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| The Crimson Idol |
| I was the boy unwanted A prisoner born to them My brother was the one Who couldn't do no wrong And I was there dying in the shadow of him |
| *Flash* The beach seemed particularly empty that day, he remembered it well. The other orphans were gone, adopted. Sis had disappeared ages ago. It was down to him and it was down to Squall. Only two of them, and still that closed mouthed pansy seemed to garner all the attention. Soon they would be taken to Garden. And then all of that would change. Today, however, was a last day for Seifer to sit in the sand and sneer at the sculptures half mangled by the relentless pounding of ocean waves, left behind by Selphie and Irvine and their stupid train games. For some reason, Seifer never could bring himself to destroy those monuments. They were gone. And he was all alone, except for Squall. Waves crashed against the rocky shore with the distant roar of the ocean's might grown lazy against the land. Once the voices of children would break the rhythmic sound, which continued unabated in the distinct absence of such youthful playtimes. Seifer hugged his knees and wondered about them, and wondered why no one came for him. No one wanted him, not the bullyboy Seifer. Edea had even given him a name, Almasy. An old Galbadian term, she told him, that meant firebrand. Fire cross. It was an attempt, on her part, to comfort the poor boy when he realized that now Irvine was gone too, Selphie and Quistis and Zell adopted even earlier than him. He and Squall were the only ones left and no one was coming for either of them. No parents visited the orphanage now. Those that did before, showed no interest in him and never came back. Jade eyes narrowed as he glared at the vast ocean in front of him. No one wanted him. No one thought he was worthy of having a home or a family. Well. He would prove them all wrong. A fire cross, at least Matron gave him a good last name. And someday, oh someday he'd show them all. "I'm gonna show them my dream." *End-Flash* |
| I'm in the eye of my rage, where no hurricane dies I'm in the eye of my rage, where the hurricane lies Oh, a storm's in my eyes And like the beast that's in my soul, I'm the restless child |
| *Flash* "Oh, and Seifer! Do NOT injure your partner while training! Next time be more careful." Seifer glanced up and glowered at Instructor Trepe. A look was shot at the golden boy, who sat in his chair, sulking and sullen as usual, refusing to meet the eyes of the other teen across the aisle from him. Seifer sneered and pounded a fist on the desk. How badly he wanted to just flip the woman off, a second rate instructor telling him, the Seifer Almasy, not to injure the pansy boy. Hyne forbid something happen to her precious crush. He snorted and sat back again, arms folded over his chest as Quistis droned on about the SeeD exams. He'd be taking them later that day. So would Squall. It would be interesting to see how the other teen did, for this would be Seifer's fifth attempt at passing the blasted exam. Idly he rubbed the scar against his forehead. Even he had to admit that Squall had balls to pull that stunt right back. Now the two bore mirror twin scars, one slashed right, the other slashed left. An irony there. Everyone compared them, it was hard not to notice it. But where Seifer was strong, Squall was weak, always brooding and thinking and glowering at everyone. Meanwhile Seifer lead the Discipline Committee and often was praised for his gunblade expertise. Now, if only he could become SeeD. That would be a nice miracle, but the blonde didn't expect it to happen. They wanted to fit him into a nice little mold. They'd be better off trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Seifer Almasy couldn't be lumped into any category and refused to be beaten into submission. Sooner they all realized that, the better. *End-Flash* |
| Ah - will it feed my hunger If I swallow the lies right down my throat? Or will it choke me till I'm raw? And tomorrow when I'm gone Will they whore my image on? |
| *Flash* He could actually smell Vinzer Deling's cheap cologne as he held the man at gunblade point. Things had gone very wrong. Now where did he go? Vinzer didn't bother attempting to escape him. The gunblade made sure of that, Hyperion's sharp edge pressed against the pudgy politician's throat. However, Seifer hadn't given thought on what to do after taking the man prisoner. Not to mention his grand scheme blown up in smoke by crybaby Zell and bossy Quistis. He never meant to get Garden into trouble. As much as the place disgusted him with its rank hypocrisy, it was still home. He'd been there since the beginning, since it was obvious that no one wanted him and he was better off somewhere than nowhere. She appeared like a mockery of an angelic apparition. Beautiful, sensual and reeking of the kind of power Seifer lusted after all his life. And yet, she was strangely familiar to him. A demonic temptress from his deepest nightmares and most secretive dreams. The gunblade faltered ever so slightly and he felt Vinzer twitch, quickly relocating the edge to the double chin with a snarl, "Don't even think about it." Come with me, her eyes said to him. Her voice taunted and teased and intrigued him all at once, an assault on his senses and his sensibilities. Come my child, and I shall make all your romantic dreams a reality. Be my Knight. How he trembled to hear such seductive words purring through the defective head meat on his shoulders. He might have let Vinzer go right then, if not for Quistis' sudden arrival. The moment broke into reality and Seifer realized the gunblade had nearly slipped, quickly bringing it back to its original position. The Galbadian President was sweating, great drops of perspiration slowly dripping down his temples. Edea made short work of the instructor, freezing her in time to stand perfectly still, like a golden haired statue. Would Quistis have saved him? The thought again left him uncertain. No, no she wouldn't have. She'd have dragged him back to Garden and then Cid would either hand him to the Galbadians for punishment, or lock him away in the discipline rooms again. They didn't want him, they wanted to break him. But not Edea. She wanted him to be her knight. The Sorceress' Knight. Yes, child, release him, come to me. Hyperion slowly lowered and Seifer shoved the politician away, letting the fat man quickly descend the staircase to escape. He gave himself freely, not even realizing that at that very moment, he sold his soul to the greatest threat ever imaginable. And all because she promised him that romantic dream. *End-Flash* |
| Then the illusion was real A crimson idol I saw But the higher he'd climb Then the further he'd fall |
| *Flash* Seifer never felt so high before. The float edged out past the gates of the Presidential Palace. Vinzer Deling freshly dead now, destroyed by the Sorceress before he had time to realize the mistake he made, courting powers far greater than his own. The Knight sneered at the body before Edea required his escort down below. Politicians were all piss and vinegar and broken promises. Few would mourn the late President's passing. Below, the streets filled with party-goers, confetti and glitter prematurely tossed into the air and the occasional balloon escaping a child's grasp to float into the atmosphere. Seifer snarled and sneered as he made way for his Sorceress, easily clearing her a path. Any who thought it wise to attack her would first have to deal with him. Atop the float, Seifer never felt more powerful than he did at that moment, staring down at the masses, globs of faces and people whose names hardly mattered. These were the Sorceress' people now, and since he was her Knight, that meant they were his now, too. It made him giddy, a feeling better than the most potent of black market drugs. How he longed to attain such noble status, if only Squall could see him now. Surely that simpering pansy's eyes would pop right out of that girly faced skull of his to see his rival in such a position of prestige and power. Surely. *End-Flash* |
| Eighteen bloody roses Each a year that bled my soul Eighteen and numb I'm somebody's son Momma, look what I've become |
| *Flash* Seifer stood atop the podium of Galbadia Garden's launch center. Soldiers surrounded him on tri-v cycles, engines revving, teeth gritting, psyches preparing themselves to embrace the upcoming battle. The Knight watched the looming form of Balamb Garden approaching. Soon, he cautioned himself, tempering that cosmic impatience of his. Waiting for the Garden's to clash, for the opening to present itself. This was his moment of glory, the day he defeated the hypocritical Garden he'd once called his home. Somewhere, down deep inside, he hoped Balamb Garden wouldn't be completely destroyed. He longed to stride down the hallways again, not as a failed SeeD, but as a conqueror. A General. A Knight. A revolutionary! And he'd string Squall up by his ankles in the middle of the Atrium, for all of them to see. He'd do it to all of them, crybaby Zell, bossy Quistis, ditzy Selphie, and that one kid who tried to kill Edea, oh yes, Irvine. String them all up as his trophies, the spoils of war. The Gardens loomed ever closer to one another, until the sudden shock of their joining finally signaled the moment. He held Hyperion high and then swung it forward, motioning the soldiers forward in a rush of engines and smoke and the scent of anticipation. They moved at his command. An entire army of blue uniformed soldiers, all his, at the whim of the Sorceress. Only eighteen, and his romantic dream dangled in front of him, so close to his reach. If only they could all see him now. Little did he know, they already did. *End-Flash* |
| Will he take me down to the gallows And kill the boy inside the man? |
| *Flash* It was over. All of it. How had he lost? One last blow and Squall sent Seifer spiraling off to the side, no longer concerned over him. Beaten, injured, all the Sorceress' Knight could do was collapse by the podium, and stare as the trio fought against the woman he was supposed to protect. Some knight I am. Ultimecia's chiding tone still run in his ears. Worthless fool. She called me a worthless fool. I've defended her, done her bidding to the letter and she tosses me aside like an old rag doll. Edea didn't stand much more of a chance, grasping her chest as apparently even she succumbed to the might of Squall and his flunkies. Seifer closed his eyes and let his head fall unceremoniously back against the floor of the auditorium. Just let me die. I can't suffer this humiliation. This defeat. A sudden weight against his chest saved him from the brink of oblivion. Arms lifted him, holding him against the warmth of a chest he recognized. Rinoa? Her scent, so familiar, filled his nostrils, reminding him of a summer ago, warm and bright with the memory of a spunky little girl he thought needed him. Now she ran with Squall, protected by Seifer's greatest rival. Did he love her back then? It was hard to say, maybe, he could have. How easily this scenario could have been totally reversed. Squall could be Ultimecia's knight, and Seifer the hero, rushing forward to protect Rinoa's honor and free the known world of the threat that now... but that's not how things turned out. Squall was right. I'm the monster. No, Ultimecia is the-- Thoughts so fleeting shatter as his Sorceress called to him, with a voice soft as feathers and sweet as honey. Find the Lunatic Pandora, and the dreams will return. Glory will be his. A second chance, not only at life, but at achieving his greatest of dreams. He rose as the arms release him, nothing else registering as he strode from the auditorium. He had his mission. Now, to fulfill it. *End-Flash* |
| I don't see my face in the mirror Any more, or understand Why am I the chosen one I'm the crimson man Long live, long live, long live the king of mercy Long live, long live Is there no love, I am one The side you see, is the nasty me |
| *Flash* They were leaving him. Fuujin said as much, speaking words such as he had rarely heard from her. The Posse. His posse was gone. He was well and truly alone. He watched them go, and instead of going with them, instead of giving up and going quietly, he rose to the challenge. Didn't they get it? He couldn't get out of this. Ultimecia owned him, body and soul. Until the day she was defeated, or the day he finally met his maker, Seifer Almasy would do as his Sorceress bid. Fuujin was right, he was a puppet, an extension of Ultimecia's will, and nothing more. The firebrand, the crimson cross, ceased to exist the moment he allowed himself to be used. And yet, in his stubborn obstinacy, he would not let Squall see how weak he was. A lion's pride could not rival that of the knight's. Rinoa begged him to stop, too weak to stop him as he dragged her toward Adel's capsule. The other Sorceress slept, arms crossed over her bizarre, misshapen form. Ultimecia's will drowning out any rational capabilities in his mind, he shoved her toward the floor, watching in a combination of both horror and awe as the older Sorceress tore through her prison and grabbed for the younger girl. Ultimecia wanted Rinoa junctioned to Adel, that she might control both Sorceresses together, as one. And it was this action that truly spelled the end for him. The moment both women joined and Squall arrived to free Rinoa from Adel, Seifer suddenly felt his mind utterly released from Ultimecia's influence, returning to him the second Ellone and Laguna arrived to banish Adel, and his mistress as well, to the past. All he could do, all his damned pride could allow, was to slink away from the scene, practically crawling on his stomach lest the others notice him and leap on him for what he'd done. There would be no forgiveness for this, not from them, and not from himself. *End-Flash* |
| If I could only stand and stare in the mirror would I see One fallen hero with a face like me And if I scream, could anybody hear me If I smash the silence, you'll see what fame has done to me |
| *Flash* Crawling from the confines of the Lunatic Pandora, Seifer removed the tattered vestment of his coat, frowning to realize how frayed he'd let it become. Once, he'd have scoffed at someone dressing so sloppily, so anal about his appearance that he'd rather have gone naked than allow himself to be degraded into such a state. Idly he realized a shadow of a beard had replaced a normally smooth shaven face, his hair a little longer than the close cropped cut he usually maintained. In his fervor to jump like a dog to Ultimecia's command, he let himself go. The statues of Tear's Point stared down at him like stone sentinels, their cracked faces sad and rueful. Did they quietly mourn as Seifer did? The fallen knight, reduced to nothing but a villain defeated. What happened to his grand and romantic dream? It burned so bright within his mind, and now he was left with mere ashes in his hands. Traces of a dream gone awry. His greatest rival defeated him. The woman he thought perhaps he could love now stood at someone else's side. His only friends abandoned him, and rightfully so. The world would know the name of Seifer Almasy and spit with distain when uttering it. I never meant for it to be like this. *End-Flash* |
| Welcome to the show You're all witnesses, you see A privileged invitation to the last rites of me Remember me You can't save me |
| *Flash* You're not the lion anymore, Squall, Seifer thought. I am. An old lion, just looking to find a tough enough battle to kill me, bring me peace. Having left the coat behind, he skulked across the Great Plains of Esthar, Hyperion slicing down Toramas, turtapods, anything that thought he looked like a weak, injured animal, easy prey. He fought without regard to his health, enduring far more than would be considered safe, multiple gashes spilling red blood, bruises and contusions riddling his tall frame, one leg broken badly enough to leave him limping. If the battle inside the Lunatic Pandora continued, he couldn't tell. The elevated structure remained above Tear's Point, looming with all its mystic beauty. Seifer paused to watch the Lunatic Pandora. Even as he heard the sound of paws against the grassy ground, the snort of something approaching, felt the heat of bestial breath above his head, he couldn't tear jade eyes away from that sight. Let it be my last , he thought. Let me die knowing I brought this about. I wanted to be better than you, Squall. Now... I'm nothing. He closed his eyes, not at all expecting to hear the beast's death cry echoing in his ears. "SEIFER!" a voice called and he whirled around to see Fuujin standing there, Raijin at her side, as always. Part of him felt a wash of relief drift over him like a cool rain cascading down on dry, thirsty ground. The other part felt a familiar dread, he'd let his posse down, and yet here they came as always, back at his side. He hardly deserved either of them. They both hesitated, uncertain how well they would be received either. They left him, after all, to face Squall and his group alone. When Seifer smiled, stumbling toward them, they rushed to his side. Faithful to the end, no matter how many times he failed them. Fuujin cradled him against her, casting Cures repeatedly to close the wounds and fade the bruises. He knew these would not scar, not like the lesions inside his heart, the ones no spell could touch and when she bid him to sleep, he didn't argue for once. Sleep was so close to death, after all, and he needed that oblivion to escape into. *End-Flash* |
| Red, crimson red No, I was never to be Only one, crimson son It never was me |
| *Flash* The fishing pole earned nothing but a scowl from Seifer Almasy. He watched the bobbin intensely, waiting for something, anything, to happen. It mocked him, refusing to dip under the water and indicate that he had finally caught something. He heard Raijin's whoop of victory and sneered, glancing over his shoulder in time to see the other standing up, a fish dangling from the hook at the end of his fishing pole. Frustrated beyond belief, the former knight leapt up, slamming the pole onto the wooden dock. Stupid fish, fine, so they all loved Raijin, goody for them. Fuujin frowned a little as she watched the childish display, yet instead of chiding him for it, she kept her hands clasped behind her back and kicked out at Raijin's side with one foot, sending him sprawling over the edge of the docks, a spray of water splashing the wood at her feet. Seifer paused and blinked at the scene. It took him a moment to absorb the situation and then he tossed his head back and began to laugh. Suddenly, everything flashed back to the beginning, to a time before Ultimecia, when the posse was solid. It might have taken an evil Sorceress to make Seifer realize how much Fuujin and Raijin meant to him, but it worked all the same. A shadow loomed high overhead suddenly, blocking out the stream of sunlight. That was odd, the last time Seifer looked toward the skies, there hadn't been a cloud anywhere to be seen. He looked up in time to see Balamb Garden, mobile and en route to some unknown destination, floating overhead. He knew they'd won, or by now all of them would surely be dead, compressed in time by Ultimecia's hand. He felt her death as easily as if someone had cut off one of his limbs, finally free from her influence for all time. A smile crossed his lips as he thought of them, no longer bearing them hatred or ill will. Well, you did it, Squall. Long live, long live the Lion Hearted. *End-Flash* Final Fantasy Characters and settings belong to Squaresoft. Lyrics written by W.A.S.P. from their album The Crimson Idol. |