*Disclaimer: All Characters except Ilyjah Lockheart are property of
Squaresoft.the damn lucky bastards. Ilyjah's mine.*
_~Prelude to Disaster~_
Irvine sighed and stared up at the clouds mindlessly. The grass he had lain back into was soft and sweet smelling; the type of thing that instantly would remind someone of summer time. Tipping his hat over his eyes a little more and finishing the last drag of his cigarette before tossing the butt to the side, Irvine let the lids of his eyes droop a little further. It hadn't been easy, adjusting to the new tranquility that had spread like a fine mist over every region of the world imaginable. Of course what else could be expected. Three years now it had been since the defeat of Ultimecia, three blissful years. Slowly but surely, things looked as if they were returning to normal. True there were still minor conflicts between cities but that was nothing out of the ordinary even before that damned sorceress had caused so much havoc. It was weird having everything and everybody so serene and, good yes but truly weird. Irvine wasn't one to adapt to it so quickly. Shadows of past threats and doubts of long lasting peace filled his mind. The one place he actually felt completely at ease was the fields just outside of Balamb, though no matter where he went Exeter was a constant at his side; but then again what decent sharpshooter is ever without his gun?
Irvine was vaguely aware of Zell stumbling over and sitting on the ground beside him with a soft thump. The rambunctious martial artist, whom had seemingly grown up as little as possible in three years, deftly started to ramble on about something of little to no importance with out so much as a second thought as to if Irvine was even awake. Breathing heavily, and hearing Zell's words echo in his head, Irvine finally succumbed to the sleep which he had deprived him self of over the past few days. He felt himself float away in to the deep unconsciousness that enveloped him like a warm blanket.
The dreams had been a constant over the previous three or four days; all of them colorless and dull with muffled voices through a haze that Irvine couldn't see through. This dream, however, was something quite different. Everything was the same, yet this time the flat vagueness of it all was replaced with vivid images that seemed all too real. Irvine could see her this time; a young raven-haired girl clad in a SeeD uniform standing with her back to him at first. The wind whipped around them both; toying with the girl's hair and sending her a little more forward with every step she took. Bodiless voices resounded in Irvine's head.
"Kill her!"
"Take your shot!"
"She will destroy you if you don't!"
He couldn't shake free from them. Something unexplainable held Irvine to his spot motionless in the wind. Sand gusted off of the arid Centra landscape, stinging Irvine's eyes as he raised Exeter and took aim. His heart raced, his mind the same way with a barrage of thoughts flip-flopping through it. This mystery girl was a league away from him now yet he could see every detail of her so clearly it was like she was standing next to him. His finger rested lightly on the trigger, ready to pull it back at any second; and yet he couldn't make the small muscle contraction necessary. Irvine couldn't shoot her. He lowered his gun as the girl stopped dead in her tracks. Looking down at his own hands involuntarily, Irvine cast Exeter to the ground when he saw they were covered in a sticky red substance that was unmistakably blood. But from where? He wondered to himself, still a little alarmed. The girl turned to face him, her image still crystal clear. A mournful, tortured look spread over her face, her eyes brimming with tears half from sadness and half from fear. Her face, it seemed oddly familiar to Irvine, he'd seen her somewhere before. If he could place her, maybe he could understand but everything started to become muddled once again. The ground became warm, almost hot to the touch and flames erupted around her, wreathing her in fire. Irvine finally came unglued from his position and ran the distance to try and help her. There was no way she could get out from the fire that surrounded her and with every step Irvine took the distance seemed to grow. Exasperated, he doubled over to catch his breath. Resting his hands on his thighs he looked up at the girl once more knowing it was hopeless. She was on the ground now; tremors ripping through the earth had shaken them both from their feet. The girl looked up at Irvine, the expression on her face tearing through his heart. Her expression hadn't changed, mournful, sad, like a creature that has known and is in great pain. She mouthed the words at first, but then, just as the second bout of tremors sent her to her knees and out of sight, the words echoed through Irvine's head in a terrified plea.
"HELP ME!"
Everything went black around Irvine again. He twisted in his sleep, unable to shake free from his dream until he heard Zell's voice calling for him, ripping him from his slumber. He jolted awake and sat up suddenly, looking around and trying to get his wits about him.
"Shit man, I didn't know you were asleep. I didn't mean to wake you." Zell said sheepishly, running his hand through his hair and raising an eyebrow before trying to start where he had left off. Something was wrong though; Irvine didn't look right, all shaky and sweaty. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you alright? I mean you look a bit pale."
"Huh? It's nothing, don't worry about it." Irvine muttered and waved his hand dismissively, still trying to calm his nerves, which were running on overdrive. He looked at his hands and then at Exeter.
"Are you sure? You're acting kind of weird, even for you."
Irvine shook his head and grabbed his gun as he stood up. He looked down at Zell. "J-Just a dream."
"Must have been some kind of dream!"
"Yeah, some kind." Irvine took a few deep breaths of the crisp spring air that was substantially cooler then the hot, thick air in his dream that seemed to invade his lungs even though there was no possible way it could have. "I gotta get out of here." He started back towards Garden, leaving Zell to waste the rest of the day staring at the clouds.
Zell just watched Irvine, slightly puzzled, as he walked away. "Strange." He muttered to himself. It wasn't like Irvine to be so introverted and bordering on being Squall like. Still, it was probably best just to let him alone. Whatever it was, Irvine'd sort it out himself just like he always did.
Back at Garden, Irvine spent the better part of an hour just aimlessly wandering the lower halls before setting into a nice lonely corner in the quad to contemplate. He folded his arms and rested them on the railing of the balcony, tucking his chin behind them. He looked out over the glassy surface of the water that seemed to stretch on and on from Balamb Harbor. Irvine couldn't even guess what the dream meant. He had once heard from Matron that what he had just experience could be classified as a vision. It wasn't that the dream being called a "vision" was much help; in fact it alarmed him even more. No matter what it meant or what this dream was, trouble was coming; Irvine could feel it. This three-year peace they were experiencing was about to be shattered and Hyne only knew what was going to cause the destruction this time.
_~Prelude to Disaster~_
Irvine sighed and stared up at the clouds mindlessly. The grass he had lain back into was soft and sweet smelling; the type of thing that instantly would remind someone of summer time. Tipping his hat over his eyes a little more and finishing the last drag of his cigarette before tossing the butt to the side, Irvine let the lids of his eyes droop a little further. It hadn't been easy, adjusting to the new tranquility that had spread like a fine mist over every region of the world imaginable. Of course what else could be expected. Three years now it had been since the defeat of Ultimecia, three blissful years. Slowly but surely, things looked as if they were returning to normal. True there were still minor conflicts between cities but that was nothing out of the ordinary even before that damned sorceress had caused so much havoc. It was weird having everything and everybody so serene and, good yes but truly weird. Irvine wasn't one to adapt to it so quickly. Shadows of past threats and doubts of long lasting peace filled his mind. The one place he actually felt completely at ease was the fields just outside of Balamb, though no matter where he went Exeter was a constant at his side; but then again what decent sharpshooter is ever without his gun?
Irvine was vaguely aware of Zell stumbling over and sitting on the ground beside him with a soft thump. The rambunctious martial artist, whom had seemingly grown up as little as possible in three years, deftly started to ramble on about something of little to no importance with out so much as a second thought as to if Irvine was even awake. Breathing heavily, and hearing Zell's words echo in his head, Irvine finally succumbed to the sleep which he had deprived him self of over the past few days. He felt himself float away in to the deep unconsciousness that enveloped him like a warm blanket.
The dreams had been a constant over the previous three or four days; all of them colorless and dull with muffled voices through a haze that Irvine couldn't see through. This dream, however, was something quite different. Everything was the same, yet this time the flat vagueness of it all was replaced with vivid images that seemed all too real. Irvine could see her this time; a young raven-haired girl clad in a SeeD uniform standing with her back to him at first. The wind whipped around them both; toying with the girl's hair and sending her a little more forward with every step she took. Bodiless voices resounded in Irvine's head.
"Kill her!"
"Take your shot!"
"She will destroy you if you don't!"
He couldn't shake free from them. Something unexplainable held Irvine to his spot motionless in the wind. Sand gusted off of the arid Centra landscape, stinging Irvine's eyes as he raised Exeter and took aim. His heart raced, his mind the same way with a barrage of thoughts flip-flopping through it. This mystery girl was a league away from him now yet he could see every detail of her so clearly it was like she was standing next to him. His finger rested lightly on the trigger, ready to pull it back at any second; and yet he couldn't make the small muscle contraction necessary. Irvine couldn't shoot her. He lowered his gun as the girl stopped dead in her tracks. Looking down at his own hands involuntarily, Irvine cast Exeter to the ground when he saw they were covered in a sticky red substance that was unmistakably blood. But from where? He wondered to himself, still a little alarmed. The girl turned to face him, her image still crystal clear. A mournful, tortured look spread over her face, her eyes brimming with tears half from sadness and half from fear. Her face, it seemed oddly familiar to Irvine, he'd seen her somewhere before. If he could place her, maybe he could understand but everything started to become muddled once again. The ground became warm, almost hot to the touch and flames erupted around her, wreathing her in fire. Irvine finally came unglued from his position and ran the distance to try and help her. There was no way she could get out from the fire that surrounded her and with every step Irvine took the distance seemed to grow. Exasperated, he doubled over to catch his breath. Resting his hands on his thighs he looked up at the girl once more knowing it was hopeless. She was on the ground now; tremors ripping through the earth had shaken them both from their feet. The girl looked up at Irvine, the expression on her face tearing through his heart. Her expression hadn't changed, mournful, sad, like a creature that has known and is in great pain. She mouthed the words at first, but then, just as the second bout of tremors sent her to her knees and out of sight, the words echoed through Irvine's head in a terrified plea.
"HELP ME!"
Everything went black around Irvine again. He twisted in his sleep, unable to shake free from his dream until he heard Zell's voice calling for him, ripping him from his slumber. He jolted awake and sat up suddenly, looking around and trying to get his wits about him.
"Shit man, I didn't know you were asleep. I didn't mean to wake you." Zell said sheepishly, running his hand through his hair and raising an eyebrow before trying to start where he had left off. Something was wrong though; Irvine didn't look right, all shaky and sweaty. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you alright? I mean you look a bit pale."
"Huh? It's nothing, don't worry about it." Irvine muttered and waved his hand dismissively, still trying to calm his nerves, which were running on overdrive. He looked at his hands and then at Exeter.
"Are you sure? You're acting kind of weird, even for you."
Irvine shook his head and grabbed his gun as he stood up. He looked down at Zell. "J-Just a dream."
"Must have been some kind of dream!"
"Yeah, some kind." Irvine took a few deep breaths of the crisp spring air that was substantially cooler then the hot, thick air in his dream that seemed to invade his lungs even though there was no possible way it could have. "I gotta get out of here." He started back towards Garden, leaving Zell to waste the rest of the day staring at the clouds.
Zell just watched Irvine, slightly puzzled, as he walked away. "Strange." He muttered to himself. It wasn't like Irvine to be so introverted and bordering on being Squall like. Still, it was probably best just to let him alone. Whatever it was, Irvine'd sort it out himself just like he always did.
Back at Garden, Irvine spent the better part of an hour just aimlessly wandering the lower halls before setting into a nice lonely corner in the quad to contemplate. He folded his arms and rested them on the railing of the balcony, tucking his chin behind them. He looked out over the glassy surface of the water that seemed to stretch on and on from Balamb Harbor. Irvine couldn't even guess what the dream meant. He had once heard from Matron that what he had just experience could be classified as a vision. It wasn't that the dream being called a "vision" was much help; in fact it alarmed him even more. No matter what it meant or what this dream was, trouble was coming; Irvine could feel it. This three-year peace they were experiencing was about to be shattered and Hyne only knew what was going to cause the destruction this time.