"Blood looks good on you," I laughed to myself, bitterly. The shimmering reflection laughed back, mirroring the half upward curve on my lips and bitter crimson eye, sharing in my sombre amusement. I licked my top lip, tasting the metallic, salt taste of T-Rexaur blood. The same blood stood out in stark contrast to my deathpale skin, tracing a thin, slow line from my eyepatch and down my left cheek like crimson tears, eventually forming a drop at my jawline. The droplet eventually fell, rippling the surface of the stream and disrupting the image I had been studying. I watched the waves dissipate and waited idly for the image to reappear, flicking disinterestedly at a small bug on the frame of the wooden bridge I was leaning on and noticing another shape appear in the stream. I did not have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey Fu." A voice emanated from behind my left shoulder. I turned round to face it.

"Seifer." I nodded briefly to him, studying his face and noticing the lack of trademark cocky grin. He returned the glance, looking me over briefly.

"Been trainin', eh?" He smiled. I nodded again, gesturing to the corpse of a T-Rexaur lying a few metres behind me. "Blood looks good on you, Fu."

I felt my heart stutter. Could the guy read my thoughts or something?

"Matches your eye."

I looked at him to catch the scornful smirk but there was none, and I wondered for a second whether he was being serious or not. There was a moment's silence.

"Help, required?" I offered eventually.

"Naw, nuthin' like that. Uh..." He ran a gloved hand through his hair, frowning slightly. "I actually got some news for ya." I raised an eyebrow.

"Good?" Seifer did not respond.

"S'about that, um...Fu, you remember that guy Irvine? Used to hang around with Leonhart?"

I scowled at the mention of Squall's name. The memories and anger flooded back-the hurt and hatred I had felt, the confusion that had caused me to abandon Seifer when he needed me the most. I shook these thoughts from my mind, ignoring my resentment for Squall and my guilt.

"...Affirmative." I said eventually, anger tinting my reply. However, I had to add a muttered "Bastard..."

"He's dead, Fu."

The simple statement slapped me in the face and I felt light headed as the words sent my senses reeling.

"What?"

"Dead. Found that Tilmitt girl runnin' about like a headless chocobo in the quad. I asked her if she thought the sky was fallin' or something and she threw this at me." Seifer held a crumpled piece of paper aloft, which I took. The handwriting was a rushed scrawl, and various words were smudged where teardrops had struck the paper, making me wonder briefly if it had been Irvine or his friends who had shed them.

"Dear whoever," the letter began,
"When you read this, I will be dead. Yeah, dead. I can't deal with this anymore! Quistis, I'm much more perceptive then you think. I know that look you gave Squall. I know the look he gave back. I always thought we were a family . . . Ellone was the big sister who was always there. Quistis was the bossy big sis; Squall was the moody brother. Seifer was the bully and Zell was always getting picked on. Selphie was the youngest girl, always optimistic. I was the youngest out of them all. I was the annoying one . . . But Squall, the look you gave Quistis said differently. I don't have a family! I thought we all felt that platonic love towards eachother. Everyone got annoyed with me, but it was okay. I was your brother, right? Wrong. The only one in this world who gives a damn about me is Selphie. I'm sorry to do this too you, Selph . . . Don't cry too much. You can have all my stuff. It's not a lot, but you can have it. Rinoa . . . You don't cry either. Squall loves Quistis, apparently. Don't cry. Nobody cry, in fact. Quistis, Squall, I hope you two are happy together. But, damn . . . Did you have to? Really? Couldn't you of just gone on letting me think I had a family? Why are you doing this? You're hurting everyone. You're not only cheating on Rinoa, Squall, but all of us. Did you have to?

G'bye,

Irvine Kinneas."

I looked at Seifer. The initial shock had worn off now, and I ventured to state a firm "Care, not." Seifer looked at the floor, still frowning slightly. "...Right?"

"Aw crap, I dunno. I mean..." he tralied off, shaking his head.

"But..." I struggled to put my thoughts into words, something I had always been terrible at. "He's a friend of Squalls...one of them." I said this quietly, watching Seifer's features the whole time and trying to gauge his reaction.

"So was I...once." Seifer said in a voice barely above a whisper. He looked up at me.

"Ah, don't worry Fu." He smiled slightly at my bemused expression, "Makin' up with Leonhart and his merry band of buttboys is at about the bottom of my list of "fun things to do before I croak." But that doesn't mean I wanna see em' all dead..."

I could see what he meant, to a certain extent. But THEY certainly hadn't cared if Seifer had lived or died when they fought him..."

"Anyway, looks like the honeymoon's over for Leonhart and Whoretilly. Guess she'll have to find someone else dumb enough to screw her on a regular basis."

I was surprised at Seifer's bitterness. I had known that him and Rinoa had been involved, but the thought of him being with anyone, especially that little slut stung me, so I'd always avoided the subject. I knew little of their previous involvement.

"So bitter..." I whispered. Seifer's head snapped upwards.

"What? Gods no, Fu. Been there, done that, had better."

I winced at this slightly crude comment. I had always known subconciously that Seifer and Rinoa had had sex, but this had brought it home to me, and it was not a pleasant feeling. I could not help letting a short, disgusted gasp let slip.

Seifer seemed amused by this. "Too much detail there for ya, Fu?" Seifer grinned, a trace of his of his old demeanor returning. "Yeah, well. S'in the past now. 'Sides, I prefer my women more aloof."

"The sorceress." I thought to myself, frowing slightly. I heard Seifer sigh and watched his eyes drop to the floor in a small show of frustration. I wondered briefly what it was for.

"Yeah, well...I gotta go tell Raijin the news, if he hasn't heard it already. Coming?"

"Negative." I replied. "Train."

"Gods Fu, they can only breed so many monsters at a time. Leave some for the rest of us, huh?"

I simply nodded and picked up my Pinwheel, the grip slimy with blood. Seifer nodded back to me and left. I watched his shape disappear round the corner and sighed. It didn't matter what they did, Squall's group always ended up hurting Seifer. Even by taking their own lives they managed to get to him. I had a thought that Irvine only killed himself to hurt Seifer flash through my brain before common sense kicked in and I realised I was being paranoid. I shook my head off and stalked off in search of another T-Rexaur, finding the feeling of keen steel slicing leathery dinosaur skin morbidly relaxing as I turned my full concentration to the struggle to stay alive.