Seymour; Don't Follow Me (Part 3)
Title: Don’t Follow Me (Part 3 of 3)
Setting: FFX/X2
Theme + Number: 25)Lies/Stories, 36) Wrench, 75) Sunshine and daisies, 98) Calm
Character: Seymour
Other Characters/Pairings: Seymour/Shelinda
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Summary: Shelinda confronts Seymour for the last time in Bevelle before his marriage to Yuna. Also, an epilogue which takes place many years after Yuna and her guardians have defeated Sin.
Part 1 Part 2
The room was dimly lit. Even with the piercing rays of the setting sun bursting through the closed curtains, the light seemed to dissipate inches from the window sill. Shelinda stepped cautiously into the room. Each footfall was muted by the rich, luxurious carpet. She became aware that she could have been as loud as she wished though; Seymour seemed to be absorbed in staring at himself in the mirror at the other end of the room unaware of her intrusion.
Shelinda had first thought he had been admiring the fine robes he would be wearing tomorrow for the wedding ceremony, but she then realized he was simply staring into his own eyes. It was as if he was attempting to will his mirror image to act on its own. His face looked gaunt as if he had not slept in many days. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of how much pressure he had put himself under.
She had not gone north as she had planned to do. As soon as she had heard Seymour had been attacked in the Macalania temple she had done everything within her power to stay by his side. It had been rather impossible to get near him though with Tromell’s tight security. The guado had allowed her to travel the rest of the way to Bevelle with them and had been rather sketchy on Seymour’s condition which left her with many sleepless nights. She was not sure exactly what was going on. She could not bring herself to believe that Yuna had attacked the Maester as everyone was claiming. Upon her arrival in Bevelle she had been ordered to attend to other matters in order to prepare for the wedding. She had had no time to question Lady Yuna, nor Seymour. She was beginning to feel like a small child once again who isn’t allowed to ask the “grown ups” what was going on.
Stepping closer to Seymour she reached out and lightly touched him on the shoulder. “Lord Seymour?”
“Who is there?” Seymour barked, turning in one swift move and grabbing hold of her wrist so tightly as if to break it.
His hand felt icy cold and though he looked to be in a weakened state, his grip was vice-tight. She looked up into his eyes and felt her heart stop for a moment. Even in the darkness of the room his eyes seemed to glow and she could see the sudden anger in them clearly.
“Seymour, it’s me, Shelinda.” She slowly reached up and touched the side of his face.
He shook his head and let go of her wrist, rubbing his forehead. “Forgive me. I didn’t hear you come in. You should learn to make your presence known when you enter a room Shelinda, the high priests who study here are particular about people who go sneaking around.” He turned away from her and seemed once again drawn in by his reflection.
Shelinda felt foolish and rubbed her wrist nervously as she looked away from him. After all this time they had been parted, he still seemed to throw a distance between them. Perhaps he was afraid someone was watching them. “I’m sorry Seymour. I should have spoken up, you look so troubled.” She reached out once more to touch his shoulder. “I’m sure everything will go fine tomorrow. I have been assisting with the ceremony.” She smiled at his reflection in the mirror. Seymour gave little reply to her statement. She could have almost sworn that there was something else within the mirror. Perhaps it was the deepening gloom of the room that was playing tricks with her eyes.
Sensing that he would rather be alone, she began to walk away. “Weren’t you planning to go north?”
She turned back to him and shook her head. “I was. Upon hearing that you were injured I decided to go with you to Bevelle. Tromell was kind enough to allow me to join the rest of the guado. He would not say much about what occurred though, is Lady Yuna alright?” She swallowed hard after speaking, wondering if she was asking too much.
“Lady Yuna is fine. Her guardians were in league with the Al Bhed. I was able to save her before they caused much harm. She has been moved to a more secure area. I am told she is in deep meditation for the upcoming ceremony.” He gave Shelinda a half smile.
“I am sorry I could not assist you! How terrible it must have been for both you and Lady Yuna.” Shelinda moved close to Seymour once more and hugged his arm, gaining relief in feeling him so close to her now. He did not return the embrace though, keeping still in his place.
“I had my suspicions in the beginning,” he spoke softly, looking down at her now.
Shelinda remained quiet for a moment before looking up at him and giving a concerned glance. “Seymour, I know Lady Yuna and yourself will be journeying to Zanarkand soon after the ceremony. I wish to join you both. I want to be your guardian.”
Seymour began to laugh and shake his head. “Shelinda I do not think you understand what it is you are truly asking for.”
“But I do! I want to protect you and Lady Yuna.” She tried to control the pleading tone of her voice as she spoke, but could not hide it completely.
“You will do more good for me here than you could in Zanarkand. You have made it to Bevelle and you should count your fortunes for that on its own. The road becomes far more difficult past this point. Many summoners have come this far and died soon after entering the mountains of Gagazet. This is no simple journey though another Moonflow or hillside trail.” Seymour sighed.
“You have traveled to Zanarkand before. One of the elder guado told me you and your mother had gone there before.”
Seymour jerked away from her as if suddenly repulsed by her touch and stepped away from the mirror. “Do not take the stories of an old man and make simple examples out of them. What occurred then has nothing to do with the task at hand. Are you so blind you do not see the shadow of Sin looming over this very building?” He glared over his shoulder at her.
Shelinda looked down at the floor in shame. While his words stung her, she saw the truth in them. She was being foolish by asking him to take her on as a guardian. She had no experience in fighting and had little in the way of protecting her own self. She bit her lip in hesitation, but could not stop her voice from pouring out with grief. “D-do you know if you will return?” She felt the hot tears run down her face. Why did it hurt so much to ask?
“I believe you know the answer to that Shelinda.” Seymour’s voice remained cool and free of the fear that she would expect to hear from anyone who was running head-first to their own death.
She knew the answer, but it didn’t help. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach thinking about how in the past everyone would feel joy at the sacrifice of the summoners, when it meant another innocent life had been lost. Had there been others who felt such sadness as this? Watching the people they love slowly torn down under the weight of Sin. “Is there no other way?” she whispered, her arms tight to her sides, trying to hold in the sudden nausea.
“Shelinda.” Seymour’s tone had softened and she heard the shuffle of his steps move toward her. “There has only been one way to defeat Sin. We can only try each time to break the cycle. I can only promise you this time that I will do everything to break this never ending spiral of death.” His hands rested upon her shoulders. “We can not hang our hopes on an alternative. You saw what occurred in Mi’hen. My only grief is that you could not be strong enough for me.”
Shelinda leaned into Seymour’s body, her throat thick with the holding back of her tears. She quickly reached up and rubbed away the tears with the back of her hand, pulling what strength she could from inside of her. “Then I will do what I can for you here. I know you can end this Seymour. I will pray to give you all of the strength I can.” She looked up at him, catching his gaze. There seemed to be something hidden deep behind his eyes now. His strength and confidence still remained, but it seemed as if something had stopped within him and she could not figure out what it was. She could only guess that he was trying to do his best to put up the bravest front he could.
“That would make me the happiest, Shelinda.” His hand slowly reached up and ran his fingers through her hair.
She continued to wipe her tears on her sleeve and straightened her clothes, gaining her composure. “I suppose I should go and see what else Maester Mika wishes me to take care of before the ceremony.” She pulled away from Seymour hesitantly. “I don’t know if I should say goodbye or not,” she looked up at him, wanting his guidance and approval.
“Let us not say goodbye. We will be together again sooner than you think.” He touched her cheek. “Next time you see the pyreflies, simply know that it is a sign that I am watching you.”
Shelinda nodded slowly and stood still as Seymour drew her close into one last kiss. His lips were so cold, but she did not flinch from them. She pulled away and held his hand once again, taking a deep breath. This was no romantic tale, but just another goodbye that she was sure had been played over a thousand times throughout Spira’s lifetime. It was an endless cycle of meetings and partings and if you dwelled on it long enough the pain would swallow you whole.
She stepped towards the door, noting that Seymour had not made one motion to light a candle or draw open the curtains. He simply remained there in the darkness, mostly shadow and little visible substance.
As she moved along the empty corridors she could only wonder how things could change if she were only strong enough. A part of her was starting to wonder if there was anyone with that much power to destroy all this grief. The gilded halls of Bevelle were starting to weigh heavily upon her shoulders as if they were awaiting the toll of a funeral dirge and not the bells of a glorious wedding.
---
It was not until years after Yuna brought the Eternal Calm that Shelinda learned the whole truth. Shelinda, in her later age, had begun to write out a history of Spira. With all that was bursting into life around her, she wanted her children to know what had come before. Yuna had been hesitant to speak of her pilgrimage at first and upon hearing the tragedy of it all, Shelinda could not blame her deep silence on the matter.
After the Calm, Shelinda had become a reporter, wanting to chase the new and now. Her heart was ready to forget and bury the cycles of the past. She met another, fell in love, and let life lead her to the Calm Lands where wheels of industry had begun to spin. A small settlement had become an ever growing town among the fresh sunshine and fields of flowers.
It was only as she grew older that she would stumble back into her thoughts to that final night with the guado Maester. At first she felt embarrassed every time she thought of the lies he had woven around her and her anger would boil deep. After some time she simply let it go as Yuna had. Seymour had fallen into his own trap and been punished for it.
As she walked along the Calm Lands at night, letting her thoughts run away with the evening wind, she would try and conjure up the Maester before her. What would she say to him now? It frightened her that a part of her still wanted to see him if only to forgive him for the past. Everyone had moved on with little memory of him and it didn’t seem very fair to her. She reasoned that he had tried the only way he knew how to end everyone’s troubled existence.
It was rare to see pyreflies these days. When she did see them dance across the open lands she would stand patiently, waiting for them to seek her out. She would let them brush against her clothes and she would whisper words of forgiveness, stories of the past, and give direction to their pathway home. They would pass by with little care or notice of her own existence, but she would hold her breath in hopes that they would offer her solace.
If they could only forgive her for not being strong enough to change the past.
Setting: FFX/X2
Theme + Number: 25)Lies/Stories, 36) Wrench, 75) Sunshine and daisies, 98) Calm
Character: Seymour
Other Characters/Pairings: Seymour/Shelinda
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Summary: Shelinda confronts Seymour for the last time in Bevelle before his marriage to Yuna. Also, an epilogue which takes place many years after Yuna and her guardians have defeated Sin.
Part 1 Part 2
The room was dimly lit. Even with the piercing rays of the setting sun bursting through the closed curtains, the light seemed to dissipate inches from the window sill. Shelinda stepped cautiously into the room. Each footfall was muted by the rich, luxurious carpet. She became aware that she could have been as loud as she wished though; Seymour seemed to be absorbed in staring at himself in the mirror at the other end of the room unaware of her intrusion.
Shelinda had first thought he had been admiring the fine robes he would be wearing tomorrow for the wedding ceremony, but she then realized he was simply staring into his own eyes. It was as if he was attempting to will his mirror image to act on its own. His face looked gaunt as if he had not slept in many days. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of how much pressure he had put himself under.
She had not gone north as she had planned to do. As soon as she had heard Seymour had been attacked in the Macalania temple she had done everything within her power to stay by his side. It had been rather impossible to get near him though with Tromell’s tight security. The guado had allowed her to travel the rest of the way to Bevelle with them and had been rather sketchy on Seymour’s condition which left her with many sleepless nights. She was not sure exactly what was going on. She could not bring herself to believe that Yuna had attacked the Maester as everyone was claiming. Upon her arrival in Bevelle she had been ordered to attend to other matters in order to prepare for the wedding. She had had no time to question Lady Yuna, nor Seymour. She was beginning to feel like a small child once again who isn’t allowed to ask the “grown ups” what was going on.
Stepping closer to Seymour she reached out and lightly touched him on the shoulder. “Lord Seymour?”
“Who is there?” Seymour barked, turning in one swift move and grabbing hold of her wrist so tightly as if to break it.
His hand felt icy cold and though he looked to be in a weakened state, his grip was vice-tight. She looked up into his eyes and felt her heart stop for a moment. Even in the darkness of the room his eyes seemed to glow and she could see the sudden anger in them clearly.
“Seymour, it’s me, Shelinda.” She slowly reached up and touched the side of his face.
He shook his head and let go of her wrist, rubbing his forehead. “Forgive me. I didn’t hear you come in. You should learn to make your presence known when you enter a room Shelinda, the high priests who study here are particular about people who go sneaking around.” He turned away from her and seemed once again drawn in by his reflection.
Shelinda felt foolish and rubbed her wrist nervously as she looked away from him. After all this time they had been parted, he still seemed to throw a distance between them. Perhaps he was afraid someone was watching them. “I’m sorry Seymour. I should have spoken up, you look so troubled.” She reached out once more to touch his shoulder. “I’m sure everything will go fine tomorrow. I have been assisting with the ceremony.” She smiled at his reflection in the mirror. Seymour gave little reply to her statement. She could have almost sworn that there was something else within the mirror. Perhaps it was the deepening gloom of the room that was playing tricks with her eyes.
Sensing that he would rather be alone, she began to walk away. “Weren’t you planning to go north?”
She turned back to him and shook her head. “I was. Upon hearing that you were injured I decided to go with you to Bevelle. Tromell was kind enough to allow me to join the rest of the guado. He would not say much about what occurred though, is Lady Yuna alright?” She swallowed hard after speaking, wondering if she was asking too much.
“Lady Yuna is fine. Her guardians were in league with the Al Bhed. I was able to save her before they caused much harm. She has been moved to a more secure area. I am told she is in deep meditation for the upcoming ceremony.” He gave Shelinda a half smile.
“I am sorry I could not assist you! How terrible it must have been for both you and Lady Yuna.” Shelinda moved close to Seymour once more and hugged his arm, gaining relief in feeling him so close to her now. He did not return the embrace though, keeping still in his place.
“I had my suspicions in the beginning,” he spoke softly, looking down at her now.
Shelinda remained quiet for a moment before looking up at him and giving a concerned glance. “Seymour, I know Lady Yuna and yourself will be journeying to Zanarkand soon after the ceremony. I wish to join you both. I want to be your guardian.”
Seymour began to laugh and shake his head. “Shelinda I do not think you understand what it is you are truly asking for.”
“But I do! I want to protect you and Lady Yuna.” She tried to control the pleading tone of her voice as she spoke, but could not hide it completely.
“You will do more good for me here than you could in Zanarkand. You have made it to Bevelle and you should count your fortunes for that on its own. The road becomes far more difficult past this point. Many summoners have come this far and died soon after entering the mountains of Gagazet. This is no simple journey though another Moonflow or hillside trail.” Seymour sighed.
“You have traveled to Zanarkand before. One of the elder guado told me you and your mother had gone there before.”
Seymour jerked away from her as if suddenly repulsed by her touch and stepped away from the mirror. “Do not take the stories of an old man and make simple examples out of them. What occurred then has nothing to do with the task at hand. Are you so blind you do not see the shadow of Sin looming over this very building?” He glared over his shoulder at her.
Shelinda looked down at the floor in shame. While his words stung her, she saw the truth in them. She was being foolish by asking him to take her on as a guardian. She had no experience in fighting and had little in the way of protecting her own self. She bit her lip in hesitation, but could not stop her voice from pouring out with grief. “D-do you know if you will return?” She felt the hot tears run down her face. Why did it hurt so much to ask?
“I believe you know the answer to that Shelinda.” Seymour’s voice remained cool and free of the fear that she would expect to hear from anyone who was running head-first to their own death.
She knew the answer, but it didn’t help. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach thinking about how in the past everyone would feel joy at the sacrifice of the summoners, when it meant another innocent life had been lost. Had there been others who felt such sadness as this? Watching the people they love slowly torn down under the weight of Sin. “Is there no other way?” she whispered, her arms tight to her sides, trying to hold in the sudden nausea.
“Shelinda.” Seymour’s tone had softened and she heard the shuffle of his steps move toward her. “There has only been one way to defeat Sin. We can only try each time to break the cycle. I can only promise you this time that I will do everything to break this never ending spiral of death.” His hands rested upon her shoulders. “We can not hang our hopes on an alternative. You saw what occurred in Mi’hen. My only grief is that you could not be strong enough for me.”
Shelinda leaned into Seymour’s body, her throat thick with the holding back of her tears. She quickly reached up and rubbed away the tears with the back of her hand, pulling what strength she could from inside of her. “Then I will do what I can for you here. I know you can end this Seymour. I will pray to give you all of the strength I can.” She looked up at him, catching his gaze. There seemed to be something hidden deep behind his eyes now. His strength and confidence still remained, but it seemed as if something had stopped within him and she could not figure out what it was. She could only guess that he was trying to do his best to put up the bravest front he could.
“That would make me the happiest, Shelinda.” His hand slowly reached up and ran his fingers through her hair.
She continued to wipe her tears on her sleeve and straightened her clothes, gaining her composure. “I suppose I should go and see what else Maester Mika wishes me to take care of before the ceremony.” She pulled away from Seymour hesitantly. “I don’t know if I should say goodbye or not,” she looked up at him, wanting his guidance and approval.
“Let us not say goodbye. We will be together again sooner than you think.” He touched her cheek. “Next time you see the pyreflies, simply know that it is a sign that I am watching you.”
Shelinda nodded slowly and stood still as Seymour drew her close into one last kiss. His lips were so cold, but she did not flinch from them. She pulled away and held his hand once again, taking a deep breath. This was no romantic tale, but just another goodbye that she was sure had been played over a thousand times throughout Spira’s lifetime. It was an endless cycle of meetings and partings and if you dwelled on it long enough the pain would swallow you whole.
She stepped towards the door, noting that Seymour had not made one motion to light a candle or draw open the curtains. He simply remained there in the darkness, mostly shadow and little visible substance.
As she moved along the empty corridors she could only wonder how things could change if she were only strong enough. A part of her was starting to wonder if there was anyone with that much power to destroy all this grief. The gilded halls of Bevelle were starting to weigh heavily upon her shoulders as if they were awaiting the toll of a funeral dirge and not the bells of a glorious wedding.
---
It was not until years after Yuna brought the Eternal Calm that Shelinda learned the whole truth. Shelinda, in her later age, had begun to write out a history of Spira. With all that was bursting into life around her, she wanted her children to know what had come before. Yuna had been hesitant to speak of her pilgrimage at first and upon hearing the tragedy of it all, Shelinda could not blame her deep silence on the matter.
After the Calm, Shelinda had become a reporter, wanting to chase the new and now. Her heart was ready to forget and bury the cycles of the past. She met another, fell in love, and let life lead her to the Calm Lands where wheels of industry had begun to spin. A small settlement had become an ever growing town among the fresh sunshine and fields of flowers.
It was only as she grew older that she would stumble back into her thoughts to that final night with the guado Maester. At first she felt embarrassed every time she thought of the lies he had woven around her and her anger would boil deep. After some time she simply let it go as Yuna had. Seymour had fallen into his own trap and been punished for it.
As she walked along the Calm Lands at night, letting her thoughts run away with the evening wind, she would try and conjure up the Maester before her. What would she say to him now? It frightened her that a part of her still wanted to see him if only to forgive him for the past. Everyone had moved on with little memory of him and it didn’t seem very fair to her. She reasoned that he had tried the only way he knew how to end everyone’s troubled existence.
It was rare to see pyreflies these days. When she did see them dance across the open lands she would stand patiently, waiting for them to seek her out. She would let them brush against her clothes and she would whisper words of forgiveness, stories of the past, and give direction to their pathway home. They would pass by with little care or notice of her own existence, but she would hold her breath in hopes that they would offer her solace.
If they could only forgive her for not being strong enough to change the past.