Denial
He found the blond youth in the cafeteria, a plate of steaming hot dogs being devoured with much enthusiasm, tattooed jaw masticating furiously.
'S'up?' Zell asked through a mouthful of chewed bread and meat. 'You're looking rough man.' He added as Squall sat by him.
'Yeah well I've been having a few problems recently.' Squall told him.
'So that's why you've been keeping yourself hidden!' Zell replied swallowing his latest mouthful.
'So what have the others been saying about that?' Squall asked intrigued.
Zell looked at him curiously. 'Hey man we just figured you were going back to your bad old ways!' he chuckled.
'So you haven't been saying anything about me having a girl on the side?' Squall asked leaning forward.
'No way! We know you're not like that. Why what happened?' Zell asked longingly looking at his remaining hot dogs.
'Irvine brought some new girl to see me when I was changing from some training I'd done. Rinoa comes into my room and sees me topless with this girl and goes ballistic.' Squall said in a whisper.
'Jeez man, not good. So where's Rin now?' Zell murmured.
'Probably her room. I chased after her but I got a little wound up that she'd accuse me like that.' Squall said.
'You? Wound up?' Zell said in surprise.
'Yeah don't ask.' Squall retorted.
'So why you here then?' Zell asked not trying to be rude but the smell of the hot dogs before him was making him salivate.
'I need you to spend some time with the new girl.' Squall answered simply.
'Okay... but why? We don't usually have a buddy system.' Zell asked perplexed.
'It's complicated and it's not a good idea if I try to explain. Let's just say both her and I are targets.' Squall said in a low voice so they wouldn't be overheard.
'Oh...' Zell mumbled realisation dawning.
'So where she at?' he asked looking around.
'Cid put her up in room 713. Her name's Aeris.' Squall replied.
'Right well let me know when you want me to go meet her.' Zell told him and went to scoop up a hot dog.
'Well I was hoping right now.' Squall told him watching his expression change.
'Awww man, you serious? Do you know how long it took me to get these?' Zell said almost whining pointing to his hot dogs.
Squall grinned. 'Fine you can finish them first but I think I'll back off a bit.' He told him.
Zell gave him a look. 'What you trying to say?' he asked grabbing a hot dog.
'That you're not the cleanest eater I know.' Squall replied laughing.
'Hey!' Zell yelled in mild hurt and then bit into his hot dog. 'You're lucky I have a sense of humour!' he told him spraying breadcrumbs.
'Just eat!' Squall told him. 'Not that you need telling.' He added grinning.
Zell stuck his tongue out at him in reply.
'Okay, that's just nasty. I said eat not show me what you're eating!' Squall snapped back in retort.
Zell grinned and went back to chomping on his hot dogs.
'Paine are you okay?' a concerned Yuna asked her stoic companion.
'Why wouldn't I be?' Paine retorted denying the turmoil in her head.
'Well you seem a little distracted. That Tonberry nearly got you.' Rikku replied chirpily.
'It's nothing.' Paine replied waving them away.
Yuna and Rikku gave her a look but didn't press it any further.
Paine walked away from them, their happy voices drilling into her mind, interrupting her own thoughts. She was still worried by her vision the night before. The silver haired man that had attacked Squall was he dead now or was Squall still in trouble?
She knew Squall was still alive, which was a good sign. She couldn't bear to have that dead feeling inside her again, but now it was her mind that was all confused. She couldn't concentrate totally on what was happening here on Spira with her brother seemingly in danger. If Yuna and Rikku were starting to notice then it must be really bad.
She hadn't been visited by the High Ones yet, there was no message from anyone to tell her what was going on. She needed to know whether what happened to Squall was part of his destiny on his world or whether he had been targeted because of her.
A vague memory not her own flitted across her thoughts, waving to get her attention. Her story wasn't over yet, the High Ones could not interfere with what they had set in motion on Spira. Only Squall was a target for anything that wanted to tear them apart.
Paine's brow creased as she wondered where this thought had come from. She had wandered from the other two and found herself alone in the forest of Kilika. She tensed and raised her sword as she felt a presence.
She spun round, blade extended and stopped it a hairs breadth from the face of a young woman. Her skin was a dark as night, her eyes were a deep violet that penetrated her own as she stood there unflinching, her wavy pure white hair rippling from the airflow created by the sweeping of her blade.
'Who are you?' Paine asked.
'My name is Nuit.' The young woman replied.
'Need I ask what are you?' Paine said taking in the robe Nuit wore, a long flowing robe covered in spirals of colour that changed before her eyes.
'I am a servant of Time, one of the High Ones.' Nuit replied glancing meaningfully at Paine's sword.
Paine lowered her sword slowly not sure whether she was being lulled into a false sense of security.
'Why are you here?' she asked softly.
'I'm here to ease your mind.' Nuit replied smiling.
'So it was your thought I had just now?' Paine asked.
'Yes, your mind is resonating to us so you will sense us before we appear.' Nuit answered as she leant back against a tree.
'What do you mean Us? There's more of you?' Paine asked suspiciously.
'Yes there are eight of us they call us Immortals. Some of us are evil the rest good. The silver haired man you helped fight off Squall was an evil Immortal called Sephiroth.' Nuit explained.
'Why would he attack Squall?' Paine demanded.
'His master sent him.' Nuit told her.
'Why? Am I in danger too?' Paine asked.
'It seems the Other has plans for both of you. However they can only target Squall as your destiny is still unfolding. The High Ones cannot interfere with you once events have been set in motion. Squall is free his destiny has been fulfilled. But don't worry my child he has been sent help to protect him.' Nuit said softly giving her a reassuring smile.
'So when my story ends does that mean the Other will come for me?' Paine asked reading between the lines.
'We do not know but you will be protected if that is the case.' Nuit replied.
'Squall wasn't!' Paine snapped.
'That's because Sephiroth's attack was unexpected. Besides you have each other in times of need. Your link grows stronger every moment that passes but what effect this will have is unknown to us.' Nuit told her calmly.
'I can't be done with these riddles!' Paine muttered.
'Then do not dwell upon it. Both Squall and yourself are safe so you must concentrate on your own destiny for the good of Spira.' Nuit answered and started to fade.
'Hey wait!' Paine yelled after her. 'Dammit!'
'The good of Spira huh? They didn't think about whether what they done to me was for my own good.' She muttered angrily but underneath was relieved that Squall would be alright.
He found the blond youth in the cafeteria, a plate of steaming hot dogs being devoured with much enthusiasm, tattooed jaw masticating furiously.
'S'up?' Zell asked through a mouthful of chewed bread and meat. 'You're looking rough man.' He added as Squall sat by him.
'Yeah well I've been having a few problems recently.' Squall told him.
'So that's why you've been keeping yourself hidden!' Zell replied swallowing his latest mouthful.
'So what have the others been saying about that?' Squall asked intrigued.
Zell looked at him curiously. 'Hey man we just figured you were going back to your bad old ways!' he chuckled.
'So you haven't been saying anything about me having a girl on the side?' Squall asked leaning forward.
'No way! We know you're not like that. Why what happened?' Zell asked longingly looking at his remaining hot dogs.
'Irvine brought some new girl to see me when I was changing from some training I'd done. Rinoa comes into my room and sees me topless with this girl and goes ballistic.' Squall said in a whisper.
'Jeez man, not good. So where's Rin now?' Zell murmured.
'Probably her room. I chased after her but I got a little wound up that she'd accuse me like that.' Squall said.
'You? Wound up?' Zell said in surprise.
'Yeah don't ask.' Squall retorted.
'So why you here then?' Zell asked not trying to be rude but the smell of the hot dogs before him was making him salivate.
'I need you to spend some time with the new girl.' Squall answered simply.
'Okay... but why? We don't usually have a buddy system.' Zell asked perplexed.
'It's complicated and it's not a good idea if I try to explain. Let's just say both her and I are targets.' Squall said in a low voice so they wouldn't be overheard.
'Oh...' Zell mumbled realisation dawning.
'So where she at?' he asked looking around.
'Cid put her up in room 713. Her name's Aeris.' Squall replied.
'Right well let me know when you want me to go meet her.' Zell told him and went to scoop up a hot dog.
'Well I was hoping right now.' Squall told him watching his expression change.
'Awww man, you serious? Do you know how long it took me to get these?' Zell said almost whining pointing to his hot dogs.
Squall grinned. 'Fine you can finish them first but I think I'll back off a bit.' He told him.
Zell gave him a look. 'What you trying to say?' he asked grabbing a hot dog.
'That you're not the cleanest eater I know.' Squall replied laughing.
'Hey!' Zell yelled in mild hurt and then bit into his hot dog. 'You're lucky I have a sense of humour!' he told him spraying breadcrumbs.
'Just eat!' Squall told him. 'Not that you need telling.' He added grinning.
Zell stuck his tongue out at him in reply.
'Okay, that's just nasty. I said eat not show me what you're eating!' Squall snapped back in retort.
Zell grinned and went back to chomping on his hot dogs.
'Paine are you okay?' a concerned Yuna asked her stoic companion.
'Why wouldn't I be?' Paine retorted denying the turmoil in her head.
'Well you seem a little distracted. That Tonberry nearly got you.' Rikku replied chirpily.
'It's nothing.' Paine replied waving them away.
Yuna and Rikku gave her a look but didn't press it any further.
Paine walked away from them, their happy voices drilling into her mind, interrupting her own thoughts. She was still worried by her vision the night before. The silver haired man that had attacked Squall was he dead now or was Squall still in trouble?
She knew Squall was still alive, which was a good sign. She couldn't bear to have that dead feeling inside her again, but now it was her mind that was all confused. She couldn't concentrate totally on what was happening here on Spira with her brother seemingly in danger. If Yuna and Rikku were starting to notice then it must be really bad.
She hadn't been visited by the High Ones yet, there was no message from anyone to tell her what was going on. She needed to know whether what happened to Squall was part of his destiny on his world or whether he had been targeted because of her.
A vague memory not her own flitted across her thoughts, waving to get her attention. Her story wasn't over yet, the High Ones could not interfere with what they had set in motion on Spira. Only Squall was a target for anything that wanted to tear them apart.
Paine's brow creased as she wondered where this thought had come from. She had wandered from the other two and found herself alone in the forest of Kilika. She tensed and raised her sword as she felt a presence.
She spun round, blade extended and stopped it a hairs breadth from the face of a young woman. Her skin was a dark as night, her eyes were a deep violet that penetrated her own as she stood there unflinching, her wavy pure white hair rippling from the airflow created by the sweeping of her blade.
'Who are you?' Paine asked.
'My name is Nuit.' The young woman replied.
'Need I ask what are you?' Paine said taking in the robe Nuit wore, a long flowing robe covered in spirals of colour that changed before her eyes.
'I am a servant of Time, one of the High Ones.' Nuit replied glancing meaningfully at Paine's sword.
Paine lowered her sword slowly not sure whether she was being lulled into a false sense of security.
'Why are you here?' she asked softly.
'I'm here to ease your mind.' Nuit replied smiling.
'So it was your thought I had just now?' Paine asked.
'Yes, your mind is resonating to us so you will sense us before we appear.' Nuit answered as she leant back against a tree.
'What do you mean Us? There's more of you?' Paine asked suspiciously.
'Yes there are eight of us they call us Immortals. Some of us are evil the rest good. The silver haired man you helped fight off Squall was an evil Immortal called Sephiroth.' Nuit explained.
'Why would he attack Squall?' Paine demanded.
'His master sent him.' Nuit told her.
'Why? Am I in danger too?' Paine asked.
'It seems the Other has plans for both of you. However they can only target Squall as your destiny is still unfolding. The High Ones cannot interfere with you once events have been set in motion. Squall is free his destiny has been fulfilled. But don't worry my child he has been sent help to protect him.' Nuit said softly giving her a reassuring smile.
'So when my story ends does that mean the Other will come for me?' Paine asked reading between the lines.
'We do not know but you will be protected if that is the case.' Nuit replied.
'Squall wasn't!' Paine snapped.
'That's because Sephiroth's attack was unexpected. Besides you have each other in times of need. Your link grows stronger every moment that passes but what effect this will have is unknown to us.' Nuit told her calmly.
'I can't be done with these riddles!' Paine muttered.
'Then do not dwell upon it. Both Squall and yourself are safe so you must concentrate on your own destiny for the good of Spira.' Nuit answered and started to fade.
'Hey wait!' Paine yelled after her. 'Dammit!'
'The good of Spira huh? They didn't think about whether what they done to me was for my own good.' She muttered angrily but underneath was relieved that Squall would be alright.