Connection
It was there in the background, that incessant sound reminding him of what was being lost, being drained away with every little tick. The dream still visited him at night rarely changing. He wished he could alter it so that he could see what was happening to her now. Something was happening though, he felt like he could sense her thoughts, feel her memories lurking deep within his own. It had all started when a pain in his shoulder flared up, the scar where Edea had impaled him with a spear of ice began burning, contorting his face in pain as he closed his eyes to block it all out. And there she was, laying on a bed bathed in sunlight seemingly at peace. He called out to her and was surprised as she turned in reply.
She touched her forehead, running her fingers along it in the same way as his scar ran across his face, then he watched her amazement as blood stained her fingers and she stood up pressing herself against the window and began talking to herself. Well it seemed like she was talking to herself but he could hear two voices, her soft sultry tones interwoven with a reverberating monotone. She was arguing with it and he felt his thoughts being pulled by hers enabling him to break through and snap back at this voice in her defence.
The voice's reply forced him out of her and the scene dimmed, Paine fading away as the power in the words propelled him back into his own head and into his own reality. Squall opened his eyes and wondered to whom the voice had belonged. He assumed it was one of the Four High Ones but why would Fate be talking to Paine if she wasn't to know of him?
The sound of the clock was there again in the background although the swing of the pendulum and the tick of the hands were booming in his ears as if amplified.
'What the hell has happened to me now?' he thought angrily and noticed flecks of light flickering in the air before him as the sounds continued to rise in volume making him clamp his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to drown it out.
The flecks of light swirled before him, condensing into a human form, the sounds hammering at his ear drums fading as they became a she, swathed in a red silk robe that clung tightly to her body, small pinpricks of light randomly appearing upon it. Her hair was long and black, specks of light fading away as it cascaded down her back and framed her pale face.
'Who are you? A guardian?' Squall asked not particularly overwhelmed by this abrupt appearance, as he was the sound that preceded it.
'In a sense I suppose I am but not in the way you mean.' The figure told him.
'You're one of the High Ones?' Squall said exasperated, his hands moving slowly from his ears as the painful noise ceased and only her soft voice remained.
'Yes I'm Time.' She replied and extended a slender hand to him.
'Why are you here?' Squall asked tenderly taking her hand after a moments confused glance and shaking it so not to offend.
'I was hoping to talk to the one that seems so bent on forcing Fate to fold.' Time replied smiling.
'I just want to see my sister.' Squall mumbled in reply.
'You seem unfazed by me.' Time said tilting her head to one side slightly.
'Well you chose to be informal. I've seen plenty of beings materialise before my eyes, what's one more?' Squall replied bluntly.
'Even if that being is one of the four supreme beings of the multi-verse?' Time asked elegantly pulling the chair from under his desk and sitting down on it.
'Sure why not? You're the second one I've encountered now.' Squall replied seemingly at ease.
'Third actually. The one who forced you out of Paine's mind was Death.' Time corrected him, her deep black eyes staring at him intently.
'Whatever... so why are you here in corporeal form? Fate and Death didn't feel I was worth the effort.' Squall retorted.
'I'm afraid my brethren feel above corporeality. However I am all things material so this comes naturally to me.' Time told him smiling faintly.
Squall sat back on his bed. 'So now you're here to do what exactly? I doubt I can take much more attention.' He said to her glancing from her eyes before they sucked them in to their infinite deepness.
'I'm hoping to correct all this. Fate seems to be unconcerned in all this but the Other may use this to his advantage.' Time explained her fingers gently tapping a vague rhythm on the leg of the chair.
'Correct as in prevent me from meeting Paine? She was taken from me will you correct that?' Squall snapped angrily, annoyed by this act of false sympathy.
'I can't undo what has been do, we can only change what will be.' Time sighed. 'If you continue on this path the effect could be disastrous, especially if the Other becomes involved. The link you are making with Paine now is open to his influence. Already they are making the effects of your lives cross over.' She told him.
'You mean the blood on her fingers?' Squall asked.
'That and the pain in your shoulder.' Time replied leaning back in the chair. 'It will be best for both of you if your minds were closed off to each other before they become meshed together and you lose your connection with reality.'
'I don't believe you. Okay I felt myself inside her mind but I was in control, there was no sense of me being pulled into her. If that is the only way I can communicate with her then I'll take it regardless of the consequences.' Squall told her glaring into her eyes indignantly.
The specks of lights on Time's robe blinked furiously as she snapped back. 'Your stubbornness and selfishness are blinding you to reason! Just because this world seems safe now does not make you indispensable! We still require your services.'
'And what if I decline? Haven't I suffered enough at your hands? What about the countless other people who have been separated, suffered loss and tragedy just to be pawns in your games!' Squall snarled standing up.
'These are not games we play!' Time retorted.
'Really? You make all the rules, all the choices and moves. We are just the pieces! You have no-one to answer to to make your actions accountable!' Squall ranted.
'You cannot understand the forces at work, the dimensions that have been lost when we fail.' Time answered calmly.
'You're the ones who run everything, the supposed creators of all that is. How can you possibly fail unless you choose to?' Squall retorted.
Time was left speechless, unable to explain why things were the way they were, that they were just as bound by the rules.
'No answer huh? Well if you won't help me see Paine then just leave me be!' Squall told her.
'If you really cared about her you wouldn't be so hell bent on destroying her.' Time said softly.
'And how do I know you're not just saying that to dissuade me?' Squall retorted.
'It is not my intention to deceive, only to make you see what is best for all of us and I don't mean just us High Ones.' Time answered looking into his eyes so full of mistrust.
'All you have to do is one thing and then it will all end.' Squall said to her watching her full red lips rather than those blank eyes.
Time sighed. 'And what is it you demand?' she asked.
'I just want to meet her once, she knows about me now so why can't any of you arrange for us to meet, to talk and then move on safe in the knowledge that we've met and we're both doing fine.' Squall suggested.
'Why should we?' Time said simply knowing she couldn't really promise him anything.
'Then maybe I'll wait for the Other and see if they will do it for me.' Squall snapped in retaliation.
Time flinched in shock. 'You wouldn't dare!' she stammered.
'Try me.' Squall told her giving her a piercing stare.
'Fine, I must consult with Fate and Death but you have no realisation of what you are dealing with in the Other.' Time said gloomily and faded away leaving Squall with that soft tick of the clock once more.
It was there in the background, that incessant sound reminding him of what was being lost, being drained away with every little tick. The dream still visited him at night rarely changing. He wished he could alter it so that he could see what was happening to her now. Something was happening though, he felt like he could sense her thoughts, feel her memories lurking deep within his own. It had all started when a pain in his shoulder flared up, the scar where Edea had impaled him with a spear of ice began burning, contorting his face in pain as he closed his eyes to block it all out. And there she was, laying on a bed bathed in sunlight seemingly at peace. He called out to her and was surprised as she turned in reply.
She touched her forehead, running her fingers along it in the same way as his scar ran across his face, then he watched her amazement as blood stained her fingers and she stood up pressing herself against the window and began talking to herself. Well it seemed like she was talking to herself but he could hear two voices, her soft sultry tones interwoven with a reverberating monotone. She was arguing with it and he felt his thoughts being pulled by hers enabling him to break through and snap back at this voice in her defence.
The voice's reply forced him out of her and the scene dimmed, Paine fading away as the power in the words propelled him back into his own head and into his own reality. Squall opened his eyes and wondered to whom the voice had belonged. He assumed it was one of the Four High Ones but why would Fate be talking to Paine if she wasn't to know of him?
The sound of the clock was there again in the background although the swing of the pendulum and the tick of the hands were booming in his ears as if amplified.
'What the hell has happened to me now?' he thought angrily and noticed flecks of light flickering in the air before him as the sounds continued to rise in volume making him clamp his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to drown it out.
The flecks of light swirled before him, condensing into a human form, the sounds hammering at his ear drums fading as they became a she, swathed in a red silk robe that clung tightly to her body, small pinpricks of light randomly appearing upon it. Her hair was long and black, specks of light fading away as it cascaded down her back and framed her pale face.
'Who are you? A guardian?' Squall asked not particularly overwhelmed by this abrupt appearance, as he was the sound that preceded it.
'In a sense I suppose I am but not in the way you mean.' The figure told him.
'You're one of the High Ones?' Squall said exasperated, his hands moving slowly from his ears as the painful noise ceased and only her soft voice remained.
'Yes I'm Time.' She replied and extended a slender hand to him.
'Why are you here?' Squall asked tenderly taking her hand after a moments confused glance and shaking it so not to offend.
'I was hoping to talk to the one that seems so bent on forcing Fate to fold.' Time replied smiling.
'I just want to see my sister.' Squall mumbled in reply.
'You seem unfazed by me.' Time said tilting her head to one side slightly.
'Well you chose to be informal. I've seen plenty of beings materialise before my eyes, what's one more?' Squall replied bluntly.
'Even if that being is one of the four supreme beings of the multi-verse?' Time asked elegantly pulling the chair from under his desk and sitting down on it.
'Sure why not? You're the second one I've encountered now.' Squall replied seemingly at ease.
'Third actually. The one who forced you out of Paine's mind was Death.' Time corrected him, her deep black eyes staring at him intently.
'Whatever... so why are you here in corporeal form? Fate and Death didn't feel I was worth the effort.' Squall retorted.
'I'm afraid my brethren feel above corporeality. However I am all things material so this comes naturally to me.' Time told him smiling faintly.
Squall sat back on his bed. 'So now you're here to do what exactly? I doubt I can take much more attention.' He said to her glancing from her eyes before they sucked them in to their infinite deepness.
'I'm hoping to correct all this. Fate seems to be unconcerned in all this but the Other may use this to his advantage.' Time explained her fingers gently tapping a vague rhythm on the leg of the chair.
'Correct as in prevent me from meeting Paine? She was taken from me will you correct that?' Squall snapped angrily, annoyed by this act of false sympathy.
'I can't undo what has been do, we can only change what will be.' Time sighed. 'If you continue on this path the effect could be disastrous, especially if the Other becomes involved. The link you are making with Paine now is open to his influence. Already they are making the effects of your lives cross over.' She told him.
'You mean the blood on her fingers?' Squall asked.
'That and the pain in your shoulder.' Time replied leaning back in the chair. 'It will be best for both of you if your minds were closed off to each other before they become meshed together and you lose your connection with reality.'
'I don't believe you. Okay I felt myself inside her mind but I was in control, there was no sense of me being pulled into her. If that is the only way I can communicate with her then I'll take it regardless of the consequences.' Squall told her glaring into her eyes indignantly.
The specks of lights on Time's robe blinked furiously as she snapped back. 'Your stubbornness and selfishness are blinding you to reason! Just because this world seems safe now does not make you indispensable! We still require your services.'
'And what if I decline? Haven't I suffered enough at your hands? What about the countless other people who have been separated, suffered loss and tragedy just to be pawns in your games!' Squall snarled standing up.
'These are not games we play!' Time retorted.
'Really? You make all the rules, all the choices and moves. We are just the pieces! You have no-one to answer to to make your actions accountable!' Squall ranted.
'You cannot understand the forces at work, the dimensions that have been lost when we fail.' Time answered calmly.
'You're the ones who run everything, the supposed creators of all that is. How can you possibly fail unless you choose to?' Squall retorted.
Time was left speechless, unable to explain why things were the way they were, that they were just as bound by the rules.
'No answer huh? Well if you won't help me see Paine then just leave me be!' Squall told her.
'If you really cared about her you wouldn't be so hell bent on destroying her.' Time said softly.
'And how do I know you're not just saying that to dissuade me?' Squall retorted.
'It is not my intention to deceive, only to make you see what is best for all of us and I don't mean just us High Ones.' Time answered looking into his eyes so full of mistrust.
'All you have to do is one thing and then it will all end.' Squall said to her watching her full red lips rather than those blank eyes.
Time sighed. 'And what is it you demand?' she asked.
'I just want to meet her once, she knows about me now so why can't any of you arrange for us to meet, to talk and then move on safe in the knowledge that we've met and we're both doing fine.' Squall suggested.
'Why should we?' Time said simply knowing she couldn't really promise him anything.
'Then maybe I'll wait for the Other and see if they will do it for me.' Squall snapped in retaliation.
Time flinched in shock. 'You wouldn't dare!' she stammered.
'Try me.' Squall told her giving her a piercing stare.
'Fine, I must consult with Fate and Death but you have no realisation of what you are dealing with in the Other.' Time said gloomily and faded away leaving Squall with that soft tick of the clock once more.