The Reaper
The silence was strangely annoying him, he was restless in this bland room that Cid had given him and his head still hurt from where Aeris had hit him. The throbbing could explain the sense of unease the crawled over his pale frame. The eeriness of silence was new to him, his role being that of usher from life to non-life.
Mort sighed and sat back in his chair which creaked ominously whilst his sword lay on his lap, the blade tinged blue as air molecules were cut by the invisible blade. His Lord Death had sent him to help Aeris with the human Squall yet so far she had pushed him away making him wonder what she had to hide.
In her own room Aeris lay on her bed the worn mattress enveloping her as she sunk into it but she sighed contently. It had been a long time since she had been in a proper bed, it seemed that all the beds she'd slept in when she was with Cloud were like this. The young blonde mercenary was never far from her thoughts the last thing she remembered were his eerie blue eyes before pain and Sephiroth tore her from her physical body.
There was a knock at her door making her reluctantly roll off the bed and get up to answer the door. She figured Mort wouldn't be back already, not after the hit he had received, besides she couldn't feel him. The door opened onto a wide friendly grin leading to energetic blue eyes and a shock of blonde spiky hair that made her gasp. It was only the black markings of a tattoo on his cheek that made her realise she wasn't seeing an apparition.
'S'up?' Zell asked, oblivious to her surprise.
Aeris then noticed Squall behind the blond youth. 'Who's this?' she asked him.
Squall indicated for her to let them in before replying. 'This is Zell, a friend of mine. I thought it'd be a good idea if he'd spend some time with you, help you settle in.'
'I see.' Aeris replied her voice still tinged with disappointment.
Zell grasped her hand firmly and shook it vigorously. 'Don't worry you're in good hands.' He told her smiling.
Aeris winced as she clenched her hand to get the flow of blood back and smiled in reply.
'Well I'll leave you two to get to know each other.' Squall said and started to move to the door.
'Wait! I have to tell you something!' Aeris called after him, gently pushing past Zell.
'What now?' Squall mumbled.
'Just that another Immortal is here to help.' She replied in a low voice so Zell couldn't hear.
'Another?' Squall moaned clamping a hand to his forehead and running it through his hair in exasperation.
'Hey I didn't tell him to come. His name is Mort. Just thought I'd let you know.' Aeris replied placing her hands on her hips.
'Fine, whatever...' Squall retorted and left the room finally deciding to head to Rinoa's room and ride the waves of her anger.
'So.... Who is it that's after you?' Zell asked trying to break the silence as he shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet.
'No-one really. I'm here to keep an eye on Squall.' Aeris replied without thinking.
'Why? What's up with Squall?' Zell inquired, idly punching the air.
'Let's just say he's inadvertently made himself a few new enemies.' Aeris told him hoping this would curtail any difficult questions.
'Okay... so that's why he hasn't been around much.' Zell said taking the hint.
'So where are you from then?' he asked changing subject as he flopped back into the chair his leg twitching gently, unable to repress the energy held within.
'That would take a long time to explain...' Aeris told him sitting on the bed, still trying to avoid seeing Zell as Cloud. But then she'd done it before when Cloud had reminded her of Zack.
'Well I got plenty of time to listen.' Zell replied with a disarming grin that made Aeris relent.
'Okay. Well....' She started beginning to relish this chance to tell someone else what had happened to her and hopefully have them understand how it felt.
Mort had taken to pacing his room like a caged animal the soft pressure of silence smothering him as he sought for something to do. His bony fingers twitched to some unheard rhythm whilst in his own mind he could hear the lives of all things around him draining away as time passed. He couldn't fulfil his duties whilst in mortal form yet he was still linked to it.
There was always something dying, to be harvested from this world and sown in the next. He had forever been reaping since his inception, from a mere thought to and actual being, a fragment of the greater Death. Now he was isolated, detached, inert and he ached to do something, anything!
He growled to himself his sword leaving blue silken lines in the air as he swung it back and forth hoping to relieve this pressure in him. He cursed his Lord under his breath for sending him to this prison of flesh, he was not needed here but he wouldn't be released until Squall was no longer endangered. Finally he stalked out the room and headed back to the jungle area where he had first materialised. Surely there he would be needed in his official capacity, he had felt the continual death of monsters when he had arrived, had seen that young girl slaughter countless fiends, and if there was no one there to do it for him he would reap the beasts himself.
Another place, another metaphor, the deep darkness specked with small pinpricks of white light yet a dull mist wove its way among them and a figure knelt in its murkiness in supplication.
'My Lord, I feel that sending Mort to the world was a grave mistake.' The figure said to an unseen figure dryly.
There was a soft dry laugh from the invisible figure. 'Was that pun intended Sever?' Death asked his billowing robe appearing from out of the fog.
'My Lord?' Sever replied seriously his bald head still hidden in the mist.
'I should've guessed not.' Death replied. 'You doubt my judgements?' he then added approaching the crouching Sever.
'No my Lord but I can feel his mind, he is becoming erratic already with restlessness.' Sever replied trying not to cower.
'Better restless than complacent. Injustice may attack at any time. At least Mort will be prepared.' Death said softly touching Sever's shoulder.
'You should have sent me...' Sever murmured.
'I have a task of more importance for you.' Death replied moving his hand from his shoulder.
'Yes my Lord?' Sever replied eagerly.
'I want you to incapacitate Protes.' Death told him dryly.
'Lord!' Sever burst in shock.
'I don't trust Fate. Mort is there to watch Aeris but Protes is still free to do whatever Fate bids and Fate is hiding too much from us for me to believe that Protes will be used for good means.' Death explained in a low whisper.
'I see.' Sever said simply, questioning his Lord's action on Mort was bad enough, he wouldn't push his luck now.
Sever stood, his yellow eyes covered by black stained glass, the clouds of mist curling around the dome of his bare head. His skin was a pale tan with the hint of scales. His body was draped with a ragged deep scarlet cloak hiding the form beneath. A hand hung from the folds of the cloak, long thin fingers ending in long nails. He was face to face with Death and could see in those fiery eyes a flicker of sorrow and disgust of having to do something he didn't feel was right but nevertheless had to be done.
'Be careful Sever, no doubt Fate will be checking up on Protes now Aeris is occupied.' Death warned and faded the mist slowly fading away leaving Sever standing on vacuum in deep space.
The silence was strangely annoying him, he was restless in this bland room that Cid had given him and his head still hurt from where Aeris had hit him. The throbbing could explain the sense of unease the crawled over his pale frame. The eeriness of silence was new to him, his role being that of usher from life to non-life.
Mort sighed and sat back in his chair which creaked ominously whilst his sword lay on his lap, the blade tinged blue as air molecules were cut by the invisible blade. His Lord Death had sent him to help Aeris with the human Squall yet so far she had pushed him away making him wonder what she had to hide.
In her own room Aeris lay on her bed the worn mattress enveloping her as she sunk into it but she sighed contently. It had been a long time since she had been in a proper bed, it seemed that all the beds she'd slept in when she was with Cloud were like this. The young blonde mercenary was never far from her thoughts the last thing she remembered were his eerie blue eyes before pain and Sephiroth tore her from her physical body.
There was a knock at her door making her reluctantly roll off the bed and get up to answer the door. She figured Mort wouldn't be back already, not after the hit he had received, besides she couldn't feel him. The door opened onto a wide friendly grin leading to energetic blue eyes and a shock of blonde spiky hair that made her gasp. It was only the black markings of a tattoo on his cheek that made her realise she wasn't seeing an apparition.
'S'up?' Zell asked, oblivious to her surprise.
Aeris then noticed Squall behind the blond youth. 'Who's this?' she asked him.
Squall indicated for her to let them in before replying. 'This is Zell, a friend of mine. I thought it'd be a good idea if he'd spend some time with you, help you settle in.'
'I see.' Aeris replied her voice still tinged with disappointment.
Zell grasped her hand firmly and shook it vigorously. 'Don't worry you're in good hands.' He told her smiling.
Aeris winced as she clenched her hand to get the flow of blood back and smiled in reply.
'Well I'll leave you two to get to know each other.' Squall said and started to move to the door.
'Wait! I have to tell you something!' Aeris called after him, gently pushing past Zell.
'What now?' Squall mumbled.
'Just that another Immortal is here to help.' She replied in a low voice so Zell couldn't hear.
'Another?' Squall moaned clamping a hand to his forehead and running it through his hair in exasperation.
'Hey I didn't tell him to come. His name is Mort. Just thought I'd let you know.' Aeris replied placing her hands on her hips.
'Fine, whatever...' Squall retorted and left the room finally deciding to head to Rinoa's room and ride the waves of her anger.
'So.... Who is it that's after you?' Zell asked trying to break the silence as he shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet.
'No-one really. I'm here to keep an eye on Squall.' Aeris replied without thinking.
'Why? What's up with Squall?' Zell inquired, idly punching the air.
'Let's just say he's inadvertently made himself a few new enemies.' Aeris told him hoping this would curtail any difficult questions.
'Okay... so that's why he hasn't been around much.' Zell said taking the hint.
'So where are you from then?' he asked changing subject as he flopped back into the chair his leg twitching gently, unable to repress the energy held within.
'That would take a long time to explain...' Aeris told him sitting on the bed, still trying to avoid seeing Zell as Cloud. But then she'd done it before when Cloud had reminded her of Zack.
'Well I got plenty of time to listen.' Zell replied with a disarming grin that made Aeris relent.
'Okay. Well....' She started beginning to relish this chance to tell someone else what had happened to her and hopefully have them understand how it felt.
Mort had taken to pacing his room like a caged animal the soft pressure of silence smothering him as he sought for something to do. His bony fingers twitched to some unheard rhythm whilst in his own mind he could hear the lives of all things around him draining away as time passed. He couldn't fulfil his duties whilst in mortal form yet he was still linked to it.
There was always something dying, to be harvested from this world and sown in the next. He had forever been reaping since his inception, from a mere thought to and actual being, a fragment of the greater Death. Now he was isolated, detached, inert and he ached to do something, anything!
He growled to himself his sword leaving blue silken lines in the air as he swung it back and forth hoping to relieve this pressure in him. He cursed his Lord under his breath for sending him to this prison of flesh, he was not needed here but he wouldn't be released until Squall was no longer endangered. Finally he stalked out the room and headed back to the jungle area where he had first materialised. Surely there he would be needed in his official capacity, he had felt the continual death of monsters when he had arrived, had seen that young girl slaughter countless fiends, and if there was no one there to do it for him he would reap the beasts himself.
Another place, another metaphor, the deep darkness specked with small pinpricks of white light yet a dull mist wove its way among them and a figure knelt in its murkiness in supplication.
'My Lord, I feel that sending Mort to the world was a grave mistake.' The figure said to an unseen figure dryly.
There was a soft dry laugh from the invisible figure. 'Was that pun intended Sever?' Death asked his billowing robe appearing from out of the fog.
'My Lord?' Sever replied seriously his bald head still hidden in the mist.
'I should've guessed not.' Death replied. 'You doubt my judgements?' he then added approaching the crouching Sever.
'No my Lord but I can feel his mind, he is becoming erratic already with restlessness.' Sever replied trying not to cower.
'Better restless than complacent. Injustice may attack at any time. At least Mort will be prepared.' Death said softly touching Sever's shoulder.
'You should have sent me...' Sever murmured.
'I have a task of more importance for you.' Death replied moving his hand from his shoulder.
'Yes my Lord?' Sever replied eagerly.
'I want you to incapacitate Protes.' Death told him dryly.
'Lord!' Sever burst in shock.
'I don't trust Fate. Mort is there to watch Aeris but Protes is still free to do whatever Fate bids and Fate is hiding too much from us for me to believe that Protes will be used for good means.' Death explained in a low whisper.
'I see.' Sever said simply, questioning his Lord's action on Mort was bad enough, he wouldn't push his luck now.
Sever stood, his yellow eyes covered by black stained glass, the clouds of mist curling around the dome of his bare head. His skin was a pale tan with the hint of scales. His body was draped with a ragged deep scarlet cloak hiding the form beneath. A hand hung from the folds of the cloak, long thin fingers ending in long nails. He was face to face with Death and could see in those fiery eyes a flicker of sorrow and disgust of having to do something he didn't feel was right but nevertheless had to be done.
'Be careful Sever, no doubt Fate will be checking up on Protes now Aeris is occupied.' Death warned and faded the mist slowly fading away leaving Sever standing on vacuum in deep space.