Fic FFVIII; Little Boy Lost 2/?
Title: Little Boy Lost
Pairing: Seifer/Squall
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Square
Chapter 2
The sky above BalambGarden was a clear blue. Ellone lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the impressive building before her. Almost two years had passed since she had last stepped into it and it had changed so much.
She knew from the news and Laguna’s reports that Squall had it remodelled shortly after the end of the Sorceress Wars to fit in the sudden increase of students that wanted to attend it. There were two smaller constructions attached to the sides of the main building now, though they were still working on the flying attachments that would connect it to the old Garden. BalambGarden had become an unforgettable sight, she thought as she lowered her gaze again and continued on towards the entrance. It made her feel as though it was ages ago that she had last been here to see her brother and and the others, she especially had missed Seifer.
When she had come here before the war in search for the older boy, she hadn’t thought it wise, considering what she had asked of him, to let anyone know that it was because of him that she had made originally the journey. It wouldn’t have been fair to her brother nor to the others.
But that was in the past and things had returned to normal now.
Squall had grown up to be a formidable young man, just like the other children had grown up to be respectful member of their society. Hyne, even Seifer had returned to Garden and had made peace with her brother, finally allowing some calm to settle into him from what she had been told.
Further ahead she saw a small group of familiar people gathered, immediately recognizing them all.
Her stoic looking brother was standing with a hand on his hip, while his gunblade blazed in its blue eerie light. Next to him, waving maniacally, was Selphie jumping up and down. Ellone was, as so often in the past, amazed at her agility and balance.
A bit further to the right followed Quistis and Zell, both wearing warm and welcoming smiles on their faces, but it was Irvine standing to Squall’s left, who walked first forward to her and lowered his hat with a slight bow.
“Welcome to BalambGarden, fair princess.” The long haired youth said giving her one of his charming smiles.
She laughed at his antics, but allowed him to lead her by the hand towards the others. “Thank you Irvine, for that charming welcome.”
“Nothing less for someone like you.” He replied in a flirting tone.
She let her eyes roam searchingly over the group noticing that Seifer was not with them. A slight frown crossed her features, but she quickly dismissed his absence to the fact that unlike the others, who had continued to progress in their SeeD ranking, Seifer was still a student and thus was most likely attending class at this very moment.
Greeting everyone warmly she moved over to her brother, who awkwardly pulled her into an embrace. Close physical contact was obviously still a subject Squall was having difficulties with.
“It is nice to see you, Squall.” She said returning the gesture, before pulling a bit back and smiling brightly at him.
He nodded in reply. “Did you have difficulties finding your way here?” he asked, a little worried frown appeared on his face.
Chuckling, Ellone shook her head. “I’m a big girl, and Balamb isn’t so far from here, that I couldn’t make my way here on my own.”
Her little brother was obviously not convinced, but he didn’t question the matter further. He had already complained a lot for his standards before her journey, just like Laguna, when she had refused to be picked up by them and had instead insisted to come here on her own. Whatever Squall and the others believed her to be, Ellone knew that she could fend for herself. Considering the little fact that she possessed the ‘curse’ of being able to see a bit into the streams of time, she knew how to avoid danger… more or less, though that was not something she was going to share with them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Wise One had come.
Though Seifer couldn’t remember how long ago it was that he had last called her that.
It felt like it had just been yesterday, that he had sat at the old worn desk at the orphanage trying to sum up the events of days into short, comprehensible and readable sentences in letters for her. Yet at the same time, he felt that he hadn’t seen Ellone in a long time, not that he had had a chance yet, considering how unlikely it was that the others from the orphanage would dare to allow him to get close to her, especially after his nice little display of kidnapping her upon the sorceress command. Hell, they way they always made sure he was never alone in a room with Heartly, was like they feared that his mere presence would sullen their little sorceress’ eyes.
Indeed, it was unlikely that he would be seeing anything of Ellone.
The sun burned on his skin as the wind blew harshly the desert sand against his face. Endless dunes stressed out into every direction, their forms shifting with the change of the ages, but the ground under his feet remained hard and cold.
Seifer concentrated again on the task at hand and allowed Hyperion to whirl over his head in a smooth motion, followed by routinely practiced stances.
Sweat trickled down his face, soaking into the dark material of his uniform. His breathing was coming short and exhilarated after, what appeared to him, countless hours of fighting monsters. Their blood was dripping from the dark surface of his blade, while the air around him was thick with the scent of death and magical gunpowder.
Another growl came from behind him and Seifer moved in a swift and fluent motion in time to par the attack of the large beast.
It was a good thing that Garden had stocked up their resident monster farm, not only in number but variety as well, because frankly Seifer would have gotten bored out of his mind of the monotonous battles against plants and dinosaurs.
The sun continued to burn merciless down on him; the damp atmosphere of the training centre’s fauna mixed with the dry air of the desert.
It was becoming unbearable.
Suffocating …
The beast circled him.
Seifer could hear the heavy breathing while it moved cautiously around him. He couldn’t see the creature, only sand and dunes, but he had withstood worse battles, worse foes. This fickly thing that thought of him as prey, was nothing compared to the likes of his sorceress and her schemes against him. She had been a master at bringing him down to his knees, whether by physical or mental force.
No, this creature he could beat him even without his sight.
He narrowed his eyes dangerously, as he realized his last strains of thoughts.
His sorceress??!!.
Irritation filled his veins and he ran forward with a loud cry slashing at the sandy air, but feeling the splash of blood against his already smeared face, when Hyperion ripped through fur and skin. But more than anything else, the slight trembling of the earth beneath his feat as the split body dropped in a loud heap to the ground gave him enough confirmation on his success.
Suddenly Seifer found himself gasping for air, his lung filling with a cold liquid as water surrounded him and the sea revolted around him in an angry storm.
Panicked he reached for his throat, Hyperion falling from his hand while he struggled for breath. He starred helplessly at the retreating light of the sun above the surface, while his body sank deeper and deeper into the salty oblivion of the ocean.
Fangs sank suddenly deeply into his shoulder and Seifer let out a pained cry. The dark blue sea flashed and changed to the dirty and bloodied ground of the training centre.
A heavy body was pressing down on him, sinking its large teeth further into him, before it lifting him up into the air with such an ease that Seifer appeared to be no more than a puppet.
The blond’s muscles trembled from the tenacious hours he had spent fighting. He could feel exhaustion blurring his vision, while his warm blood trailed down his back and torso.
Remarkably, the only thought that seemed to cross his mind was not of how to fight his way out, or how stupid it had been to let go of Hyperion, or of being eaten. No, his mind was much more annoyed with his next encounter with his instructor, who would most like go whine to the Headmistress and Commander. Quistis would snap at hearing that he was once again in need of new attire.
The creature shook its head, tossing Seifer’s battered body from one side to the other, letting a growl vibrate through his prey.
It was then that something inside Seifer snapped. It filled him with power, until it exploded out of his skin in a flashing motion against his attacker. The loud sound of thunder filled his ears and Seifer’s body fell to the ground. Instinctively, he rolled out of the way as the crisped body of the large dinosaur fell.
Pain filled his body and Seifer found himself laying on his back and starring up at the glass ceiling of the training centre. White feathers moved about him in a comforting and protective manner. Something soft and warm touched the wound on his shoulder, but it wasn’t necessary for him to turn his head in order to know that the feathers were healing him.
“You are weak without our mistress.” A voice said from somewhere to his left.
Seifer turned his head to the speaker. “She’s not my mistress. She never was and never will be.”
The blond with haunted looking green eyes and the large and dirty trench coat walked towards him. Wet clothing hugged tightly his body while leaving a trail of water on his wake. “You cannot resist her forever.” He said in a monotone voice that made Seifer frown. “Or do you not hear her call for us?” the blond questioned coming to a halt next to the injured one.
“I was never hers to begin with, so, I guess my answer would be no. I cannot hear her.” Seifer replied to the other, feeling much too apprehensive to bother to feel angry.
The other blond hovered over him, the feathers twirling in turmoil about them both, reflecting the madness that lurked in the depth of those green eyes. His wet hair hung deep into his face, that seemed younger than Seifer ever believed himself to be.
“You ignore our mistress’ call, yet you kneel before a traitor!” The man took a sudden hold of Seifer’s clothing in anger, lifting his upper body towards him until their faces were merely inches from the other. “A traitor, who has banished our mistress beyond time!!”
The feathers were circling them like a storm now.
Seifer growled low. “She. Is. Not. My. Mistress.” He said deliberately slow to the wet blond. “I’ve served only one, and that was never her.”
They stared at each other for a long time, anger into madness, loss into loneliness, bitterness into fury.
Then slowly the man’s grip on Seifer lessened and standing up stiffly, his eyes never leaving the one on the ground before he moved swiftly to look to the side. He appeared to be listening to something that Seifer could not hear.
“She calls.” The blond man said looking up suddenly at the ceiling. And at an unspoken command the feathers formed a dark portal behind him. “This is not over yet, Seifer Almasy, Knight of the Sleeping Lion. I will be back for him.” He said turning his back to the one on the ground.
Seifer got unsteadily up on his feet, but did not allow himself to show anymore weakness in front of the other blond. “If you find your way back, I shall be here, waiting for you, Seifer Almasy, Knight of the Sorceress Ultimecia.”
And with a nod the Sorceress Knight stepped back into the labyrinth of Time Compression from which he had emerged, the feathers moving after the tall man until they too vanished from Seifer’s sight.
Seifer stood there looking at the empty space for a long time, bathed in blood and body fluids of his enemies, surrounded by dead corpses of creatures that would surely soon attract more to come for the meat in their hunger. The protection provided by the meeting of the two knights was fading slowly with the passing of the moment and the distance between the two of them increasing.
With a heavy sigh, Seifer moved towards Hyperion and picked her carefully up. She would need a cleaning.
He looked down at his uniform and another sigh escaped him.
“Trepe is going to have a fit.”
TBC
Pairing: Seifer/Squall
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Square
Chapter 2
The sky above BalambGarden was a clear blue. Ellone lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the impressive building before her. Almost two years had passed since she had last stepped into it and it had changed so much.
She knew from the news and Laguna’s reports that Squall had it remodelled shortly after the end of the Sorceress Wars to fit in the sudden increase of students that wanted to attend it. There were two smaller constructions attached to the sides of the main building now, though they were still working on the flying attachments that would connect it to the old Garden. BalambGarden had become an unforgettable sight, she thought as she lowered her gaze again and continued on towards the entrance. It made her feel as though it was ages ago that she had last been here to see her brother and and the others, she especially had missed Seifer.
When she had come here before the war in search for the older boy, she hadn’t thought it wise, considering what she had asked of him, to let anyone know that it was because of him that she had made originally the journey. It wouldn’t have been fair to her brother nor to the others.
But that was in the past and things had returned to normal now.
Squall had grown up to be a formidable young man, just like the other children had grown up to be respectful member of their society. Hyne, even Seifer had returned to Garden and had made peace with her brother, finally allowing some calm to settle into him from what she had been told.
Further ahead she saw a small group of familiar people gathered, immediately recognizing them all.
Her stoic looking brother was standing with a hand on his hip, while his gunblade blazed in its blue eerie light. Next to him, waving maniacally, was Selphie jumping up and down. Ellone was, as so often in the past, amazed at her agility and balance.
A bit further to the right followed Quistis and Zell, both wearing warm and welcoming smiles on their faces, but it was Irvine standing to Squall’s left, who walked first forward to her and lowered his hat with a slight bow.
“Welcome to BalambGarden, fair princess.” The long haired youth said giving her one of his charming smiles.
She laughed at his antics, but allowed him to lead her by the hand towards the others. “Thank you Irvine, for that charming welcome.”
“Nothing less for someone like you.” He replied in a flirting tone.
She let her eyes roam searchingly over the group noticing that Seifer was not with them. A slight frown crossed her features, but she quickly dismissed his absence to the fact that unlike the others, who had continued to progress in their SeeD ranking, Seifer was still a student and thus was most likely attending class at this very moment.
Greeting everyone warmly she moved over to her brother, who awkwardly pulled her into an embrace. Close physical contact was obviously still a subject Squall was having difficulties with.
“It is nice to see you, Squall.” She said returning the gesture, before pulling a bit back and smiling brightly at him.
He nodded in reply. “Did you have difficulties finding your way here?” he asked, a little worried frown appeared on his face.
Chuckling, Ellone shook her head. “I’m a big girl, and Balamb isn’t so far from here, that I couldn’t make my way here on my own.”
Her little brother was obviously not convinced, but he didn’t question the matter further. He had already complained a lot for his standards before her journey, just like Laguna, when she had refused to be picked up by them and had instead insisted to come here on her own. Whatever Squall and the others believed her to be, Ellone knew that she could fend for herself. Considering the little fact that she possessed the ‘curse’ of being able to see a bit into the streams of time, she knew how to avoid danger… more or less, though that was not something she was going to share with them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Wise One had come.
Though Seifer couldn’t remember how long ago it was that he had last called her that.
It felt like it had just been yesterday, that he had sat at the old worn desk at the orphanage trying to sum up the events of days into short, comprehensible and readable sentences in letters for her. Yet at the same time, he felt that he hadn’t seen Ellone in a long time, not that he had had a chance yet, considering how unlikely it was that the others from the orphanage would dare to allow him to get close to her, especially after his nice little display of kidnapping her upon the sorceress command. Hell, they way they always made sure he was never alone in a room with Heartly, was like they feared that his mere presence would sullen their little sorceress’ eyes.
Indeed, it was unlikely that he would be seeing anything of Ellone.
The sun burned on his skin as the wind blew harshly the desert sand against his face. Endless dunes stressed out into every direction, their forms shifting with the change of the ages, but the ground under his feet remained hard and cold.
Seifer concentrated again on the task at hand and allowed Hyperion to whirl over his head in a smooth motion, followed by routinely practiced stances.
Sweat trickled down his face, soaking into the dark material of his uniform. His breathing was coming short and exhilarated after, what appeared to him, countless hours of fighting monsters. Their blood was dripping from the dark surface of his blade, while the air around him was thick with the scent of death and magical gunpowder.
Another growl came from behind him and Seifer moved in a swift and fluent motion in time to par the attack of the large beast.
It was a good thing that Garden had stocked up their resident monster farm, not only in number but variety as well, because frankly Seifer would have gotten bored out of his mind of the monotonous battles against plants and dinosaurs.
The sun continued to burn merciless down on him; the damp atmosphere of the training centre’s fauna mixed with the dry air of the desert.
It was becoming unbearable.
Suffocating …
The beast circled him.
Seifer could hear the heavy breathing while it moved cautiously around him. He couldn’t see the creature, only sand and dunes, but he had withstood worse battles, worse foes. This fickly thing that thought of him as prey, was nothing compared to the likes of his sorceress and her schemes against him. She had been a master at bringing him down to his knees, whether by physical or mental force.
No, this creature he could beat him even without his sight.
He narrowed his eyes dangerously, as he realized his last strains of thoughts.
His sorceress??!!.
Irritation filled his veins and he ran forward with a loud cry slashing at the sandy air, but feeling the splash of blood against his already smeared face, when Hyperion ripped through fur and skin. But more than anything else, the slight trembling of the earth beneath his feat as the split body dropped in a loud heap to the ground gave him enough confirmation on his success.
Suddenly Seifer found himself gasping for air, his lung filling with a cold liquid as water surrounded him and the sea revolted around him in an angry storm.
Panicked he reached for his throat, Hyperion falling from his hand while he struggled for breath. He starred helplessly at the retreating light of the sun above the surface, while his body sank deeper and deeper into the salty oblivion of the ocean.
Fangs sank suddenly deeply into his shoulder and Seifer let out a pained cry. The dark blue sea flashed and changed to the dirty and bloodied ground of the training centre.
A heavy body was pressing down on him, sinking its large teeth further into him, before it lifting him up into the air with such an ease that Seifer appeared to be no more than a puppet.
The blond’s muscles trembled from the tenacious hours he had spent fighting. He could feel exhaustion blurring his vision, while his warm blood trailed down his back and torso.
Remarkably, the only thought that seemed to cross his mind was not of how to fight his way out, or how stupid it had been to let go of Hyperion, or of being eaten. No, his mind was much more annoyed with his next encounter with his instructor, who would most like go whine to the Headmistress and Commander. Quistis would snap at hearing that he was once again in need of new attire.
The creature shook its head, tossing Seifer’s battered body from one side to the other, letting a growl vibrate through his prey.
It was then that something inside Seifer snapped. It filled him with power, until it exploded out of his skin in a flashing motion against his attacker. The loud sound of thunder filled his ears and Seifer’s body fell to the ground. Instinctively, he rolled out of the way as the crisped body of the large dinosaur fell.
Pain filled his body and Seifer found himself laying on his back and starring up at the glass ceiling of the training centre. White feathers moved about him in a comforting and protective manner. Something soft and warm touched the wound on his shoulder, but it wasn’t necessary for him to turn his head in order to know that the feathers were healing him.
“You are weak without our mistress.” A voice said from somewhere to his left.
Seifer turned his head to the speaker. “She’s not my mistress. She never was and never will be.”
The blond with haunted looking green eyes and the large and dirty trench coat walked towards him. Wet clothing hugged tightly his body while leaving a trail of water on his wake. “You cannot resist her forever.” He said in a monotone voice that made Seifer frown. “Or do you not hear her call for us?” the blond questioned coming to a halt next to the injured one.
“I was never hers to begin with, so, I guess my answer would be no. I cannot hear her.” Seifer replied to the other, feeling much too apprehensive to bother to feel angry.
The other blond hovered over him, the feathers twirling in turmoil about them both, reflecting the madness that lurked in the depth of those green eyes. His wet hair hung deep into his face, that seemed younger than Seifer ever believed himself to be.
“You ignore our mistress’ call, yet you kneel before a traitor!” The man took a sudden hold of Seifer’s clothing in anger, lifting his upper body towards him until their faces were merely inches from the other. “A traitor, who has banished our mistress beyond time!!”
The feathers were circling them like a storm now.
Seifer growled low. “She. Is. Not. My. Mistress.” He said deliberately slow to the wet blond. “I’ve served only one, and that was never her.”
They stared at each other for a long time, anger into madness, loss into loneliness, bitterness into fury.
Then slowly the man’s grip on Seifer lessened and standing up stiffly, his eyes never leaving the one on the ground before he moved swiftly to look to the side. He appeared to be listening to something that Seifer could not hear.
“She calls.” The blond man said looking up suddenly at the ceiling. And at an unspoken command the feathers formed a dark portal behind him. “This is not over yet, Seifer Almasy, Knight of the Sleeping Lion. I will be back for him.” He said turning his back to the one on the ground.
Seifer got unsteadily up on his feet, but did not allow himself to show anymore weakness in front of the other blond. “If you find your way back, I shall be here, waiting for you, Seifer Almasy, Knight of the Sorceress Ultimecia.”
And with a nod the Sorceress Knight stepped back into the labyrinth of Time Compression from which he had emerged, the feathers moving after the tall man until they too vanished from Seifer’s sight.
Seifer stood there looking at the empty space for a long time, bathed in blood and body fluids of his enemies, surrounded by dead corpses of creatures that would surely soon attract more to come for the meat in their hunger. The protection provided by the meeting of the two knights was fading slowly with the passing of the moment and the distance between the two of them increasing.
With a heavy sigh, Seifer moved towards Hyperion and picked her carefully up. She would need a cleaning.
He looked down at his uniform and another sigh escaped him.
“Trepe is going to have a fit.”
TBC