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His Sorceress is a shining beacon of light, standing gloriously over him even as Seifer struggles to catch his breath, ignominious in defeat. He may have failed her, but she won't fail him. If he hadn't worn Squall down, then he would've been a much bigger threat for her to take on. That's what he tells himself, anyway, while Edea battles with Squall, Rinoa, and another SeeD Seifer doesn't recognize.
He's just downing a hi-potion when Edea begins to glow with her ice magic. She casts a final blow, launching icicles at Squall, and one of them pierces him clean through. Seifer can feel her joy as Squall topples from the float: another SeeD, defeated. And Seifer is her knight, fulfilling his dream, helping her to victory.
So why is his gut clenching painfully? Why does his head ache?
Why is there something so wrong about seeing Squall hurt? Seeing Rinoa's tears?
"Clean up this mess," Edea tells him. "Keep the live ones for questioning."
"Seifer, please!" Rinoa shouts, tears running down her cheeks. Edea waves a hand, and Rinoa and the remaining SeeD fall unconscious. Seifer hops down from the float and scoops Squall up, something still prickling uncomfortably in the back of his mind. He touches the icicle and melts it with fire magic; it's easier to transport Squall that way is all.
There's a big bleeding hole in Squall's chest. This is what his Sorceress wanted, isn't it? Victory?
It hadn't felt like this when he'd given Squall that scar. It hadn't felt wrong. Squall had been angry, sure, and injured, but he'd just turned around and come right back at Seifer.
Squall's eyes are closed, now, a final ghost of breath rattling through his chest.
Seifer casts Life.
*
D-District prison is masterfully constructed. The Galbadians were really dedicated to making sure their prisoners couldn't escape, and they ensured it with a submersible prison in the middle of a desert, full of individual cells managed by a complex robot system. Found a person you didn't like? Just stow them away forever like they're an ugly towel in the back of the linen closet.
The whole thing is staffed by moombas, since it's hard for prisoners to conspire with guards to escape if the guards can't talk. It really is a brilliant concept.
Seifer hates it.
His dream isn't to hide in an unfindable prison, wringing confessions out of political dissidents. He wants to be back on that parade float, victorious in front of the world, or out in a battle proving himself against a worthy foe.
Squall is here, though, and that feels right. Squall has to be here, or else it's all meaningless. Isn't it?
What is the true purpose of SeeD? The Sorceress's voice echoes in his head. Sometimes she speaks to him out loud, sometimes directly in his thoughts. Sometimes she takes his eyes and ears and just stretches herself out to see what he's seeing and hear what he's hearing. It's proof of the power of their bond, and all the ways he can serve her. Every time she does it, though, it leaves him with a sense of creeping dread.
Just side effects of the magic, he supposes.
She isn't in his head now, though, her voice drifting away as the cell holding Squall locks into place and Seifer strides in through the small door. Squall is on the floor of the cell, likely knocked over by the motion of the pod through the prison. Seifer is abruptly angry; how dare Squall fall so easily? How dare he allow himself to be beaten like this?
"Squall, you're pitiful," he growls, tossing Squall against the wall of the cell.
Squall grunts when he hits the hard metal, staggering to his feet. That's better. "Seifer…? Seifer, why…?"
"Why what, Squall? Why did you lose to me?"
Squall glares at him. "I didn't lose to you. I lost to the fucking Sorceress you're working for."
" Working for? You think this is a mercenary arrangement like SeeD has? She chose me, Squall." He had chosen him, hadn't she? He thinks he remembers that. It's pretty hazy, though.
"You were there to help us," Squall says, his hands coming up defensively. "You came to Timber to help us, so why…?"
Timber. Seifer went to Timber, he remembers that. He went to Timber to kill the president, because… because…
Why did he go to Timber? And why can't he remember?
He shakes his head, dismissing the thought. It doesn't matter. "Edea wants you questioned," he says instead.
"I thought Edea wanted me dead," Squall says, more a statement than a question. "Seifer, why am I alive?"
Seifer snorts. "You think I could let you die that easy? I'm not through with you yet, Squall."
"You… saved me…?"
This conversation is making his head hurt. "Take him away!" Seifer yells at the moombas who are waiting outside. He watches as they swarm over Squall, subduing any attempts to stop them. Moombas are surprisingly strong, and Squall's not resisting very hard. Why isn't he resisting?
Maybe he's not resisting because he thinks Seifer is going to help him. Save him, again.
Is he?
*
They strap Squall up on the wall, the metal bands locking in place around his wrists and ankles. It looks wrong. It feels wrong. Why did Seifer go to Timber?
"Seifer…" Squall begins. "Come on. Let me go. Come with me, and we'll take you back to Garden." Back to Garden? Seifer's fuzzy mind flickers with memories: the cafeteria, the library, the training center. Squall laughing when Seifer was covered in Grat guts. Squall sitting next to him in class looking just as bored as he was. Carrying Squall to the infirmary after a training session went a little too hard. "This thing with the Sorceress," he continues, "it's not right. You're not right. She's done something to you."
Seifer blinks into a moment of clarity. His hand is on the lever to torture Squall, and it's shaking. How did he get here? The last time he felt this clear was back in Timber, where he'd come to help--
"...Squall?"
Squall nods at him. "Yeah, it's me. Seifer, let me go, and we can--"
What is the true purpose of SeeD?
The voice echoes in his head, drowning out anything Squall was going to say; Seifer winces against the pain of it. Pitiful Knight. Find me the answer and you will be allowed to continue to serve me.
That's right. He's here to get answers out of Squall, because Squall is the enemy, and Seifer is the Sorceress's Knight, just as he's always dreamed.
"Tell me what SeeD is," Seifer growls. "Edea demands to know."
Squall's face falls. Seifer doesn't care.
Does he?