Thanks again for the support everyone! I know I'm throwing some weird stuff
at you now, but trust me it'll all make sense eventually. So please keep
reading! I love reading your reviews, and despite trying to plan my
wedding I plan on keeping this thing going again!
This chapter dedicated to IngridSarah, who's been so good to me in the reviews ^_^ Thanks!
I do NOT own anything FFVIII, unfortunately, and the characters do not belong to me. Cept in my mind…where Squall is nekkid. Um….did I say that aloud? (cough) ^_^ Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Marionette
The dream was always the same.
Darkness, unbelievably deep darkness, followed by searing pain near her shoulder blades and a steady stream of blood running down the small of her back. It clung to her hair, making the ends of her jet-black locks stick together in small clumps. It's sticky-sweet texture soaked into her clothing, staining the pristine sky blue of her dress. Crimson mingling with the color of angels, and all the while she screamed. No intelligible words could escape when this happened, just severe shrieks of pain, of fear, of misunderstanding at her own folly, her own mistakes. If she was lucky, the dream would end here and she would wake up, hopefully alone. But this time the images were relentless. She wanted her mother, she wanted her father, she wanted Seifer, she wanted Selphie, or Irvine, or Zell, or Cid, or Edea…she wanted Squall…
...Squall…
The bleeding worsened as steely gray blades shot from her back, bursting through her flesh with a violence she had never dreamed possible. She doubled over as the pain traveled in waves to every orifice of her body. She could feel her heart beat with every gush of fluid from her back, pounding in her head like some wayward drum that refused to cease, mocking her with every slam. When, Hyne, when would it end?!
…Squall…
Was this what happened with no knight to assist the powers? Would it keep taking control of her body, of her mind, until there was no girl left? She glanced behind her for an instant, knowing the result would scare her more than she could imagine, and confirmed her biggest fear. Gray. The wings were gray! Oh Hyne no…
…this was his fault…
The screaming continued, this time a panicked, breathless sound that would not stop. The pain was nothing compared to this. No knight, no willing knight who would adhere to the rules would help her. It had to be for the right reasons…Edea had told her that much. But just like everything else in her life, she had ignored. And now she would die. The time was fast approaching when she would have no choice but to kill the man who had done this to her, the bastard who had fucked up her entire life. She hated him. She wanted him top bleed just like she was because he wasn't strong enough to bother to try! She wanted his blood in exchange for hers!
…Squall…
The voice echoed into the now quiet room, enhanced only by the steady dripping of blood from the solid gray mass of wings that spread out wet and sticky behind her in the dark, her hands now calmly fixed on the strings of an unknowing marionette.
"Time to die…"
* * *
Squall blinked. "What did you just say?"
Selphie stirred from her sleep, her eyes groggy and her head heavy. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat. This time of year tended to do that to her, no matter how damp it was outside. "What'reyou talkinabout?" she said groggily, closing her eyes again and snuggling closer to his chest in order to block out the dim gray light outside the window. Morning already…
Squall brushed a lock of hair from her face gently, and a small smile found him despite his concern. "I swear you just said something Selph," he said, the worry coming through in muffled tones. Selphie closed her eyes and reached up with one hand to gently entwine their fingers. "Ya worry too much…" she mumbled. "Now roll over so I can cuddle." And that was that. Squall never won these arguments, ashamed as he was of that fact. Zell was constantly reminding him how "whooped" he was, but at this point he didn't care. And maybe she was right…maybe he had just been hearing things. He was tired after all…maybe Selphie was right. She usually was.
As he rolled over, the glimmer of platinum from her hand caught his eye, and he smiled as his head sank into the pillow. Her arms wrapped around him instinctively, and his eyes closed.
It was inevitable now. He would get caught in the strings.
This chapter dedicated to IngridSarah, who's been so good to me in the reviews ^_^ Thanks!
I do NOT own anything FFVIII, unfortunately, and the characters do not belong to me. Cept in my mind…where Squall is nekkid. Um….did I say that aloud? (cough) ^_^ Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Marionette
The dream was always the same.
Darkness, unbelievably deep darkness, followed by searing pain near her shoulder blades and a steady stream of blood running down the small of her back. It clung to her hair, making the ends of her jet-black locks stick together in small clumps. It's sticky-sweet texture soaked into her clothing, staining the pristine sky blue of her dress. Crimson mingling with the color of angels, and all the while she screamed. No intelligible words could escape when this happened, just severe shrieks of pain, of fear, of misunderstanding at her own folly, her own mistakes. If she was lucky, the dream would end here and she would wake up, hopefully alone. But this time the images were relentless. She wanted her mother, she wanted her father, she wanted Seifer, she wanted Selphie, or Irvine, or Zell, or Cid, or Edea…she wanted Squall…
...Squall…
The bleeding worsened as steely gray blades shot from her back, bursting through her flesh with a violence she had never dreamed possible. She doubled over as the pain traveled in waves to every orifice of her body. She could feel her heart beat with every gush of fluid from her back, pounding in her head like some wayward drum that refused to cease, mocking her with every slam. When, Hyne, when would it end?!
…Squall…
Was this what happened with no knight to assist the powers? Would it keep taking control of her body, of her mind, until there was no girl left? She glanced behind her for an instant, knowing the result would scare her more than she could imagine, and confirmed her biggest fear. Gray. The wings were gray! Oh Hyne no…
…this was his fault…
The screaming continued, this time a panicked, breathless sound that would not stop. The pain was nothing compared to this. No knight, no willing knight who would adhere to the rules would help her. It had to be for the right reasons…Edea had told her that much. But just like everything else in her life, she had ignored. And now she would die. The time was fast approaching when she would have no choice but to kill the man who had done this to her, the bastard who had fucked up her entire life. She hated him. She wanted him top bleed just like she was because he wasn't strong enough to bother to try! She wanted his blood in exchange for hers!
…Squall…
The voice echoed into the now quiet room, enhanced only by the steady dripping of blood from the solid gray mass of wings that spread out wet and sticky behind her in the dark, her hands now calmly fixed on the strings of an unknowing marionette.
"Time to die…"
* * *
Squall blinked. "What did you just say?"
Selphie stirred from her sleep, her eyes groggy and her head heavy. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat. This time of year tended to do that to her, no matter how damp it was outside. "What'reyou talkinabout?" she said groggily, closing her eyes again and snuggling closer to his chest in order to block out the dim gray light outside the window. Morning already…
Squall brushed a lock of hair from her face gently, and a small smile found him despite his concern. "I swear you just said something Selph," he said, the worry coming through in muffled tones. Selphie closed her eyes and reached up with one hand to gently entwine their fingers. "Ya worry too much…" she mumbled. "Now roll over so I can cuddle." And that was that. Squall never won these arguments, ashamed as he was of that fact. Zell was constantly reminding him how "whooped" he was, but at this point he didn't care. And maybe she was right…maybe he had just been hearing things. He was tired after all…maybe Selphie was right. She usually was.
As he rolled over, the glimmer of platinum from her hand caught his eye, and he smiled as his head sank into the pillow. Her arms wrapped around him instinctively, and his eyes closed.
It was inevitable now. He would get caught in the strings.