Lovers Trust

Beta: CalliopePurple
Notes: I’m so, so sorry. I bet half of you all reading this wants to kill me painfully and slowly.

As an explanation to this horrid long wait is: 1) my beta pointed out that it looked more like a crossover than anything else, can’t have that now can we? 2) my horrid inspiration just didn’t want to start back up.

But thanks to reading your lovely reviews a couple of times, I managed to stitch this poor chapter back together and it’s back on track again!

Hopefully, next chapter won’t take so long…

Sincere apologies
/Shehanitan


17

[Seifer]
He was staring up at a white ceiling. More like a white background with oil layers. Rather beautiful, actually.

Sighing, he closed his eyes again. He felt weak and lonely. How could one GF leave such a vacuum? It was as if something was missing inside him. But he didn’t really miss her. Now, when she was gone, Seifer discovered that a sort of soreness was gone. Like he’d had a cut under his foot for very long that hadn’t really bothered him until he’d been off with it and discovered it had actually hurt.

Strange, he’d never felt like that before. Maybe that was why they hadn’t “belonged” to each other?

A hawking made Seifer open his eyes. A little Shumi with a plate of food stood by the foot of the bed.

“You hungry?” it asked and Seifer slowly sat up.

His shoes were off, as were his trenchcoat and weapon. They were on a chair by the end of the bed.

“Yeah,” he answered, even if it was a lie. Seifer knew that he had to have food.

When he looked around he almost jumped up from the bed. The Elder was seated in a corner by a table. Seifer stared at the silent creature while the Shumi put the plate at the table.

“Please, eat,” the Elder said with a hand gesture.

Seifer found it extremely difficult to trust this creature without Shiva or magic at his back. And that discovery disturbed him. Throughout the whole war, he’d walked into battle with nothing other than his own skills and gunblade. He hadn’t feared anything then. Frowning, he sat down by the table and started eating the fruits and whatever else was there.

“I am sorry for having to stress you like this, but it is important for young Leonhart to begin his healing as quickly as possible,” the Elder said lowly and Seifer frowned confused.

“No need to keep me company. I’m here for Squall’s sake, why aren’t you helping him?” Seifer asked.

The Elder sighed and closed his eyes for a while.

“It is important that you believe and trust me on this. I need you to understand and believe in something that often takes years to,” he said slowly and Seifer stopped eating.

He didn’t like the sound of this. Too much was implied in those words. All he could think of was how to learn to live with a soul-ripping sorrow.

“Squall’s not going to be okay?” He could hardly speak. His throat grew thick and his chest started to ache.

“We still have a chance, but we need you.” The Elder’s words didn’t calm Seifer, as he’d wanted them to.

Seifer didn’t know what had happened. He didn’t know what was wrong. How could he possible help Squall?

“Please eat, you need the strength,” the Elder urged softly. Seifer did as told.

He was too tired. He had believed that if they only got here, everything would be over. They could settle down and Squall would be better with time. But now it sounded as if it was a matter of life or death and time was running out.

“I will try to explain to you, but you will not understand until you see it for yourself,” the Elder started.

“The Spirits you call ‘Guardian Forces’ are really the building stones of this world. They come from a parallel dimension, this world as you see is reality, is their creation. In their dimension, they don’t have humans or other creatures, but are spirits in a diffuse world.”

“In this world we like to call reality, they get bodies in flesh and blood, but their souls and minds are mainly in the other world. All souls come from there and will return like energies once their body of flesh dies. Some creatures can feel and see this dimension and understand the spirits more than others. They listen.”

“However, to be able to feel and taste and see the spirits in their home environment, you need to let go of your body. That is what the green pool is for. The fluid opens up your mind and let you get free from your body to be able to truly follow the spirits and trust their protection.”

The Elder stopped talking and Seifer could only stare at him. The Shumi leader talked as if it was something amazing to expos yourself like that and become as helpless as a newborn kitten.

“I don’t understand, what does this have to do with Squall? What good will it come from him… losing contact with his body?” he asked faintly.

When the Elder urged him to continue eating Seifer did so.

“By letting your body go and by letting the spirits inside, you can gain power.” Seifer stared at the Shumi again.

Power? Well, Squall didn’t need power, he needed to get healthy and sane again.

“You’re not making any sense. Why let Squall down in that pool if it makes him so vulnerable? He doesn’t need powers and he doesn’t need to see their world,” Seifer growled. He almost didn’t notice a slight twitch in one chin on the tall creature in front of him.

“You are not listening well, child of Ifrit,” the elder said coldly.

They stared at each other for a moment until Seifer relented and returned to the food.

“If one has a spirit guardian and if one is letting go of one’s body, one may have intercourse with one’s guardian.”

Seifer had to stare at the strange creature again. Okay…

“What’d you mean ‘intercourse’,” he asked strained.

The elder sighed as if he was talking to a child that only wanted to understand half of what was said.

“Sorceresses were created by a child with a human parent and a spirit. That child in turn impregnated a human and so the first insane sorceress was created. By having intercourse with a spirit, you let the spirit inside your soul and may gain powers beyond imagination.”

“One may also gain power by drinking the fluid which separates mind and body. But doing so leaves you extremely vulnerable and formable. Only fools do such a thing and that, young Almasy, is what has happened to young Leonhart.”

The elder stopped like that was all he had to say. Seifer was both happy and not. This was all too much. First of all, why the hell not just saying that last thing first? Secondly, could Squall get well at all if he’d gotten that fluid inside? And if it was so dangerous, why bathe in it?

“I still don’t understand… if it is so dangerous, why put Squall in it?” Seifer sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

“Because, only the strongest of spirits may help the child now,” the elder said softly and Seifer met those black eyes.

“Isn’t it dangerous to bathe in that thing?” he growled. He couldn’t think clearly. His thoughts jumped from thing to thing, not wanting to concentrating and sort one thing out at a time.

“Yes it is, it could very well kill him.”

Seifer jerked up his head and stared at the creature. What? Had he heard right?

“What’d you mean? Will Squall… Can it kill Squall?!” Seifer felt panic rise within him. The Elder waved a large hand.

“Yes it can, especially now when he is not whole.” Seifer was stupefied for seconds, then he surged to his feet and grabbed Hyperion.

“You take me there and take Squall from that thing!” he growled, the sharp edge pointed at the Elder’s throat.

“Calm down. You have not heard all of it yet.” Seifer didn’t want to calm down. He wanted Squall safe and secure by his side where he could protect him.

“No. This was a mistake. You take Squall from that pool or I’ll kill you,” Seifer growled and the Elder sighed and shook his head.

“Shiva will keep him safe, that’s why you needed to return her. But she can’t heal him,” the Elder explained and Seifer stared at him.

He shifted his stance a little, but held Hyperion steady. The door opened and the little Shumi entered, dropping what was in its hands when seeing Seifer.

“It is all right, settle down,” the Elder said calmly. Whether it was directed to Seifer or the little Shumi, Seifer didn’t know.

After noting that the Shumi had dropped a creamy colored robe, Seifer lowered Hyperion. Hyne. He wanted out of this nightmare. He started to feel sick and his head hurt even worse.

“What has happened to Squall is that a piece of his soul has been locked up inside him.” Seifer yet again eyed the Elder, trying to gauge whether he was lying or not.

Seifer closed his eyes. He had to trust them. Yet they hadn’t done anything to actually harm Squall. Not like putting him in a memorial. Seifer nodded.

“What do I need to do?” he asked lowly.

The Elder exhaled and smiled faintly.

“I am sorry to say that the technology to do what has been done comes from us. We aren’t sure how it came out to the sorceress. We believe a lost soul of our tribe may have joined her, as poor Norg once did.” Seifer waved Hyperion impatiently.

“Doesn’t matter. I want to cure him, then I’ll kill whoever did this,” he growled and the Shumi nodded.

“By breaking a soul and simultaneously feeding the person with the fluid, you may remodel a person. You may force personality changes or changes in one’s memory. There are countless things you can do to a soul in that condition.”

Seifer closed his eyes and let Hyperion tick on his shoulder, trying to calm himself.

“Someone has done that to Squall. Exactly what they did and what their purpose was, we can’t know for sure. Or if they even completed the progress. The only thing that’s for sure is that, without healing, Squall will eventually die.”

Seifer looked up as the Elder went silent. He frowned.

“So… What? Do I need to glue him back together?” he asked sarcastic. The elder strained his lips.

“You are the one that knows him best. You will join him in the pool and find him. When you’ve done that, you will heal him,” the Elder explained simply.

“Heal him? How? With Cure?” Seifer put Hyperion down.

“You will see.” The Elder rose and almost hit his head in the ceiling.

“The important thing to know is: All that happens, happens in your minds. Nothing can harm you, nothing is real and it will take the time it takes.”

Seifer eyed the Shumi. All of it sounded completely insane, but he could accept it. But making himself so vulnerable? Laying in that pool by Squall? They both would be at the mercy of the Shumis… and the Guardian Forces if he’d gotten it straight. He sighed.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to heal him.”

*****

[Irvine]
He’d forgotten how bloody cold it was. He shuddered and wrapped his arms tighter around himself.

“Come on, Irv, you’re the one that rides best,” Selphie giggled and ran before him up to the Chocobo Forest.

He snorted. Zell was already in the forest and Rinoa wasn’t far after him. Quistis stepped up to him. Her blue eyes seemed to gleam in the moody weather.

“What will we do if they aren’t here?” he wondered between clattering teeth.

“They have to be here or they have to have been here,” she said simply and walked past him up to the forest.

Irvine sighed. He wasn’t made for this kind of weather. He wanted sun and beaches and nice ladies in small, small bikinis. Irvine called on Ifrit to have him warm him. The beast growled inside of him and surged up like a heat wave. Irvine shivered and stretched like a lazy cat in the sun. Suddenly everything seamed so simple again.

What couldn’t a little warmth do?

When he came to the forest, five chocobos already stood waiting. One of them cooed lowly, nudged his hat, and then his chest. Irvine scratched its head.

“Are you wherever I am?” he smiled and the bird only cooed.

Out of the six of them, only he and Squall had been accepted by the birds.

“Irvine, you take the lead, Rinoa, you take the back,” Quistis said shortly and they were off.

Irvine set a high pace from the start. The weather was already bad and both he and the bird wanted to have this over with. He trusted the chocobo to know the way to the Shumi village and gave it free rain.

This made him remember that night Squall and he had gone off to Chocobo Sanctuary. It was actually then that Irvine had started to trust and know the commander. Squall had said that it served their mission to get accepted by the chocobos, but Irvine wasn’t sure that was the real reason for him to ride to the sanctuary.

“Irvine!”

Irvine halted his bird and turned around. Quistis trotted up to him and pointed at a cave.

“We stay there!” she scream above the wind. Irvine only nodded. He hadn’t felt the shift in the weather because he was too lost in his thoughts.

The birds knew the cave because they went straight inside. Otherwise, they usually were very skittish about walking inside something so dark. It was a rather nice cave with a real bed in it.

“We take the bed!” Selphie and Rinoa said.

“Want some company? The nights get very cold here you know?” Irvine purred and the girls giggled.

“Light the fire, Irvine.” Quistis looked at him above her glasses and he smiled lovingly.

“Yes ma’am.” He lifted his hat for her.

It was oddly difficult to get Ifrit to concentrate on the fire. He usually didn’t need to tell the GF what to do. Irvine frowned as he felt Ifrit turn his focus elsewhere as fast as the fire was lit.

: : Ifrit? What’s wrong? : : he asked, a bit worried.

The GF didn’t have the Alert skill, but he often sensed danger anyway. Ifrit only growled at him and kept listening to whatever interested him more. It felt strange. Sometimes, a GF had talked with another GF Irvine had junctioned, but that felt different. This was as if Ifrit was listening to something far away, outside Irvine.

“Irvine!”

“What?” he looked up into Selphie’s worried face.

“If you’re not careful you’ll end up zoning out like Squall,” she smiled and he smiled back.

“Yeah, we can’t have that now, can we?”

But he went distracted as soon as she turned away for the cooking.

: : Ifrit, what’s wrong : : he demanded.

Ifrit turned around in him and looked at him.

: : Ifrit? : : The beast gave him something resembling a lick then disappeared.

It took awhile for him to understand what happened, and then the shock connected with his body. Irvine inhaled sharply and the world turned black. His legs seemed to disappeared underneath him and he fell.

He came to in Selphie’s arms. Quistis was forcing down some horrid liquid down his throat. The world was swirling around and Siren tried to sooth him by singing. But neither she nor Pandemona together could replace Ifrit just like that.

“What happened, Irvine?” Selphie whined.

He took her hand to assure her he was okay. Not that he was that. You were never okay when a GF just died on you. Even if it’d been knocked out, it was better.

“What happened?” Quistis demanded. Worry was evident in her eyes.

“I… don’t know. Ifrit just left me,” he breathed.

They all frowned so much that he had to chuckle.

“Left you? What’d ya mean?” Zell asked while jumping in place.

“Just left me,” Irvine repeated breathy.

He had no other answer. Siren or Pandemona had nothing to say either. Irvine came to think of what Ifrit had said the first time they had hooked up. Something about them not belonging to each other, but that the beast would help him because Squall wanted him too.


Author’s Whining:
Muahahaha!!!

The one that can’t guess where Ifrit goes will not be permitted to read the next chapter!

Just kidding.

But I would be so happy by hearing what you think about this chapter. Maybe you’ve noticed, but I use Irvine as the only third part in this story. Why I don’t really know. Maybe others will fill in later. Hope that does not disappoint you. Or that the skips between Seifer and Irvine irritate you.