Zell's End
Chapter 4
Author's Notes: um, lots of angst... yeah, I cried when I was writing it... sorta
unbetaed... but not really
Seifer stalked the hallways looking for the auburn Commander. There were very little cadets wandering out in the hallways, but those who were out, quickly moved out of the way for the large blond man.
They could feel the fury cascade off of him. They could see the glint of madness that touched his eyes. The lips pulled back in hatred, those were the things that made them move quickly.
Seifer quickly made his way back to his quarters. A quick rummage through his nightstand produced a switchblade. Then he stood, staring at Hyperion. Debating on whether or not to take it. He slowly picked it up, and a vision of him holding Squall down, slitting his wrists, pinning the smaller man under his weight, and letting him die came to him. He nodded slowly, and walked out the door with his gunblade in hand.
"Squall! You stupid fuck! Where are you? Squall!" Seifer hollered.
Nothing but his echoing voice answered him.
The large blond started laughing. It echoed eerily through the halls of the Garden. Some cadets in their rooms, woke to the sound of maniacal laughter, and for the first time in a long time, hid under their blankets in fear.
"Squall!" the scarred man yelled between bouts of laughter. "Squall! You have a date with the Hyperion's blade! Come out, come out wherever you are!"
Seifer was almost finished walking the main circular hallway. He could feel the anger begin to build more. The fact that he couldn't find Squall was pissing him off more.
Squall sighed. He somehow knew this was coming. He could feel it deep in his bones. Part of him wondered if Seifer was really going to kill him though. He wouldn't push it past him.
He didn't want to die. He really didn't.
The shorter gunblader stepped out from the Training Area entrance.
"I'm right here Seifer."
Seifer stopped, turned in his tracks and smiled a smile that radiated malevolence. Squall almost took a step back.
"Seifer. You know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for Zell-"
"Shut your fuckin' mouth Leonhart. You took from me, the one thing I could have had. I didn't know that he felt that way about me. I didn't know! And for such a long time, I felt the same about him... and you. You took that away from me!" With every sentence, Seifer took another step closer, bringing his gunblade up higher.
"Seifer. Don't you think that maybe I loved him too? Maybe that was the reason I broke up Rinoa for? I did. I loved him too. I lost him as well."
Squall watched the scarred blond, hoping his words would make him seem less like the enemy, and more like someone who lost something important as well.
Emotions ran over Seifer's face. Pain, understanding, hurt, and finally anger.
"You lost him as well?! You lost him?! YOU NEVER HAD HIM! I could have had a chance with him! He loved me, NOT you!" And with those words, Seifer sent Hyperion swinging downwards upon Squall.
The auburn haired Commander countered with Lionheart, swinging upwards.
"Seifer, please. I don't want any more bloodshed this evening. Stop."
Seifer swung again, not really aiming, just trying to unarm his once-again opponent.
His blade clashed against Squall's, sending sparks flying. The screeching of the metal blades sent their echoes into the hallway.
Squall pressed against the side of the blade and pushed Hyperion's blade away from him.
"Squall. The only one whose going to be shedding blood tonight will be you. Your life, for Zell's. You killed him you know."
A look of shock passed over the smaller man's face. "What? What do you mean?"
A mirthless smile danced upon Seifer's face. "Oh, right! Ugh!" He swung Hyperion again. "Zell, when I reached him, was almost dead. The blood was pumping out of him still. So, if you hadn't started fighting with me, UGH!" the tall blond countered a swing from Lionheart. "Zell could have been saved! But I didn't reach him in time. And I blame that on you Leonhart."
Another swing from the black blade whooshed past Squall's head.
"SEIFER!!" Someone called out.
The enraged blond turned his head for a split second, looking in the direction of the yell. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Quistis. Saw her bloodshot eyes, her disheveled hair, and the look of pain on her elegant face.
He knew, then, that it was useless to fight. That it would accomplish nothing. And that killing Squall would not bring Zell back. That he would find no satisfaction in Squall's death.
He heard the metal song of Lionheart cutting the air, coming towards him.
He needed to make a choice. End the fighting, or end his existence within this mortal coil. All he had was a second. All he needed was a second.
In a split second he could raise Hyperion in his defense.
In a split second he could drop his black blade and step into the oncoming silver blade of Lionheart.
A split second.
In a split second, he knew what choice he needed to make.
It was all it took, a simple, and split second.
And in that second, the metal sound of Hyperion hitting the marble floor reverberated through out the Garden, and the sound of cold blade slicing warm flesh took over.
Before Seifer fell to the ground, words of, 'I'm sorry.' were heard whispered over the sound of a falling gunblade, and gushing blood.
Squall looked down at the body of Seifer and screamed. Lionheart fell with a metallic clang, and rested over Hyperion.
Quistis, who was running towards the dualing opposites, stopped. Shock and horror ran through her. Slowly she closed her eyes and screamed, releasing all the pain she was holding earlier, out.