Fire-Cross Knight

Squall and Seifer walked almost in unison as they left the Fire Cavern. Squall wondered to himself about how it had been so long ago that they had both come here for their own tests.

He looked at Seifer, thoughtful. Seifer walked with Hyperion across his shoulders, as he had so many times before. Squall replayed their conversation held deep within the cavern and began to wonder about the details of several of the things Seifer said. Seifer must’ve felt the pull of Squall’s curiosity because he looked down at Squall with something like a smile.

“What do you want to know?” Squall blinked and shrugged a little. He wasn’t one to ask personal questions. “No, go ahead and ask me. You should know as much as possible, if you’re going to help me keep it a secret.”

“You said that you disappear…?” Seifer nodded as though he had thought the question would be something like that.

“I only recently learned to control it. Sometimes I go to the Space Between when I need privacy or just don’t want to be around. I didn’t used to be able to stop it- whenever I wasn’t paying attention I’d go there.” He looked at Squall and then shook his head. “The Place Between is what we call the place where you don’t really exist.” When Squall did not give Seifer the satisfaction of feeling like he understood, Seifer spoke again, almost annoyed. “Shiva says that you went there after Time Compression, and the sorceress had to come and get you.”

“Oh,” he said, and Seifer nodded as Squall recalled and understood. “You go to that horrible desert?” Seifer gave Squall a look of revulsion.

“Is that what it looks like for you?” Squall blinked at him. “You really are messed up, aren’t you?” He laughed and shook his head. “The Place Between is what your heart would look like if it were a place.” Squall didn’t stop walking but that idea struck him hard. His heart was a barren desert, with a mercurial sky and blasted edges? “But hey, it changes all the time for normal people,” Seifer said, almost by way of reassurance. Squall thought to himself that Seifer’s reaction was related to the overpowering loyalty he felt. “For most GFs, and normal people, it’s really not all that bad.” Squall nodded.

“You also said that you could only appear in specific places,” Squall said by way of a question. Seifer nodded again, looking up at the bright blue sky as they walked.

“I can travel anywhere I want to, on foot like a normal person. But if I’m coming out of the Place Between, it has to be a particular place.”

“Or if someone summons you,” Squall added. Seifer was thoughtful for a moment.

“Yeah, that too. Didn’t really think about it until now, since no one could call me.” Squall nodded. “Should be handy if I ever need to disappear. Of course, I’ll have to walk back, but that’s no big deal.” They continued walking in silence for a short while longer, until Seifer looked down at Squall again. “Any more questions?” Squall shook his head. “There are things you’re not asking me.” Squall nodded, and Seifer shrugged. “It’s alright. You can ask whenever you want. I’ve got time.” Squall didn’t ask, but Seifer was so attuned to the minutiae of Squall’s feelings already that he picked up on the unspoken question. “Immortal. GFs are immortal unless they die being summoned and are never resurrected by their summoner. Like, right now, I’m junctioned to you. If you kill me off in battle and then release the junction, that’s it. I don’t have other junctions so I’d just… die.” Squall nodded. He didn’t intend to let that happen, though he couldn’t imagine what kind of burden immortality must be.

As they walked, Squall noticed a few more things about Seifer. He seemed to be relatively at peace with the world; there was no overwhelming rage. Squall couldn’t think of a time when he had seen Seifer and Seifer didn’t seem to have some overwhelming urge to hurt someone. The new, quiet Seifer was someone he could get used to having around. He hoped the others would feel the same.

“So what have you guys been up to? I mean, you saved the world, and then you what, went home? Had a party? Got smashed? Got married?” Squall looked up sharply at Seifer and shook his head, looking back at the road.

“Came home. No big deal.”

“Oh come on,” Seifer said, scoffing. “Didn’t you get a medal? Anything?”

“Not really,” Squall said, thinking back on it. No one really knew why Squall and the others were all so well known, because they were never publicly recognized for what they had accomplished. The mayor of Balamb had given much respect to the entire Garden for the SeeD (names weren’t mentioned) helping to clear the Galbadian influence from the streets during what was being known as the Ellone incident. Other than that, no one had mentioned a thing.

“Aren’t you guys mad? You saved the world and didn’t even get a thank you card!” He growled. “I’d be pissed.”

“You always wanted that glory,” Squall said softly.

“You always wanted to be left alone,” Seifer answered, teeth bared in a vicious smile.

Despite being dead, Squall was beginning to think that Seifer had entirely too bright a disposition.

That is, until they arrived at the Garden.