Uncertain Memory: With You
Part Twelve - Gone
DISCLAIMER: Okay I want to say this now and get it over with. I got the story structure for this story from a book called Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey. She is my goddess author and I love her to death. While I was reading it one night, I got the idea for a prequel to the game and decided to write it because I wanted to give props to my fav author. There were 4 specific scenes that I needed from the book to make this story work.
The scenes are:
1. Savil teaching Tylendel about shielding and their conversation before he leaves.
2. Vanyel overhearing about Tylendel (if you read it you know what I’m talking about).
3. Vanyel seeing Tylendel read a book through the window.
4. Tylendel comforting Vanyel after his nightmare.
I’m really REALLY nervous about posting this because I don’t want flames about me ‘stealing’ Misty’s work. It’s hers, not mine! NEVER MINE! I just own the books and read them over and over cause I love them so much. I’m only doing this because they gave me an idea. All of the aforementioned scenes are hers that I have changed to fit the FF8 world, the rest is my own crappy writing ^_^ I hope you enjoy it all the same because it’s a fic, and I don’t get paid for this anyway. ^_~
Uncertain Memory: With You
Part Twelve - Gone
Rinoa ran up to the group as they made their way down the stairs near the giant television they’d first seen.
“They found our base. It's completely destroyed,” she told them as she caught her breath.
Squall shook his head and turned back to look at the TV station building. Could Seifer still be in there? Was that really Seifer? And if it was, how could they just leave him behind like this?
“We have to go back,” Squall murmured evenly and started toward the stairs again.
“I can’t let you do that.” Quistis barred his way. “We have to get out of here.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Squall snarled
“I won’t let you!”
“We can’t just leave him there! They could kill him!” Squall tried to get by her but the blonde stood her ground.
“That’s a sure possibility Squad Leader,” Quistis weighted her last words. “But right now, his life is of little importance. We must report this incident.”
“Quistis…” Squall gritted his teeth as he saw the weight of the pain in her eyes.
“I want to go back just as much as you Squall, but we can’t. We can not risk our lives for his, because he was not acting on garden orders and he broke the law,” she whispered.
“Let me,” he tried to plead with her. “Let me go. Just me.”
“No Squall.”
“Let me go!” Squall tried to rush past her and she caught him. Zell joined the struggle and together, the two blondes kept Squall from moving any further.
Why Hyne? Why did Seifer have to suffer because of some stupid laws? It wasn’t his fault. That wasn’t Seifer he saw back there. That man was a dead shell. Could the blonde really have suffered so much that he would try to protect everyone on pain of death? And if so… then Seifer… was no longer a part of his life. His live belonged to SeeD, and Seifer was gone. No! He couldn’t be gone! It was all too much for Squall to handle.
The pain in his mind bore down on him as he dropped to his knees. Shiva’s cool presence in his mind helped to numb the pain, but not take it away completely. He wanted it gone—all of it.
If he didn’t have Seifer, then he had nothing left to lose.
Quistis’s eyes went wide and she jumped back as she sensed a great power enter and junction with Squall. She stared at him in fear. Would he hurt them to get to Seifer? Or was he…
“No…” she mumbled, but it was too late. Squall must have heard her for he turned to look at her. His cold, stoic eyes froze her in place with fear.
“Let us go.” Squall stood and began forward as if nothing had happened.
Zell stared dumbfounded at his leader, and then at the former instructor. “Wha… what just happened?”
“Nothing that we can fix.” Quistis shook her head.
“I don’t understand…” Zell frowned confused.
“Our fate rests in his hands,” Quistis replied cryptically.
Their fate did incidentally rest in Squall’s hands, and for quite some time too. Quistis watched Squall as the group of refugees made their way toward Galbadia garden. She worried about what he had done to himself—to his mind. He was undoubtedly trying to forget Seifer, and maybe even their love, but would it really work.
From what she had seen, it had worked. Immediately, Squall seemed to be a different person, very apart from her. Quistis wondered if forgetting Seifer would mean forgetting the friendship he’d shared with her too. Childish arrogant little—
“Galbadia Garden,” Squall stated as he stopped on a rise. “Well we’ve carried out that order, now what?”
“We can find out what’s going on.” Quistis crossed her arms and considered the garden before them. “Shall we?” She glanced at their leader.
“Whatever.” Squall shrugged and waved a hand. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Always to the point,” Quistis commented and followed as the brunette started off. Why did she have to get stuck with him like this? She needed to talk to him in private.
“Something on your mind?” The brunette asked suddenly.
Quistis frowned at his concern and shook her head. “I just feel you’re being quite abrupt with your actions. More than usual anyway.”
“I feel fine,” he replied simply.
“Why did I have to get stuck with you?”
“Fate has an odd way of working within me.”
Quistis stopped and stared at him. “What did you say?”
A chocolate eyebrow rose in response. “What? That fate thing?”
“Where did you get that from?” It sounded so familiar.
“I don’t know, I’ve probably heard people say it.” Squall shrugged.
“Seifer…” Quistis hissed to herself. Seifer had said that not even 48 hours ago! Even if Squall’s memories were repressed, he might remember in the end. Quistis decided to keep her find to herself. She would confront Squall later, when everything had calmed down and they knew what had happened to Seifer.
“What did you say?” the brunette asked as everyone came closer to see what the two were talking about.
“Nothing.” Quistis waved a hand. “Let’s just press on. I’ll tell you when this is all over.”
“Is that a promise or a threat?” Squall asked drolly.
Quistis smirked. “Oh, I guarantee, with you, it’s always a threat.”
Squall seemed amused by this and shook his head. “You, Quistis, are an odd woman.”
“Fate has an odd way of working within me.” She winked.
“So it seems,” he replied and started off again. “Come, let’s finish this.”
“Yes, to the end.” Quistis nodded and followed their leader off into the desert. She wondered absently what lie ahead, but knew everything would work out fine. If Squall couldn’t figure things out, no one could. Her uncertainties about his memories would all be worked out in the end.
Annnnd, I’m really sorry it ends there but *shrugs* we all know what happens in the game. And if ya don’t, too bad! MUAHAHAHA!~ *cough* uh, heh, sequel coming up soon, I swear. Damn my plays on words! >.< hee. Sorry, I’m just like that :p Hope you enjoyed ^_^