hard to find a pronoun here."
"Aren't you the expert in making up names?" Quistis chuckled. "I don't want to know the gender. Galbadia is sexist enough, and I hate having to answer everyone's questions on our child's gender. And then I'd have to deal with people saying, 'Oh, he would be a great soldier' or 'Wonderful, she could stay in the infirmary unit'."
"Nonsense. Our child will be brilliant. He could be a smart doctor, or she would make a great SeeD like her mom."
"I know, right? And don't worry... I have my medical equipment in my residence unit. I know our child is healthy."
"Just go for a check-up if anything unusual happens, okay? Thinking of names… how about something that reminds us of our childhood? Your ass landed on me the first time on Zell's birthday, and you were wearing blue panties... Blupan?"
"Oh Hyne, good luck explaining the name to him or her."
"I'll think of something. Anyway, I just met with your fangirl #23, and she confirmed that she'll give us a room her in Garden in case I can't finish remodeling Bacon Boy's house on time. And Matron is coming over whenever you're due." Seifer got a great deal from Raddie's family, who was willing to sell one of their properties to Seifer and Quistis at a ridiculously low price, for the obvious reason that without Quistis, the boy wouldn't have survived.
"Thank you for taking care of that."
"That's the least I can do. I'm happy to take on the support role for you to come back to work. Whatever path you choose, Vice General Trepe, let's make our child proud. Besides, I'm the better cook anyway."
"That works out nicely... I have to admit, I never imagined you to be..."
"A father figure? It's kind of hard to believe for me too. Just six years ago, I was running wild. Thanks for turning me around."
"You're more than welcome. Is it my turn to go to Balamb this weekend?"
"No, I can go to Delling from now on, you stay there."
"Oh, almost forgot, I have a gift for you."
"What's that?"
"Remember the other day when Xu and I played Triple Triad and you asked about your card?"
"Yeah? Did you find it?"
"I did. It turned out Squall lost your card to Head General Caraway years ago when getting Rinoa's, and he didn't bother to retrieve it."
"Asshole. So, you defeated your boss for me?"
"He graciously handed yours over, calling it an early baby shower gift."
"Honorable man, unlike his son-in-law. Well, I meant to keep it a surprise, but since we're on the topic. I have just won your card, too. Looking sharp, Instructor Trepe."
"You won it from Squall? That's very sweet. When did you learn to play Triple Triad?"
"About two weeks ago, after you told me that puberty boy had your card. I asked Xu to teach me, although I have to admit she's a lousy instructor. I still struggle with the rules."
"So, how did you beat him then? Squall is a tough guy."
"He sure is, but my old dirty Fire trick still works. I beat the crap out of him in the training center and demand him to give my wife back."
"You did WHAT?" Quistis exclaimed, her voice rising.
"Quis, calm down, the baby."
"Why would you do that to Squall? What did he say?"
"Whatever."
"Whatever? Where on Earth is it ok to physically beat people and steal their cards?"
"I meant, he said 'whatever', he didn't care. He even seemed to enjoy it. He's right here; you can ask him yourself."
"Okay, okay. Well, thank you, though I think I should apologize to Squall in person and have a real match with him later," Quistis sighed.
"That'd work."
"I have to go now. I love you."
"Love you, too. Now go whip some asses! Wheepee!"
"Language!"
"Sorry! I'll tone it down."
"Yes, please, for the kids."
"Wow, plural. Gotta work harder."
"You better. Bye, Seify."
"Bye, Quisty."
Seifer could tell that Quistis smiled happily despite him messing with Squall.
"Thanks, mate!" Seifer turned to Squall, who was waiting outside the door.
"Don't mention it. Congratulations."
"Thanks… Keep it up, you and princess." Seifer nodded toward the Commander.
"…"
"Game, same time next week?" Seifer asked.
"Sure, anytime," Squall nodded.
Seifer left Balamb Garden and walked towards Balamb town, politely refusing Squall's offer for a ride. He wanted to walk the path to relive the memories of his time at Balamb Garden, the memories he once didn't want to recall. He passed by the Fire Cavern, a place where Quistis unfortunately had to assist him three times. Once, he was supposed to go with another instructor, but he dragged the poor instructor in the pit for more than an hour, so Quistis had to come to the rescue regardless.
He noticed that the entrance to the Fire Cavern looked different this time compared to when he had walked by here last month. Seifer briefly considered venturing into the lava pit with his Hyperion, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Firstly, there wouldn't be much magic or monsters there anymore since the redhead—no, now the whitehead, he corrected himself—had returned Earth's magic to Hyne. Secondly, he had better things to do now with Quistis and their new family, and involvement with the world of magic was the last thing on his list.
"Mr. Almasy…"
A female voice called out from behind him, suddenly interrupted his train of thoughts.
When he turned around, he was almost taken aback by the her appearance.
"Mr. Almasy... I know this sounds strange, but… please come with me. I really need your help... My friend, Napen, is injured, and only you can save him!" The young blond girl pleaded, her cerulean eyes welling up with tears.
"Who are you?"
"I... I can't tell you that unless you come with me. Please, there's no time to explain. He's dying..."
Seifer noticed that her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen, yet feeling oddly familiar.
"No... go back to your film set," Seifer said, walking away.
"Dad, please…" the girl hastily grabbed his hand.
Seifer stood frozen.
"What did you call me?"
"Dad… I'm your daughter."
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Quistis was his first, but he tried to recall if he had done anything foolish when getting drunk during his rebellious youth.
"Don't you see that I look exactly like Mom? Dad... Now that I've told you that, you really have to come with me. I'm sorry..."
"She's in shock! We need three more units of Rh+ AB. Hurry!"
"She's in shock again? What's happening?"
"Oh no... Why didn't we see this?"
"She never went for a check-up! Where's the absent husband? We need to get the consent forms signed."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You look like a teenager. How could you possibly be my daughter? With makeup and hair dye, anyone can look like her. Stop talking rubbish."
"I'm your not-yet-born daughter. Dad... that's right... oh, Hyne, I'm not supposed to reveal anything. I made that mistake once when I was at Shumi and taught the Moombas my name... But screw it, yes, I come from the future. We were ambushed by Ultimecia this time. She anticipated our time travel portal and waited for us, launching an attack. He's dying, and he needs your Knight Aura. We don't have time to waste!"
Shumi? Moombas? So her name is…
"That's... absurd. This world no longer has magic after it returned to Hyne. Ultimecia was defeated years ago." Seifer tried to convince her as well as himself with his words.
"No! Magic still exists! That I can prove…"
A light purple sphere emitted from her body, creating a shield around her.
"Mighty Guard… I'm also a blue mage like Mom. I can perform Bad Breath, Shockwave Pulsar, you name it, but I don't want to attract attention here. Do you believe me now?"
Seifer let his guard down.
"Your name?" Seifer asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Luluna. My name doesn't have a known meaning. My mom liked it because it came from Moombas. It's a bit complicated, but it has to do with a time loop and me traveling back to nerf Ultimecia. I taught Moombas my name during my stay at Shumi, shouldn't have done that — my mistake as it was my first time travel trip, but that was closing the loop," Luluna explained, her words flowing rapidly.
Luluna… Knight Aura…
Seifer's mind raced with memories and connections to his own experiences jumping in time portals in Mount Evalescent and to the future to fight Elutia.
"Mom said you had a knack for giving people names. You called her Quick Stick for some absurd reason," Luluna continued.
Quick Stick… I've never shared that with anyone else, even Fujin and Raijin…
"If you truly are who you claim to be... you should know about my Knight Aura and the consequences of using it," Seifer's voice deepened.
Luluna nodded, her expression filled with pain, indicating her understanding.
"And you speak of me in the past tense..."
Seifer felt a lump forming in his throat as he observed his wife's resemblance in Luluna's tearful face.
"Quistis isn't the only one with Blue Magic... Even if I were to believe your incredible story... who is this Napen that you're so determined to help, even if it means tearing our family apart?" Seifer desperately clung to the life he had built in the past year with Quistis.
Luluna responded, leaving Seifer speechless once again.
"And you expect me to buy that?"
Her story became more and more unbelievable.
"Dad... what can I say to make you believe me?" Frustration seeped into her voice. "Napen… his name… Mom said it was because both of you used to wear navy clothes, navy pants or something like that back at the orphanage. He hates the name, but he still likes wearing navy because of that..." Luluna rambled, trying to make a connection with Seifer.
Navy… Blue… Pants… Panty…
Seifer was thrown into another state of shock. He had promised Quistis that he would be a great father, and he had promised his unborn children a wonderful childhood. But now, to save their future, he wouldn't be able to keep those promises.
"Let's go..." he finally decided. "Let's save Napen."
Luluna burst into tears, embracing Seifer tightly. Slowly, he returned the embrace.
"One more thing, Dad. Closing the loop…"
She retrieved from her armor a familiar card glowing in white light. Seifer's hand trembled as he reached into his pocket, finding the same card now emitting a matching glow.
"Leave it here, for her."