Truth
'I think I should tell you what's been going on.' Squall told Rinoa softly as she still held him.
'What?' Rinoa looked up into his face, her features suffused with fear.
'Please sit down.' Squall told her and walked her over to her bed, lowering her down as she let go of him.
Rinoa looked up at him expectantly as his lips moved silently as he sought the best way to start.
'The reason I've been so withdrawn from everyone is because I've found out something about my past and there's forces that want to interfere with that.' Squall started to explain.
'What about your past? Whatever it is it would never be so dark as to turn me from you.' Rinoa said softly.
'That wasn't what worried me.' Squall said wondering in the cynical part of his mind whether that would be something to admit since she'd probably feel disappointed that that fear wasn't the reason for his behaviour and so he quickly pressed on.
'I found out I have a twin sister. On another world, stolen from me at our birth.' He said quickly.
'How can she be on another world?' Rinoa asked trying to sound calm whilst her head was spinning with questions.
'You're a sorceress, you know that there are forces higher than us right?' Squall said answering her with a question.
'The Four High Ones?' Rinoa said promptly.
Now it was Squall's turn to be surprised. 'So you know of them?' he asked.
'Well when a sorceress passes on her powers she also passes on her memories and knowledge. You don't really feel it, it just hides in the back of your head until it wants to turn up.' Rinoa told him looking down at her hands.
'Well it was Fate who took her away to another world where she is facing something like we did with Ultimecia. The last couple of weeks I've been dreaming of her and found we can connect in our dreams. However Fate and the other High Ones aren't happy with this and one of them even tried to have me killed. So now I have their servants sent to protect me.' Squall told her.
'Which was that girl I saw you with?' Rinoa said in a whisper trying to digest all this information.
'Yes, Aeris. Plus another called Mort who I haven't yet met.' Squall said sitting down next to her.
'And your sister? What is she like?' Rinoa asked, trying to keep the conversation to a more normal level and away from the part that scared her most, the fact that someone wanted Squall dead.
'She looks similar to me, dresses the same and shares my personality. No doubt her life has been has tough as mine was to make her that way. I just wish I could meet her but Fate says that's impossible.' Squall told her slipping an arm over her shoulders.
'Which is why one of them wants to stop you in case you do?' Rinoa asked leaning into him for comfort.
'I guess.' Squall replied and kissed her head. 'So you can see why I couldn't let anyone know?' he added softly.
'Yeah you hate asking people for help.' Rinoa retorted laughing softly, making Squall smile briefly.
Anger and confusion was all he felt as he scoured the multiverse for her. Protes' words had twisted his world and he needed answers. He knew he could trust Protes, the Righteous one had an extreme loathing for lies and underhand things, which meant he wasn't sure if he could trust his Lord or Fate, which left only her.
She was here, he could feel the pulses, the passing of moments, the flow of it all. Sever paused and closed his eyes and then opened them finding himself in Time's domain, a world of waves and pulsing light, the sounds of a heartbeat and a ticking of a clock in synchrony.
She sat in this cacophony, back to him so all he could see was he glittering red robe and her long black hair and it flowed down her back and swayed gently in a slow rhythm. The sounds became quiet as she turned to face him.
'Sever?' she said softly with a friendly smile although Sever felt sure it was fake.
'My Lady.' Sever replied and bowed.
'Did Death send you?' she asked approaching him.
'No my Lady, I am here to ask you for the truth.' He replied straightening.
Time's smile froze for a brief moment and she looked into his yellow eyes. 'What truth?' she asked smoothly.
'The truth of who I am.' Sever replied softly, flinching at her blank eyes.
'You are Sever, Immortal of Mortality, Servant of Death.' Time replied, perplexed.
'Who was I before that? I have no memory of who or what I was before this. I want to know where I came from.' Sever said in anguish.
'I don't think it is my place to tell you.' Time replied placing a compassionate hand on his shoulder.
Sever shrugged it off. 'I know you know about my past and my Lord will not tell me, this I know.' He said softly. 'So tell me!' he added, snapping glaring into her bleak pits of eyes.
Time recoiled from his anger her face setting into a frown. 'Why do you desire to know so much?' she asked.
'Because I have reason to believe that you High Ones can no longer be trusted and your actions and words are meaningless.' Sever spat.
'You're accusing me of treachery?' Time gasped, affronted.
'Who knows? I know that the Death and Fate cannot be believed. They plot against each other to hidden ends. Possibly the only one to be trusted is the Other.' Sever retorted.
Time's eyes narrowed in anger. 'You really believe that? You'd trust the source of Evil than those who work for the greater Good?' she hissed.
'Why not? At least He can be trusted to do manipulative things, who knows what you do to achieve your ends!' Sever replied scornfully.
'Fine! Then you shall see who you were, for what good it may do you!' Time shrieked and Sever's world went white.
His eyes opened and looked down at his body, the outlandish clothes he wore, yellow, blue and black. His hands were no longer thin and long with claws, but normal, gloved. His body was tanned, limbs exposed to the sun whilst blonde hair waved in his face. A chain hung from his neck, an ornate silver 'J' hanging from it in the middle of his bare chest. In his hand he held a long blue sword, its blade rippling as if it was water.
There was a flash and another vision. There was a giant watery orb above him whilst he was looking up into the dark glass covered eyes of a man dressed in red. Another flash and he was swimming from a giant fish monster with bones protruding from its chest. The flashes got faster, faces, places flickered past his eyes. A young girl with blond hair and swirling green eyes hopping before him, a tall man all in yellow with spiky red hair, a sultry black haired woman in a black dress and fur, numerous belts wrapping her legs, a leonine man with blue fur and a broken horn, the man in red once more holding a giant sword his mouth moving but no words were heard and finally a vision that made his heart stop.
There were woods around him, glittering crystalline blue like that of Protes' world but here it was more human, more organic. He was stood to his chest in water but that wasn't what captivated him, but she did, her tears running from her mismatched blue and green eyes mingling with the water, her brown hair damp as her shoulders heaved before him, her full lips drawing him in closer and closer. Another white flash and this time he was standing behind her wrapping his arms around her waist holding her but could see his body was fading away, could sense the tears she was trying to hold back.
Sever opened his eyes. 'Yuna...' he said softly, and then looked down at his body now and shook with anger.
'What did you do to me!?' he yelled at Time clenching his claws.
'Your time was up.' She replied softly.
'You all made me into a dream on that world just to fulfil your games!' Sever raged. 'Why didn't you just let me disappear!? You tore me from her, gave me this mangled form while taking my memories away and made me a slave!' he snarled.
'You were the one that wanted to know the truth.' Time said softly.
'You took me away from Yuna because of Paine didn't you?' Sever said his yellow eyes flickering with realisation.
Time remained silent.
Sever turned to leave.
'Where are you going?' Time demanded.
'I have to see her... she's looking for me.' Sever replied.
'And you think she could bear to see you like this?' Time said with unnecessary cruelty.
'You can turn me back.' Sever retorted.
'No I think not.' Time said softly and raised her hands.
Sever growled as his body was constricted by invisible bonds.
'I'm afraid it's time to dispose of you, you must not interfere. You don't realise that Yuna is chasing your double, the puppet of Injustice and master of the Vegnagun.' Time said closing her hand making Sever growl in pain.
Time was knocked of her feet by a blow to her back making Sever drop to the ground. She turned to look up into opaque white eyes and blue crystals.
'Another piece to throw away Lady?' Protes growled and stomped over to Sever's limp form, slinging him over his shoulder before nodding to the fallen Time and fading away.
'I think I should tell you what's been going on.' Squall told Rinoa softly as she still held him.
'What?' Rinoa looked up into his face, her features suffused with fear.
'Please sit down.' Squall told her and walked her over to her bed, lowering her down as she let go of him.
Rinoa looked up at him expectantly as his lips moved silently as he sought the best way to start.
'The reason I've been so withdrawn from everyone is because I've found out something about my past and there's forces that want to interfere with that.' Squall started to explain.
'What about your past? Whatever it is it would never be so dark as to turn me from you.' Rinoa said softly.
'That wasn't what worried me.' Squall said wondering in the cynical part of his mind whether that would be something to admit since she'd probably feel disappointed that that fear wasn't the reason for his behaviour and so he quickly pressed on.
'I found out I have a twin sister. On another world, stolen from me at our birth.' He said quickly.
'How can she be on another world?' Rinoa asked trying to sound calm whilst her head was spinning with questions.
'You're a sorceress, you know that there are forces higher than us right?' Squall said answering her with a question.
'The Four High Ones?' Rinoa said promptly.
Now it was Squall's turn to be surprised. 'So you know of them?' he asked.
'Well when a sorceress passes on her powers she also passes on her memories and knowledge. You don't really feel it, it just hides in the back of your head until it wants to turn up.' Rinoa told him looking down at her hands.
'Well it was Fate who took her away to another world where she is facing something like we did with Ultimecia. The last couple of weeks I've been dreaming of her and found we can connect in our dreams. However Fate and the other High Ones aren't happy with this and one of them even tried to have me killed. So now I have their servants sent to protect me.' Squall told her.
'Which was that girl I saw you with?' Rinoa said in a whisper trying to digest all this information.
'Yes, Aeris. Plus another called Mort who I haven't yet met.' Squall said sitting down next to her.
'And your sister? What is she like?' Rinoa asked, trying to keep the conversation to a more normal level and away from the part that scared her most, the fact that someone wanted Squall dead.
'She looks similar to me, dresses the same and shares my personality. No doubt her life has been has tough as mine was to make her that way. I just wish I could meet her but Fate says that's impossible.' Squall told her slipping an arm over her shoulders.
'Which is why one of them wants to stop you in case you do?' Rinoa asked leaning into him for comfort.
'I guess.' Squall replied and kissed her head. 'So you can see why I couldn't let anyone know?' he added softly.
'Yeah you hate asking people for help.' Rinoa retorted laughing softly, making Squall smile briefly.
Anger and confusion was all he felt as he scoured the multiverse for her. Protes' words had twisted his world and he needed answers. He knew he could trust Protes, the Righteous one had an extreme loathing for lies and underhand things, which meant he wasn't sure if he could trust his Lord or Fate, which left only her.
She was here, he could feel the pulses, the passing of moments, the flow of it all. Sever paused and closed his eyes and then opened them finding himself in Time's domain, a world of waves and pulsing light, the sounds of a heartbeat and a ticking of a clock in synchrony.
She sat in this cacophony, back to him so all he could see was he glittering red robe and her long black hair and it flowed down her back and swayed gently in a slow rhythm. The sounds became quiet as she turned to face him.
'Sever?' she said softly with a friendly smile although Sever felt sure it was fake.
'My Lady.' Sever replied and bowed.
'Did Death send you?' she asked approaching him.
'No my Lady, I am here to ask you for the truth.' He replied straightening.
Time's smile froze for a brief moment and she looked into his yellow eyes. 'What truth?' she asked smoothly.
'The truth of who I am.' Sever replied softly, flinching at her blank eyes.
'You are Sever, Immortal of Mortality, Servant of Death.' Time replied, perplexed.
'Who was I before that? I have no memory of who or what I was before this. I want to know where I came from.' Sever said in anguish.
'I don't think it is my place to tell you.' Time replied placing a compassionate hand on his shoulder.
Sever shrugged it off. 'I know you know about my past and my Lord will not tell me, this I know.' He said softly. 'So tell me!' he added, snapping glaring into her bleak pits of eyes.
Time recoiled from his anger her face setting into a frown. 'Why do you desire to know so much?' she asked.
'Because I have reason to believe that you High Ones can no longer be trusted and your actions and words are meaningless.' Sever spat.
'You're accusing me of treachery?' Time gasped, affronted.
'Who knows? I know that the Death and Fate cannot be believed. They plot against each other to hidden ends. Possibly the only one to be trusted is the Other.' Sever retorted.
Time's eyes narrowed in anger. 'You really believe that? You'd trust the source of Evil than those who work for the greater Good?' she hissed.
'Why not? At least He can be trusted to do manipulative things, who knows what you do to achieve your ends!' Sever replied scornfully.
'Fine! Then you shall see who you were, for what good it may do you!' Time shrieked and Sever's world went white.
His eyes opened and looked down at his body, the outlandish clothes he wore, yellow, blue and black. His hands were no longer thin and long with claws, but normal, gloved. His body was tanned, limbs exposed to the sun whilst blonde hair waved in his face. A chain hung from his neck, an ornate silver 'J' hanging from it in the middle of his bare chest. In his hand he held a long blue sword, its blade rippling as if it was water.
There was a flash and another vision. There was a giant watery orb above him whilst he was looking up into the dark glass covered eyes of a man dressed in red. Another flash and he was swimming from a giant fish monster with bones protruding from its chest. The flashes got faster, faces, places flickered past his eyes. A young girl with blond hair and swirling green eyes hopping before him, a tall man all in yellow with spiky red hair, a sultry black haired woman in a black dress and fur, numerous belts wrapping her legs, a leonine man with blue fur and a broken horn, the man in red once more holding a giant sword his mouth moving but no words were heard and finally a vision that made his heart stop.
There were woods around him, glittering crystalline blue like that of Protes' world but here it was more human, more organic. He was stood to his chest in water but that wasn't what captivated him, but she did, her tears running from her mismatched blue and green eyes mingling with the water, her brown hair damp as her shoulders heaved before him, her full lips drawing him in closer and closer. Another white flash and this time he was standing behind her wrapping his arms around her waist holding her but could see his body was fading away, could sense the tears she was trying to hold back.
Sever opened his eyes. 'Yuna...' he said softly, and then looked down at his body now and shook with anger.
'What did you do to me!?' he yelled at Time clenching his claws.
'Your time was up.' She replied softly.
'You all made me into a dream on that world just to fulfil your games!' Sever raged. 'Why didn't you just let me disappear!? You tore me from her, gave me this mangled form while taking my memories away and made me a slave!' he snarled.
'You were the one that wanted to know the truth.' Time said softly.
'You took me away from Yuna because of Paine didn't you?' Sever said his yellow eyes flickering with realisation.
Time remained silent.
Sever turned to leave.
'Where are you going?' Time demanded.
'I have to see her... she's looking for me.' Sever replied.
'And you think she could bear to see you like this?' Time said with unnecessary cruelty.
'You can turn me back.' Sever retorted.
'No I think not.' Time said softly and raised her hands.
Sever growled as his body was constricted by invisible bonds.
'I'm afraid it's time to dispose of you, you must not interfere. You don't realise that Yuna is chasing your double, the puppet of Injustice and master of the Vegnagun.' Time said closing her hand making Sever growl in pain.
Time was knocked of her feet by a blow to her back making Sever drop to the ground. She turned to look up into opaque white eyes and blue crystals.
'Another piece to throw away Lady?' Protes growled and stomped over to Sever's limp form, slinging him over his shoulder before nodding to the fallen Time and fading away.