FFVIII fic, Quistis/Seifer
Title: Perished in the flames.
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Pairing: Quistis/Seifer
Word Count: 1215
Rating: PG-13
A/N: written for 10_themes
Perished in the flames.
Quistis was driving a small van, one of the older models that were still used. It had been a boring ride over the long bridge. She could turn on the radio, but all she would get were pop songs from Deling, or illegal broadcasts about how SeeD was trying to conquer the world. She cared little for either option.
Quite reluctantly, Quistis had accepted her mission to Fisherman’s Horizon. She was supposed to discuss the possibility that in case of a flood, several houses could be damaged. SeeD had the expertise to regulate the water in such a case. Quistis let out a sigh. Apart from it being a boring assignment, something else bothered her. She knew Seifer would think that she had come to see him if he ran into her. Perhaps she could finish things quickly there and he might never know.
A quick look at the map told her she was close. As long as the town’s mayor was not going to want to discuss all kinds of political issues, as he had done to Squall at a recent visit. That was not what she came for.
After turning a corner, the little town came in view. Good, it was almost getting dark and she didn’t relish the idea of driving around in the night on these bumpy road.
Then she narrowed her eyes. Was that normal?
Smoke was coming up from the little town. It couldn’t be just one chimney causing this. Something was on fire.
She hit the gas, speeding over the road like a madwoman. The van shrieked and protested at the rough treatment it got. The closer she got, the clearer it became that this was no small fire. Clouds of smoke hung above the town.
This was seriously wrong.
Two cars sped in the opposite direction. Rich people perhaps, afraid there might be looting. Another followed them, driving straight at her.
Annoyed, she turned a sharp corner, almost flying upwards as she did so.
People were running out of the town now, and she hit the breaks when one suddenly appeared in front of her. She turned the steering wheel as far left as she could, slipping on the road.
Screams filled her ears and her face bumped against the side, just before she finally came to a stop.
Her nose was bleeding, but it was no matter. She threw open the door, and ran towards the town.
Kids were sprinting past her, an old lady looking confused stumbling after them with just a single bag in her hands.
Dark clouds were gathering above the town, somebody was trying to do a water-spell. Quistis ran in, keeping her hand against her nose.
Houses were ablaze everywhere and screaming was all around. A young man was hanging out of the top floor of a three-storey building was, screaming for help.
Quistis closed her eyes, gathering magic. It began to rain, but it helped little against the flames inside.
The man had disappeared from the window, probably he had passed out. She ran to the door at the front and kicked it in. Flames were further on, in the kitchen, but the smoke was very thick. She searched for stairs… there.
She ran up, the wood making noises with every footstep. On the second floor flames were everywhere and she feared she couldn’t go on.
“Water!” she mumbled. “Water.”
Even though she had trained with magic countless of times, the water spreading around, clearing a path, surprised her.
She ran up another pair of stairs.
To the right, that was where she had seen the man from below.
Coughing loudly, she fell through a door, spotting the man… no, boy, she had seen earlier.
He was lying on the floor, suffocating.
Without hesitating, she pulled him closer to the window. He was a little more lightweight than her, but not much. She opened the window as far as she could and then pushed him up, until he was on the edge.
Her arms came around him, and she jumped down, shielding him from the impact with her own body.
She landed awkwardly, something snapped and her ankle began to burn with pain. Quickly, she mumbled a healing spell. Then started to breath air into him.
No response.
People were still running around. Everywhere around her was fire, houses were being burned that had stood there for decades.
“Come on!” she yelled at the boy.
Nothing.
“Breathe!”
Somebody grabbed her shoulder. “Let’s go!”
Quistis looked up, saw Seifer. Something black was on his face, and his clothes were torn.
“Wait, he… I need to save him!”
“No time!” Seifer shouted. “Things are starting to collapse!”
“No!” she yelled and breathed again into the boy’s mouth. “Breathe!”
Seifer pulled her up, but her ankles didn’t hold her up.
“Just go!” she yelled at Seifer. “I’ll be fine!”
“Like hell I will!”
He grabbed her now and swung he over his shoulder. She began to panic, the need to save the boy overriding everything else. He let out a yelp when her thunder spell hit his back. Quistis fell down on the tiles. Her ankle hurt terribly, but she crawled back to the young boy.
His face was pale now, no life in those eyes whatsoever.
Still, she should try, she must.
Seifer was in front of her, at eye-height… she didn’t understand, had assumed he would leave her now.
The last thing she saw was his fist, and then nothing.
.
Everything hurt, even her fingers. Worst of all were her ankles though. Her eyes opened slowly and saw darkness.
“Wha… where…?”
Seifer appeared, his face unreadable as he leaned over her.
“Outside the town.”
“Oh.” She tried to sit up, but failed. “Where…?”
“On the road, outside of town,” he said again. She looked around her. Seifer had driven her van about a mile from Fisherman’s Horizon. No other survivors had gathered here.
Then her eyes widened. “That boy… I must…!”
“He’s dead,” Seifer said coldly.
She shook her head. “He… you should have… I could still have…”
“No.” There was a finality in his tone. “Five seconds after I carried you out of there the house collapsed on top of him. You would have been dead if you had staid.”
Quistis closed her eyes, shaking her head. The poor boy. “He was so young. If only… if only I had been there a minute earlier.”
Seifer looked down on her. “That sometimes happens.”
She thought of his cries for help, his lifeless body lying down on the road. “How… how did this happen?”
“Like it always does,” Seifer said. “Somebody forgot he was cooking something. And most of the houses are made of wood.”
“How about your house?” Quistis asked.
“Gone, it was only a block away from where the fire started.”
“What will you do now?” she asked. “Do you have any money?”
“Don’t worry about me,” he said curtly. “I’ll manage.”
“Where will you…”
“I’m fine,” he cut in. “You worry about getting back to Balamb.”
She smiled faintly. “They’re just a phone-call away.”
“Yeah.” Seifer got up. “So you’re fine then?”
“Yes,” she said. “But Seifer… If you need some money then I…”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He started walking away, to the dark road leading away from the still smouldering town. “I told you I’d be okay.”
“Thanks,” she said quickly, before he disappeared. “For saving me.”
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Pairing: Quistis/Seifer
Word Count: 1215
Rating: PG-13
A/N: written for 10_themes
Perished in the flames.
Quistis was driving a small van, one of the older models that were still used. It had been a boring ride over the long bridge. She could turn on the radio, but all she would get were pop songs from Deling, or illegal broadcasts about how SeeD was trying to conquer the world. She cared little for either option.
Quite reluctantly, Quistis had accepted her mission to Fisherman’s Horizon. She was supposed to discuss the possibility that in case of a flood, several houses could be damaged. SeeD had the expertise to regulate the water in such a case. Quistis let out a sigh. Apart from it being a boring assignment, something else bothered her. She knew Seifer would think that she had come to see him if he ran into her. Perhaps she could finish things quickly there and he might never know.
A quick look at the map told her she was close. As long as the town’s mayor was not going to want to discuss all kinds of political issues, as he had done to Squall at a recent visit. That was not what she came for.
After turning a corner, the little town came in view. Good, it was almost getting dark and she didn’t relish the idea of driving around in the night on these bumpy road.
Then she narrowed her eyes. Was that normal?
Smoke was coming up from the little town. It couldn’t be just one chimney causing this. Something was on fire.
She hit the gas, speeding over the road like a madwoman. The van shrieked and protested at the rough treatment it got. The closer she got, the clearer it became that this was no small fire. Clouds of smoke hung above the town.
This was seriously wrong.
Two cars sped in the opposite direction. Rich people perhaps, afraid there might be looting. Another followed them, driving straight at her.
Annoyed, she turned a sharp corner, almost flying upwards as she did so.
People were running out of the town now, and she hit the breaks when one suddenly appeared in front of her. She turned the steering wheel as far left as she could, slipping on the road.
Screams filled her ears and her face bumped against the side, just before she finally came to a stop.
Her nose was bleeding, but it was no matter. She threw open the door, and ran towards the town.
Kids were sprinting past her, an old lady looking confused stumbling after them with just a single bag in her hands.
Dark clouds were gathering above the town, somebody was trying to do a water-spell. Quistis ran in, keeping her hand against her nose.
Houses were ablaze everywhere and screaming was all around. A young man was hanging out of the top floor of a three-storey building was, screaming for help.
Quistis closed her eyes, gathering magic. It began to rain, but it helped little against the flames inside.
The man had disappeared from the window, probably he had passed out. She ran to the door at the front and kicked it in. Flames were further on, in the kitchen, but the smoke was very thick. She searched for stairs… there.
She ran up, the wood making noises with every footstep. On the second floor flames were everywhere and she feared she couldn’t go on.
“Water!” she mumbled. “Water.”
Even though she had trained with magic countless of times, the water spreading around, clearing a path, surprised her.
She ran up another pair of stairs.
To the right, that was where she had seen the man from below.
Coughing loudly, she fell through a door, spotting the man… no, boy, she had seen earlier.
He was lying on the floor, suffocating.
Without hesitating, she pulled him closer to the window. He was a little more lightweight than her, but not much. She opened the window as far as she could and then pushed him up, until he was on the edge.
Her arms came around him, and she jumped down, shielding him from the impact with her own body.
She landed awkwardly, something snapped and her ankle began to burn with pain. Quickly, she mumbled a healing spell. Then started to breath air into him.
No response.
People were still running around. Everywhere around her was fire, houses were being burned that had stood there for decades.
“Come on!” she yelled at the boy.
Nothing.
“Breathe!”
Somebody grabbed her shoulder. “Let’s go!”
Quistis looked up, saw Seifer. Something black was on his face, and his clothes were torn.
“Wait, he… I need to save him!”
“No time!” Seifer shouted. “Things are starting to collapse!”
“No!” she yelled and breathed again into the boy’s mouth. “Breathe!”
Seifer pulled her up, but her ankles didn’t hold her up.
“Just go!” she yelled at Seifer. “I’ll be fine!”
“Like hell I will!”
He grabbed her now and swung he over his shoulder. She began to panic, the need to save the boy overriding everything else. He let out a yelp when her thunder spell hit his back. Quistis fell down on the tiles. Her ankle hurt terribly, but she crawled back to the young boy.
His face was pale now, no life in those eyes whatsoever.
Still, she should try, she must.
Seifer was in front of her, at eye-height… she didn’t understand, had assumed he would leave her now.
The last thing she saw was his fist, and then nothing.
.
Everything hurt, even her fingers. Worst of all were her ankles though. Her eyes opened slowly and saw darkness.
“Wha… where…?”
Seifer appeared, his face unreadable as he leaned over her.
“Outside the town.”
“Oh.” She tried to sit up, but failed. “Where…?”
“On the road, outside of town,” he said again. She looked around her. Seifer had driven her van about a mile from Fisherman’s Horizon. No other survivors had gathered here.
Then her eyes widened. “That boy… I must…!”
“He’s dead,” Seifer said coldly.
She shook her head. “He… you should have… I could still have…”
“No.” There was a finality in his tone. “Five seconds after I carried you out of there the house collapsed on top of him. You would have been dead if you had staid.”
Quistis closed her eyes, shaking her head. The poor boy. “He was so young. If only… if only I had been there a minute earlier.”
Seifer looked down on her. “That sometimes happens.”
She thought of his cries for help, his lifeless body lying down on the road. “How… how did this happen?”
“Like it always does,” Seifer said. “Somebody forgot he was cooking something. And most of the houses are made of wood.”
“How about your house?” Quistis asked.
“Gone, it was only a block away from where the fire started.”
“What will you do now?” she asked. “Do you have any money?”
“Don’t worry about me,” he said curtly. “I’ll manage.”
“Where will you…”
“I’m fine,” he cut in. “You worry about getting back to Balamb.”
She smiled faintly. “They’re just a phone-call away.”
“Yeah.” Seifer got up. “So you’re fine then?”
“Yes,” she said. “But Seifer… If you need some money then I…”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He started walking away, to the dark road leading away from the still smouldering town. “I told you I’d be okay.”
“Thanks,” she said quickly, before he disappeared. “For saving me.”