Uneasy Alliance
'Who are you?' Squall growled reaching out for the gun-blade on the nearby desk and was surprised that it seemed fused to it.
'I'm Injustice, the other High One.' Injustice replied holding his hand out.
Squall knocked it aside angrily. 'So you were the one trying to kill me!' he snapped.
Injustice sighed and retracted his hand. 'Yes that's true. I sent my Immortals to kill you... that's what I do. I have to go against whatever Fate does... do you know how annoying that is? I never get to win!' he said grimly.
'But now I know that if I had killed you I'd have lost again because Fate wants you dead, he never wanted you near Paine but I can keep you alive and get you to see Paine, if you can trust me.' He added.
Squall glared at him. 'Can you really let me meet Paine?' he asked slowly.
'Sure, but we haven't much time... the others will notice I'm here and come for us... you have to decide now.' Injustice said hastily.
Squall stood in silence his gaze changing as some inner discussion raged. 'Fine but you have to let me have a weapon.' He replied finally.
'If it makes you feel better...' Injustice said softly and snapped his fingers the gun-blade coming away from the desk.
Squall holstered it against his thigh and asked 'What now?'
'Follow me.' Injustice replied and stuck his arm out bringing it down through the air and caused a rent of darkness to open.
The two of them entered, Squall walking hesitantly behind Injustice. The rent closed behind them sealing the dimensions and real time came back to the world.
Rinoa looked around frantically at the empty space before her. 'Squall?' she called out and stood, running out the room bewildered.
Aeris fell back as her struggles made her fall from Zell's now unfrozen arms.
'What's going on?' he asked her looking down at her with an expression of hurt.
'Time freeze... Injustice was here for Squall.' Aeris replied as Zell reached down to help her up. 'How do you know this?' Zell asked confused.
'I'm not bound by time if it stops I still go on...' Aeris told him brushing herself off.
'So if time is back now that means...' Zell said slowly and looked at her with a fearful look in her eyes. Without a word he left the room and entered the corridor bouncing into a distraught Rinoa.
'What's wrong?' he asked her hoping that his first thoughts were wrong.
'Squall's just disappeared! One second he was talking to me the next he was gone!' Rinoa wailed.
'Dammit!' Zell muttered and looked back yearningly at Aeris.
'There's not much we can do... Injustice has control of the Junction.' Aeris said softly as she appeared from around the door.
'Don't give me that! This is all your fault!' Rinoa snapped.
Aeris stayed silent aware of how shocked Rinoa was and that she was only lashing out in worry.
'Well was there any sign of struggle?' Zell asked trying to find something good in all this.
'No...' Rinoa said softly.
'Then maybe he went of his own accord... Injustice said something about taking Squall to see Paine...' Aeris murmured.
'But Injustice was trying to kill him it could be a trick!' Zell retorted.
'Yeah but Squall might risk that if he thought there was any chance he could see her right?' Aeris reasoned.
'I suppose...' Zell relented, Rinoa nodded slightly in agreement.
'Now all we can do is wait and hope this all works out...' Aeris told them glumly.
They reappeared inside an eerie green orb with numerous coloured circles floating around inside it. These however were not what first caught Squall's attention but the two other figures that rose as they appeared.
One was large and craggy, a body of crystal, the other was his height yet very thin, his body hidden by a ragged red cloak and had large yellow eyes.
Squall drew his gun-blade in surprise, expecting them to be a threat and glared at Injustice's back.
'So it was some kind of trick!' he hissed angrily.
Tidus and Protes turned to look at each other wondering what was going on.
Injustice spun round to face Squall his hands raised. 'Whoa! They're with me, they're on our side... just be calm... that's the problem with you Heroes, always jumping to conclusions.' He told him.
'Right... whatever.' Squall replied slowly lowering his gun-blade and the others visibly relaxed.
'So you're Squall huh? I'm Tidus... I used to be a Hero too from Spira but They took me away from her.' Tidus said rapidly spitting at the word They.
Squall's eyes lit up. 'Spira? So you know Paine?' he asked.
'No... I was taken away before Paine was called.' Tidus replied sadly.
'We all have our reasons for hating the High Ones... especially Fate. He toys with us all without concerns for our emotions. That is why we are here... even if we don't trust each other completely.' Protes chipped in with his gravely voice looking pointedly at Injustice who rolled his emerald eyes in reply.
'You got that right.' Squall said in reply and then turned back to Injustice.
'So what happens now?' he asked.
'Who are you?' Squall growled reaching out for the gun-blade on the nearby desk and was surprised that it seemed fused to it.
'I'm Injustice, the other High One.' Injustice replied holding his hand out.
Squall knocked it aside angrily. 'So you were the one trying to kill me!' he snapped.
Injustice sighed and retracted his hand. 'Yes that's true. I sent my Immortals to kill you... that's what I do. I have to go against whatever Fate does... do you know how annoying that is? I never get to win!' he said grimly.
'But now I know that if I had killed you I'd have lost again because Fate wants you dead, he never wanted you near Paine but I can keep you alive and get you to see Paine, if you can trust me.' He added.
Squall glared at him. 'Can you really let me meet Paine?' he asked slowly.
'Sure, but we haven't much time... the others will notice I'm here and come for us... you have to decide now.' Injustice said hastily.
Squall stood in silence his gaze changing as some inner discussion raged. 'Fine but you have to let me have a weapon.' He replied finally.
'If it makes you feel better...' Injustice said softly and snapped his fingers the gun-blade coming away from the desk.
Squall holstered it against his thigh and asked 'What now?'
'Follow me.' Injustice replied and stuck his arm out bringing it down through the air and caused a rent of darkness to open.
The two of them entered, Squall walking hesitantly behind Injustice. The rent closed behind them sealing the dimensions and real time came back to the world.
Rinoa looked around frantically at the empty space before her. 'Squall?' she called out and stood, running out the room bewildered.
Aeris fell back as her struggles made her fall from Zell's now unfrozen arms.
'What's going on?' he asked her looking down at her with an expression of hurt.
'Time freeze... Injustice was here for Squall.' Aeris replied as Zell reached down to help her up. 'How do you know this?' Zell asked confused.
'I'm not bound by time if it stops I still go on...' Aeris told him brushing herself off.
'So if time is back now that means...' Zell said slowly and looked at her with a fearful look in her eyes. Without a word he left the room and entered the corridor bouncing into a distraught Rinoa.
'What's wrong?' he asked her hoping that his first thoughts were wrong.
'Squall's just disappeared! One second he was talking to me the next he was gone!' Rinoa wailed.
'Dammit!' Zell muttered and looked back yearningly at Aeris.
'There's not much we can do... Injustice has control of the Junction.' Aeris said softly as she appeared from around the door.
'Don't give me that! This is all your fault!' Rinoa snapped.
Aeris stayed silent aware of how shocked Rinoa was and that she was only lashing out in worry.
'Well was there any sign of struggle?' Zell asked trying to find something good in all this.
'No...' Rinoa said softly.
'Then maybe he went of his own accord... Injustice said something about taking Squall to see Paine...' Aeris murmured.
'But Injustice was trying to kill him it could be a trick!' Zell retorted.
'Yeah but Squall might risk that if he thought there was any chance he could see her right?' Aeris reasoned.
'I suppose...' Zell relented, Rinoa nodded slightly in agreement.
'Now all we can do is wait and hope this all works out...' Aeris told them glumly.
They reappeared inside an eerie green orb with numerous coloured circles floating around inside it. These however were not what first caught Squall's attention but the two other figures that rose as they appeared.
One was large and craggy, a body of crystal, the other was his height yet very thin, his body hidden by a ragged red cloak and had large yellow eyes.
Squall drew his gun-blade in surprise, expecting them to be a threat and glared at Injustice's back.
'So it was some kind of trick!' he hissed angrily.
Tidus and Protes turned to look at each other wondering what was going on.
Injustice spun round to face Squall his hands raised. 'Whoa! They're with me, they're on our side... just be calm... that's the problem with you Heroes, always jumping to conclusions.' He told him.
'Right... whatever.' Squall replied slowly lowering his gun-blade and the others visibly relaxed.
'So you're Squall huh? I'm Tidus... I used to be a Hero too from Spira but They took me away from her.' Tidus said rapidly spitting at the word They.
Squall's eyes lit up. 'Spira? So you know Paine?' he asked.
'No... I was taken away before Paine was called.' Tidus replied sadly.
'We all have our reasons for hating the High Ones... especially Fate. He toys with us all without concerns for our emotions. That is why we are here... even if we don't trust each other completely.' Protes chipped in with his gravely voice looking pointedly at Injustice who rolled his emerald eyes in reply.
'You got that right.' Squall said in reply and then turned back to Injustice.
'So what happens now?' he asked.