AUTHOR'S NOTE: Attention all Squall/Rinoa lovers. Be warned that their characters in this fanfiction will probably not be accurate to their persona's in FF8 due to the fact that I have actually never played FF8. I read on Wiki what happened in the game and read about their respective personalities, but I cannot guarantee that they will be anything like the game. This is more for FF7 with help from FF8. If you can look past that, enjoy. If not, get over it. Thanks. =)

Chapter One – New Beginnings

Water. He could feel water. What was going on? He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Water flooded his vision, burning his eyes. His immediate reaction was to take a deep breath, which also was a bad idea. He breathed in a lungful of water, causing him to cough. Panicky, his first instinct was to swim to the surface. He opened his eyes once more, trying to see how far the surface was. It looked like an endless sea of water. This wasn't right, this couldn't be right. He was finally going to be happy, he was going to start a life with Rinoa. He can't die now. He started swimming again, more forcefully this time. He would reach the surface, no matter what it took. Then he would find out who put him here and why. And what happened to Rinoa? If anything happened to her...That thought put determination into his strokes. But it wasn't enough. Just when he thought he was going to make it, lack of oxygen shut him down. He passed out midstroke, underwater. As the darkness took him over, he almost thought he heard her. "Squall..."

"Aeris! Aeris come quick!!" The frantic voice came from a young woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes. She came rushing into the small house breathless, stopping at the door for a moment. It was was obvious she has been running, and quickly too. Once she had caught her breath, she began to explain.

"Aeris...they found someone...in the water..." The girl gasped between breaths. Another girl the same age stood abruptly from the seat she was sitting in. She had green eyes and long brown hair tied up and braided down. Both women wore the same white cloak, and had the same set of large white wings. Aeris' green eyes widened at the girls statement, and looked out the window as if to get her answers.

"In the water? But that's impossible! There are no Cetra's left! I was the last..." Aeris exclaimed, looking at her friend. The other woman shook her head and looked down at the ground. She knew that. That's why everyone was in an uproar. The only way into the Promised Land is for a Cetra to die. And when a Cetra dies, he is reborn into the Promised Land through the open ocean to the North. It is the only source of water on the continent, known to bring life to those Cetra's. It is what sustains the Cetra's who live in the Promised Land.

Therefore...with Aeris having been the last of her dying race....no one was expecting a visitor. "We know Aeris...but he's here. He just...floated to shore. He's unconscious. They took him to the Shrine to see if he will wake." She said, her electric blue eyes gauging Aeris' reaction. There was another. What could this mean?

"Elimir, what has Alek said about this...newcomer?" Aeris asked quietly. Elimir lowered her blue eyes back to the floor. She knew her husband's view on the visitor. He thought he was a bad omen and should be left alone. He didn't even want to pull him from the water. But it was Aeris' own mother who overruled him. Ifalna immediately disagreed, and the others listened to her. Ifalna's infinite wisdom usually overrode Alek's authority...and he did not like that at all.

Alek was the leader of the Cetra's, and in many ways like one of the Elder's that governed them. Though he was married to the beautiful Elimir, he had made several plays for Aeris behind closed doors. She denied his advances, appalled at his behavior. It wasn't like him to be unfaithful. But she couldn't bring herself to tell her best friend, because she knew how much she adored him. So she kept her mouth zipped and tried to stay away from him.

"He thinks he's a bad omen. He thinks....we should let him die." Elimir said, keeping her ashamed stare focused on the tiles of the floor. She knew what Aeris would think of her husband, what she thought of him right now. How could such words come from his lips? But Aeris was much more understanding than she was. She put a comforting arm on her friend's shoulder and offered her a smile.

"It will be okay." she said. Elimir nodded, but closed her eyes. She was unwilling to let the newcomer die, and she knew Alek all too well.

"He's gonna try to kill him!" She blurted out...then gasped and held a hand over her mouth. Aeris' green eyes widened, then looked out the door.

"I'm sorry...but I just know he will. He sees him as a threat...and..."

"When? When, Elimir?"

"As soon as he's alone with him...Oh...Alek..." Elimir whimpered, falling to her knees. She wasn't sure what she'd just done, but she knew in her heart she'd done the right thing. Before she could say another word, Aeris ran out the door and flew into the air.

She flew as fast as her wings would take her to the Shrine on the hill. The Shrine was used as a place to worship the Elder's who kept the Cetra and the Promised Land safe. They existed as entities, with knowledge and understanding beyond any of the others. They appointed a leader, such as Alek, to guide their people in their stead. The Shrine was where they resided, and summoned upon when needed.

And if Alek was planning what Elimir was suggesting...they were needed.

Aeris reached the Shrine in record time, not bothering to land. She flew right through the open pillars and into the large open area . She spotted Alek inside, a knife in his hand. He stood tall, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. When he was angry, his eyes almost seemed black.

There was another man on the ground, backing away from Alek. He had dark hair that covered his face, and dark eyes that spotted Aeris immediately. Her heart fluttered immediately. It was him. The man from her dreams. She wondered if he had the same scar as the man in her dream. He had the same dark eyes as him, at least. Those same eyes widened, surprised. But the man's attention was quickly drawn back to Alek, who lunged again.

Reflexively, the man dove and rolled out of Alek's range, and jumped to his feet. When standing, he was slightly taller than Alek, but that didn't seem to phase him. "Look, I don't know what's going on!" He exclaimed in a deep voice, holding up an open palm at Alek in hopes to halt his attacks.

"You are dangerous! You could ruin everything!!" Alek growled, and charged at him. Aeris dove in, landing in front of the man in a gust of wind and feathers. She stood between him and Alek with her wings spread out as far as they could to protect him. "Alek!" She bellowed angrily. Her strong voice reverberated through the room, and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"A-Aeris..." he stuttered, dropping the knife in surprise. His brown eyes stared at her in disbelief. He had never seen her so...beautiful. For a moment he was so stunned that he forgot her anger was directed at him. He could never understand how Sephiroth could kill a creature so lovely, but he was glad he did. Because otherwise she would still be on the Planet and not in the Promised Land. And that would be a tragedy.

Alek's eyes drifted past Aeris to rest on the man who stood behind her, looking out from behind her protective wings. That was the man he was warned of, that was the man he had to kill to ensure the plans perfection. But somehow...he had to convince Aeris that he was evil. Wait...how did she know he wasn't? She's never even met this guy before, yet she swoops in and protects him?

After a few moments of staring each other down, Alek spoke. "Aeris, you don't know what you are doing. He's evil. He's here to undermine everything we have worked for!" he exclaimed, pointing angrily at the man behind her. She didn't move, just glared at him. Behind her, she heard the man shuffle his feet.

"I told you already, I have no idea what you are talking about! I don't even know what you have worked for, much less how to undermine it!" the man said defensively. Then, after a pause he spoke again. "Or where I am...or what you are...for that matter." He said much quieter. Alek didn't hear him, but Aeris did.

"I believe you." She said simply, turning her head to the side to show she was talking to the man behind her. Alek's rage boiled over.

"What?! You believe HIM...over ME?!!" he yelled, balling his hands into fists. "Why you..." He started marching up to her with his fists raised, which surprised Aeris so much she froze. This was not like Alek at all. He was going to hit her!

But the man behind her, even though he had no idea what he was doing or why, stepped out from behind Aeris and tackled the angry man before he could hit her. He plowed him to the ground and rolled him over, pinning him on his stomach with one arm behind his back. "GET OFF ME." Alek demanded, but the man didn't budge.

"Alek!!" Elimir exclaimed, coming out from the pillar she was hiding behind. She rushed to Aeris' side, who was still staring at Alek in disbelief. "Aeris...that's not Alek. That's not my husband. He would never...ever hit a woman." she tried to explain, tears welling in her eyes. Aeris turned to her friend and hugged her.

"It's ok, Elimir. I know. Something's wrong." she whispered, then turned back to the man and Alek. The hatred and rage boiling in Alek's black eyes were not his own. Something was very very wrong, and it all started with the man who was now pinning their leader.

"Can you hold him? I'm going to summon the Elder's.." she asked. The man lifted his head up to look at her, dark hair parting and showing his face.

"Yes." Was all he said, but she didn't hear. The scar. He had the same scar as the man from her dream. She knew she was right in protecting him. Somehow, he was going to save them. The question now was...from what? The Elders would know. She nodded and turned to the large statue in the back of the large room. It portrayed three of the first and oldest Cetra. A woman floated in the center, her wings so large they spread from wall to wall. On either side were two very muscular men, almost like her bodyguards. All three sets of eyes were on her as she approached.

As she had so many times before, she knelt at their feet and whispered a prayer. "Brucius. Acacia. Damon. Hear my plea. We are in need of your wisdom, show yourself to me." Aeris whispered, her voice so soft only Elimir heard it. But instead of the gushing wind, the harmony and the warmth that usually came with calling forth the Elders, only the cold room greeted her.

Something was very wrong.

The Elders had never ignored anyone before. . Aeris blinked a few times, then whispered her prayer again. Nothing. Elimir gasped behind her. Aeris whirled around, and stared at her friend. Neither knew what to do. "Is something wrong?" The man asked. Aeris stared at him for a fleeting second, then turned back to the statue that stared at her.

Elimir walked up to Aeris and touched her shoulder. "Come. We need to bind Alek and see what he knows. I will go in search of something to confine him in...You keep trying." She said. It broke her heart to see her husband the way he was, but she took solace in the fact that it was not her husband...but a demon who stole his body. And she would eradicate this demon...

Aeris heard her friend fly out of the room, and closed her eyes. She prayed that her assumptions were wrong, and the Elders would answer her plea. But they still didn't. Dread creeped into her heart and she had to fight down the tears that threatened to spill over. She was scared. Scared for might come. Scared for her Elders. Scared for her people. Minutes later, she heard Elimir return, turning to see her land. She had in her hand a chair, and several chains.

The man was suddenly thrown back by a force not capable by Alek alone. He hit a pillar and fell to a heap on the ground. Aeris gasped, and Alek went straight for the knife he'd dropped earlier. "Alek, no!" Elimir screamed, trying to beat him to it. But he got there first and snatched it up off the ground. Realizing she wasn't going to make it, Elimir tried to fly away, but Alek grabbed her foot, slamming her to the ground and stabbing her with the knife. She screamed in pain and grasped the wound, staring at her maniacal husband.

He raised the knife to stab again, but was hit by a hard shoulder. Aeris flew at him top speed, tackling him at 100+ mph. It was enough to knock him off the girl and send him flying into the wall, and crash through it. Aeris swooped in, and dragged his unconscious body back to the chair, chaining him up tight and taking the knife before checking on her bleeding friend.

"Aeris...don't...kill him." Elimir whimpered, grabbing Aeris' face with a bloody hand. "Please..." she cried. Aeris shook her head violently.

"I'm going to save him. For you. But first we have to save you." She said, tears welling up in her own eyes now. Elimir shook her head. The newcomer regained consciousness, and crawled over to the two women.

"What happened?" he asked. Aeris grabbed his hand and told him to apply pressure to her wound. She knew only one way to save her friends life, and she had to be quick.

"Stay." She ordered, then bolted out in a flurry of feathers. The man looked down at Elimir and did as he was told, applying pressure to the poor girl's wounds.

"Don't...hurt him." she kept saying, falling into unconsciousness unwillingly. She repeated herself over and over, her voice growing weaker. 'Squall Leonhart...what in the world are you doing?' he asked himself. He had no idea where he was, much less who or what these people were. Wings? Elders? This was definitely not home. Before he could think any further, the girl's voice dropped to a whisper.

She was dying. Just when he thought Aeris wasn't gonna make it back in time, she came flying back in with a bucket, sploshing water everywhere. He jumped back in surprise when she dumped the water on the dying girl.

"What the?!" He exclaimed, staring at Aeris. But her focus was on her friend, praying aloud that it has to work. He looked back, and was amazed to see the blood soaking back into the girls skin, and her wound healing before his eyes.

"What is this place? What are you people?!" He demanded. Aeris turned to him, and Elimir sat up where moments ago she was dying on the floor.

"You're in the Promised Land." Elimir said softly, using her wings to help her stand. Aeris just smiled at him softly.

"And we are angels." she said.

"Angels? Am...Am I dead?" He asked, gulping. Aeris and Elimir exchanged worried glances. This wasn't good. This couldn't be good.

He had to get out of here. He had to get home. He had to find Rinoa.

He had to find out if she was safe.