Decay
He hadn't been what she had expected. The Cid of this world was a shorter, slightly tubby man with a worried expression. The Cid she knew had been a brusque, foul mouthed, skinny engineer. She wondered how they all were back on the Planet. Her dearest friend had been taken from her, as had the new love she was working on, Cloud Strife.
But that was all in the past now, she had no idea how long she had been in Fate's employ, her new wardrobe showing how she had severed herself from that past. No longer pink, now she wore black and showed more of her figure. Her supposed innocence from her previous life had made her this Immortal but now she knew more about the multiverse that innocence had been torn away.
'Are you okay?' Squall asked as they walked to her new room.
'Why do you ask?' Aeris replied, brought out of her thoughts.
'Just that you seemed elsewhere.' Squall told her, turning the corner of the corridor.
'Just thinking.' She replied following him to her new room and opened the door.
'Not much is it?' she said as she looked into a room of bare walls, a single bed, a few closets and a desk with a chair.
'Not really, we just tend to sleep in our rooms, we live elsewhere.' Squall replied as an explanation.
'I see.' Aeris said simply as she stepped into the room.
Squall coughed nervously. 'Well if you need anything you know where I am.' He told her.
'What about food? I don't have any money to buy anything.' Aeris asked before her turned to leave.
'I would've thought you wouldn't need to eat... anyway if you go to the cafeteria it's free.' Squall replied.
'I'm in mortal form so I have all the needs you do.' Aeris said softly.
Squall shivered slightly at her voice. 'I get it. Well if you'll excuse me.' He said and turned to leave.
'Good luck with Rinoa.' Aeris called as he started closing the door behind him.
Squall didn't reply and the door closed behind him leaving her in the spartan room.
His mind was buzzing, some strange girl comes along saying she's from Fate and that he was in danger. Rinoa accused him of being unfaithful without giving him a chance. He wondered what the hell was going on in his life, but most of all he wondered what was happening in Paine's.
A gaunt hand appeared from the shadow of a tall tree in the Training centre, nearby the carcass of a Grat was dissolving into a putrid mass, its slayer hopping triumphantly. It noticed the gaunt figure appear from nowhere, holding what seemed to be an ornate sword with no blade.
'Hey who are you?' she asked the figure.
'Mort.' He whispered dryly, his voice creaking.
'Are you new here or something?' the SeeD asked cheerfully.
'I'm looking for Aeris.' He replied, his thin sallow face turned to her, eyes like blue sparks under a mop of stringy ginger hair.
'Sorry I don't know who that is... you could try looking them up in the directory.' She replied.
'Right.' Mort whispered and stalked off, sheathing his broken sword, disappearing into the undergrowth.
'Weird guy.' She murmured to herself and continued her training.
Mort stalked the hallways of Garden unaware of the gazes he was drawing. His master had sent him to find Aeris, help her protect this Squall person that Fate had so much resting on. He was the Immortal of Decay, just what the hell could he do?
Aeris wandered her room restless, she was aware of the presence of another Immortal. She was leery of who it could be, Fate hadn't said he would send any help but this aura wasn't dark, just slightly murky.
Mort walked through the halls his pale complexion drawing glances, as did his dark cloak and clothes. For some reason he couldn't sense Aeris, she was being hidden, either by Fate or herself. He assumed that this was to prevent Injustice knowing she was here but it wasn't helping him any.
This many people unnerved him, he wasn't used to so much life he preferred the silence of the corpses he tended. He wondered what his master had in mind for him, what he had to expect. Sephiroth was dormant now, which only left the other Immortal. But surely Injustice wouldn't deploy his remaining sentinel?
Mort continued to stalk the pathway, too unsure to stop the teenagers that passed him by for help. Besides he figured that they wouldn't know of Aeris if they had just arrived, he would have to search for someone high up.
'Excuse me who's in charge here?' he asked a young male as he ran past him.
'Headmaster Cid or Commander Squall.' The young boy said running on the spot.
'And where do I find them?' he asked in a whispery voice.
'Um I dunno where Squall is but Headmaster Cid should be in his office on the third floor, just take the elevator.' He replied creeped out by those weird blue eyes.
'Thanks.' Mort mumbled and strode off to the elevator column that dominated the centre of Garden.
The middle aged man looked up at him with curiosity. 'Can I help?' Cid asked the strange young man that stood before him. 'Do you need to go to the Infirmary?' he added taking in his pale complexion and sickly features.
'I'm looking for Aeris, I was told she was here.' Mort replied ignoring Cid's concerned comment.
'I see and why do you want her?' Cid asked, sitting up, ready to press a buzzer on his desk to call any nearby SeeDs.
'I was sent to help her.' Mort replied with a throaty wheezing.
'And how do I know that I can trust you? I was told that there would be those sent to kill her.' Cid retorted evenly.
'That is true, that is why I am here. How much do you know Sir?' Mort asked.
'Only that she is in danger. Garden will not stand by and leave someone vulnerable.' Cid replied relaxing slightly.
'Fine then what about Squall Leonhart?' Mort asked.
'I have no idea where he is right now.' Cid replied.
'You are wasting my time.' Mort growled.
'I have my reasons. I do not know you, why should I turn Aeris over to you.' Cid said tensing for action.
'I can't explain, you wouldn't understand.' Mort replied clenching his long fingers.
'You never know he might.' A soft feminine voice said behind him.
Mort spun his hands instinctively going to his sword. The figure that met his stare had long dark hair and amber eyes. She was eternally youthful but no longer wore the extravagant clothing the world had known her for.
Mort gasped. 'Lady Edea, I had no idea you'd be here.' He stuttered.
'Edea dear, what's going on?' Cid asked confused, getting up to walk over to his wife.
'This gentleman is Mort, we can trust him.' Edea replied simply.
'What aren't you telling me?' Cid asked.
Mort gaped in disbelief. 'This is your husband?' he asked surprised.
Edea nodded in reply.
'So how do you know him?' Cid asked slightly amused at how Mort had changed.
'From Ultimecia's memories. Mort here is an Immortal, a higher being.' Edea explained.
'Okay well I guess if Edea says you're alright then I can tell you where Aeris is.' Cid said to Mort and told him Aeris' room number.
Mort left the room nodding to them both. 'Lady Edea.' He said curtly and stalked out the door.
'Lady Edea?' Cid asked with a smile.
'They have a respect for sorceresses, especially those whose lives play an important part in the destiny of the world.' Edea replied sighing.
'Okay dear.' Cid replied returning to his desk.
'Who is Aeris?' Edea asked after a pause.
'Some young lady who is in trouble.' Cid replied picking up his pen.
'Something serious is going on.' Edea said seriously.
Now it was Cid's turn to sigh. 'There always is.' He replied.
He hadn't been what she had expected. The Cid of this world was a shorter, slightly tubby man with a worried expression. The Cid she knew had been a brusque, foul mouthed, skinny engineer. She wondered how they all were back on the Planet. Her dearest friend had been taken from her, as had the new love she was working on, Cloud Strife.
But that was all in the past now, she had no idea how long she had been in Fate's employ, her new wardrobe showing how she had severed herself from that past. No longer pink, now she wore black and showed more of her figure. Her supposed innocence from her previous life had made her this Immortal but now she knew more about the multiverse that innocence had been torn away.
'Are you okay?' Squall asked as they walked to her new room.
'Why do you ask?' Aeris replied, brought out of her thoughts.
'Just that you seemed elsewhere.' Squall told her, turning the corner of the corridor.
'Just thinking.' She replied following him to her new room and opened the door.
'Not much is it?' she said as she looked into a room of bare walls, a single bed, a few closets and a desk with a chair.
'Not really, we just tend to sleep in our rooms, we live elsewhere.' Squall replied as an explanation.
'I see.' Aeris said simply as she stepped into the room.
Squall coughed nervously. 'Well if you need anything you know where I am.' He told her.
'What about food? I don't have any money to buy anything.' Aeris asked before her turned to leave.
'I would've thought you wouldn't need to eat... anyway if you go to the cafeteria it's free.' Squall replied.
'I'm in mortal form so I have all the needs you do.' Aeris said softly.
Squall shivered slightly at her voice. 'I get it. Well if you'll excuse me.' He said and turned to leave.
'Good luck with Rinoa.' Aeris called as he started closing the door behind him.
Squall didn't reply and the door closed behind him leaving her in the spartan room.
His mind was buzzing, some strange girl comes along saying she's from Fate and that he was in danger. Rinoa accused him of being unfaithful without giving him a chance. He wondered what the hell was going on in his life, but most of all he wondered what was happening in Paine's.
A gaunt hand appeared from the shadow of a tall tree in the Training centre, nearby the carcass of a Grat was dissolving into a putrid mass, its slayer hopping triumphantly. It noticed the gaunt figure appear from nowhere, holding what seemed to be an ornate sword with no blade.
'Hey who are you?' she asked the figure.
'Mort.' He whispered dryly, his voice creaking.
'Are you new here or something?' the SeeD asked cheerfully.
'I'm looking for Aeris.' He replied, his thin sallow face turned to her, eyes like blue sparks under a mop of stringy ginger hair.
'Sorry I don't know who that is... you could try looking them up in the directory.' She replied.
'Right.' Mort whispered and stalked off, sheathing his broken sword, disappearing into the undergrowth.
'Weird guy.' She murmured to herself and continued her training.
Mort stalked the hallways of Garden unaware of the gazes he was drawing. His master had sent him to find Aeris, help her protect this Squall person that Fate had so much resting on. He was the Immortal of Decay, just what the hell could he do?
Aeris wandered her room restless, she was aware of the presence of another Immortal. She was leery of who it could be, Fate hadn't said he would send any help but this aura wasn't dark, just slightly murky.
Mort walked through the halls his pale complexion drawing glances, as did his dark cloak and clothes. For some reason he couldn't sense Aeris, she was being hidden, either by Fate or herself. He assumed that this was to prevent Injustice knowing she was here but it wasn't helping him any.
This many people unnerved him, he wasn't used to so much life he preferred the silence of the corpses he tended. He wondered what his master had in mind for him, what he had to expect. Sephiroth was dormant now, which only left the other Immortal. But surely Injustice wouldn't deploy his remaining sentinel?
Mort continued to stalk the pathway, too unsure to stop the teenagers that passed him by for help. Besides he figured that they wouldn't know of Aeris if they had just arrived, he would have to search for someone high up.
'Excuse me who's in charge here?' he asked a young male as he ran past him.
'Headmaster Cid or Commander Squall.' The young boy said running on the spot.
'And where do I find them?' he asked in a whispery voice.
'Um I dunno where Squall is but Headmaster Cid should be in his office on the third floor, just take the elevator.' He replied creeped out by those weird blue eyes.
'Thanks.' Mort mumbled and strode off to the elevator column that dominated the centre of Garden.
The middle aged man looked up at him with curiosity. 'Can I help?' Cid asked the strange young man that stood before him. 'Do you need to go to the Infirmary?' he added taking in his pale complexion and sickly features.
'I'm looking for Aeris, I was told she was here.' Mort replied ignoring Cid's concerned comment.
'I see and why do you want her?' Cid asked, sitting up, ready to press a buzzer on his desk to call any nearby SeeDs.
'I was sent to help her.' Mort replied with a throaty wheezing.
'And how do I know that I can trust you? I was told that there would be those sent to kill her.' Cid retorted evenly.
'That is true, that is why I am here. How much do you know Sir?' Mort asked.
'Only that she is in danger. Garden will not stand by and leave someone vulnerable.' Cid replied relaxing slightly.
'Fine then what about Squall Leonhart?' Mort asked.
'I have no idea where he is right now.' Cid replied.
'You are wasting my time.' Mort growled.
'I have my reasons. I do not know you, why should I turn Aeris over to you.' Cid said tensing for action.
'I can't explain, you wouldn't understand.' Mort replied clenching his long fingers.
'You never know he might.' A soft feminine voice said behind him.
Mort spun his hands instinctively going to his sword. The figure that met his stare had long dark hair and amber eyes. She was eternally youthful but no longer wore the extravagant clothing the world had known her for.
Mort gasped. 'Lady Edea, I had no idea you'd be here.' He stuttered.
'Edea dear, what's going on?' Cid asked confused, getting up to walk over to his wife.
'This gentleman is Mort, we can trust him.' Edea replied simply.
'What aren't you telling me?' Cid asked.
Mort gaped in disbelief. 'This is your husband?' he asked surprised.
Edea nodded in reply.
'So how do you know him?' Cid asked slightly amused at how Mort had changed.
'From Ultimecia's memories. Mort here is an Immortal, a higher being.' Edea explained.
'Okay well I guess if Edea says you're alright then I can tell you where Aeris is.' Cid said to Mort and told him Aeris' room number.
Mort left the room nodding to them both. 'Lady Edea.' He said curtly and stalked out the door.
'Lady Edea?' Cid asked with a smile.
'They have a respect for sorceresses, especially those whose lives play an important part in the destiny of the world.' Edea replied sighing.
'Okay dear.' Cid replied returning to his desk.
'Who is Aeris?' Edea asked after a pause.
'Some young lady who is in trouble.' Cid replied picking up his pen.
'Something serious is going on.' Edea said seriously.
Now it was Cid's turn to sigh. 'There always is.' He replied.