** Disclaimer –
I own nothing, Square owns it all, life is so unfair
Enjoy
She turns her head slowly, as if she had just become aware of my presence, though I've been standing behind her for what seems like forever., "ah, it's you again, I'm glad, you're one of the nicer ones.", I try to speak, but no sound comes out, she chuckles knowingly, "Sorry dear, you're a bit young to control the dreamtime yet, I know it's a shame, but that's life. Sorry for the short visit , but you have to go now, we'll talk more next time for now, check beside the bed."
I wake with a start, my heart pounding, my breath is rapid and ragged. Every night for the past eight months she had visited my dreams, every night I'm greeted by those emerald green eyes. Who she is, I don't know, but I'm starting to think she's more than just a dream phantasm.
I look beside me to my fiancée, but Squall is not there, in stead all I see is a blood tipped wing. Just As I begin to panic I remember the last words of the dream I pull my wings in as I lean over the edge of the bed to look.
"Uummm", I see, right next to our bed, Squall Leonheart , leader of Balaam Garden, lying on the floor face down, moaning, stitchless with his bare pasty white rump sticking up in the air. It would be a hilarious scene if not for the slowly growing pool of blood near his face, or the fact that I'm responsible, with a crimson tipped wing to bear out my guilt. Actually it would still be funny, accept for the fact that he's awoke and getting up.
"Noa, how did I end up on the floor, and why is blood coming out my nose?", Squall is known for his eerily constant calm, but right now it gives him an air that downright homicidal.
"Um well, you see what had happened was…", I fight to get the words out, wanting to tell him everything, but not knowing how to say, in the end I cop out, "I had a bad dream"
Squall raises his left eyebrow, "well could you stop dreaming, or at least tie back those wings, they kinda hurt.", Sadly, he is serious.
My blood goes on slow boil, " Well you never complain about them when we play 'naughty angel'" Squall is the only person I know who can literally blush all over.
"Well yeah, bbbut tthat's not hitting," it's my turn to raise an eyebrow, "uuh okay once, but you had those stiletto… , Noa, can we stick to the point. Look we need to do something about this.", He reaches over to the wall intercom, "Helm, this is Squall, Take us to Trabia, ¾ throttle, I want us there by 0800 tomorrow."
"Aye, Sir", I stare at Squall in total bewilderment, wondering how a course change was going to help at all.
"Rinoa, Report to the dry dock at 0830, we're going to disembark and rendezvous with Matron at Trabia, there you well talk with her about the situa… owww, what the hell was that for."
"It was for being a complete and total jackass, Squall Octavius Leonheart, I am not one of your little SEED to be ordered around, and at this rate I won't be your fiancée either, now get out, GET OUT!!"
"Noa, calm down, please be reasonable, I mean, it's 1202 in the…", I feel a very disturbing, if familiar darkness raising within, and then, nothing.
* * *
"Noa, calm down, please be reasonable, I mean, it's two in the…", I turn from the communications console, preparing to call Edea and Cid, just in time to see Rinoa's angelic body begins to fade. In her place, a black sphere begins to grow. I'm out of the room before 'He' manifest, sealing the door tight behind me. As I lean back against the door to catch my breath, a chill runs up my back. I start to walk to Zell's, but remember that he's still off with Selphie and the remnants of the discipline committee in Eshtar on that 'special mission'. I turn around and head over to Irvine's, dreading the questions he's going to ask, but it's better than sleeping in the hall, and running to Quistis, would cause more problems than I care to imagine.
I press the buzzer on the door, "One minute", Down the hall I hear the sound of two girls giggling. I turn to see two girls loaded down with chest and bags. The slender brunette with piercing blue eyes licks her lips, while the other, a dusky skinned, black haired beauty, is blushing, averting her eyes but peeking back. They must be some of the new hopeful SEED coming in, the newbies always act goofy. That reminds me about the speech I'm supposed to give tomorrow, welcoming the new candidates. I start going over it in my mind just as Irvine finally opens the door, standing in a half-sleep stupor for some unknown reason wearing a hat but no shirt. Out of no where he bust off laughing
"Uh Squall, I know I'm irresistible, but damn man, no"
"Kinneas, what the hell are yo..", as I speak, I feel a chill across my bum, I look down and the giggles make sense. "Man, let me in."
"Okay, but only if you promise we'll still be friends in the morning" Irvine turns and walks to the bedroom, laughing like a madman at his own joke. I try very hard to stand casually and not think, but all that keeps going through my head is standing in front of the newbies tomorrow, after the story has made its rounds. A deep groan escapes my throat as I fall back into the armchair
"Dude, that's just nasty", Irvine tosses me a pair of sweatpants and a white tee.
I reach to put the sweatpants on, " Irv, don't act like I'm the first one to sit on this chair bareback"
"You're the first guy" I raise one eyebrow, "No really, if I'm on the bottom, I prefer the couch", as he speaks, my head falls forward into my hand, as I try to shake the picture from my mind
"Nice image, thanks"
"This from the 'Balaam Streaker'", Irvine burst into laughter all over again
"Irvy, what's going on?" I look over to the bedroom doorway, to see a busty blonde standing their wearing a silk pajama top.
"Oh hell, forgot you were here, sorry beautiful, but you've gotta mosey on home."
"Aw, but Irvy, since we're both up, I thought we could play rodeo again", I feel the red rushing to my face
"Sorry dove, I hate to disappoint a lovely lady, but the boss here needs to talk to me. Come back tomorrow same time, and this time, please don't forget your spurs and don't worry, I'll warm up the cattle prod.", My mind simply freezes at those words, by the time it clears, she's gone and there's an icepack on my head. "Squalllll, Squalll", a sharp sting meets my left cheek, "Dude, stay out of the light"
"I'm, I'm, I'm fine, Noa."
"Bossman, you've got problems if you can't tell me from Rinoa. Speaking of that lovely young lady, why were pointing that thing at me instead of her", Irvine's has all the tact of a man who has lived his life following a bull's behind
"Rinoa woke up all trip out over some dream, she knocked me out of bed, busted my nose, and then got mad at me when I tried to help.", Irvine looks at me with a dubious gaze. "What?"
"Well now boss, I know your idea of helping, I'm surprised she didn't kill ya"
"She called Diablo to try"
"Oww, Yeah I can see why you were running the halls, minus your duds."
"She even used the o-word"
"no, not that, I mean murder is one thing, but that's low. Wait, I just remembered, didn't Fujin have Diablo?"
"They didn't get along too well, she switch with Rinoa for Shiva."
"That makes sense, I mean to trade of course" Irvine smiles enigmatically
"Whatever, Irv, can we finish this tomorrow, or better yet never, I'm really tired and we have the Salutation tomorrow evening, so I have a full day ahead of me."
"What about Rinoa?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't you going to talk to her tomorrow?"
"About what?"
"Squall Leonheart, you, my friend, are about as sharp as a worn horseshoe", Irvine says as he gets up chuckling, and walks to the bedroom
"What?"
* * *
Just as Diablo appears from the sphere, I reign in my temper and call him back. When I look around, Squall is gone. The tears that have sitting in the back of my eyes, quietly break free, flowing quickly down my face. I was sorry for being so mean to Squall, realizing he was just trying to help, and it probably was a good idea to talk to Edea about these dreams. Still, sometimes Squall has all the sensitivity of a gargoyle.
A cool wetness on my arm suddenly grabs my attention, I turn to find Angelo rubbing his nose against me. I wrap my arms, around his neck and weep bitterly into his fur as he rest his head on my shoulder. We remain like that for an hour before I fall into an uneasy sleep.