Disclaimer: I pretty sure ff8 doesn't belong to me…*checks under bed, frowns, then nods wisely* nope, don't belong to me.
Dark Evrae Altana: I'll agree the first chapter was very short, but it looked much longer written out by hand. I have a lemon/lime planned for this fic, I'm just not sure yet.
I'm glad everyone seemed to like the first chapter ^^ now if I can only manage to keep with everyone's expectations we should be fine. =P
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Something seems different as I awake. After taking a moment to stretch and yawn loudly I realize I'm not wearing as shirt, but the warmness is still there. I consider getting up and taking a closer look at my surroundings, but I'm far too comfortable where I am. I start to close my eyes again when somebody speaks above my head. "I really hate you, you know that right?"
I crack my eyes open and look for the speaker, but he doesn't seem to be in my direct line of sight. Normally this would bother me, but I sense no danger and have no motivation to move. Closing my eyes once more I growl out, "I'm trying to sleep, the hell do you want?"
I hear a dry chuckle, the noise oddly comforting me and leaving me uneasy all at the same time. "I just wanted to let you know I don't like you." I hear a rustling noise from my behind me. "Oh, and I'm supposed to prepare you for your meeting with Hyne."
If this is a joke, I'm not laughing. I let out a frustrated sigh and squeeze my eyes shut tighter. "Tell your Hyne he can wait another day or so, and get the fuck away from me." I try to turn my back to him but find I am oddly unable to do so. Before I can think about it too much I feel a warm placed on my chest above my heart. The speaker stares at the hand thoughtfully, and I get my first good look at him.
He seems to be taller than me by only an inch or so. His eyes are a smoky gray and seem to shine with an inward light, and his hair is the blackest I've seen. He is shirtless as well, with tan skin and well-developed muscles. He looks almost as good as I do…I notice a movement to my side and turn my head towards it reflexively. "What the fuck?"
He seems to remember I'm there and follows my line of sight. Seeing what I'm looking at he smirks at me. "Took you that long to notice?"
I don't answer, too entranced by what I'm seeing. Two large batwings darker than his hair go up above his shoulders then swoop gracefully back down to his ankles. I imagine how wide his wingspan would be if he fully extended them, and then shake my head. He flutters the wings, causing a gust of air in my direction. He removes his hand from my chest and turns away from me with a knowing smirk. The light catches the magnificent wings and I can see silver veins running the length of them. I look up at him in shock. "What the hell are you?"
The winged man raises and eyebrow and deepens the familiar smirk. "I am one of Hyne's Angels, as are you."
I rub the bridge of my nose and sigh. I don't know what this guys been taking to mess him up this much, but this is just too weird for me. I try to stand up so I can tell him exactly what he can do with himself, but an unexpected weight brings me back to my knees. I can feel parts of my body hit the ground about five feet on each side of me. Already knowing what's coming and yet desperately not wanting to se I turn my head slowly to look. A large blood red wing comes into my vision. I snap my eyes shut, and then open them widely. Wing is still there.
The man's comes again in an indifferent tone. "You do know that you are keep the Great Hyne waiting, don't you?"
Like I give a flying...never mind. I fall back on my butt and glare up at him. What the hell did you do to me," I question in the most menacing tone I can muster.
He shrugs in the same careless manner. His laid-back attitude is definitely getting on my nerves. "I did nothing to you." Well I'm so glad he cleared that up, fuck. I mentally add him to the list.
I stand up carefully and look him in the eye. "Then how do you explain these things!?" The wings flap. He gives me an amused glance. I nod my head and roll my eyes. "I get it, this is a dream, isn't it? Any moment now I'm going to wake up in prison next to someone named Bubba right?" I shakily move for the door. Grabbing the door handle I turn back to him. "Well that's not going to happen! I don't know if you're my subconscious or what-the-fuck-ever, but its been great. Really wonderful. Be sure to send a postcard! Now if you don't mind I'll just be going…" I throw open the door and almost run smack into the most clothed person I've ever seen. Robes, layers of silk, and a large hood cover everything but the person's glowing golden eyes. Well this is great. I utter a long list of mental curses at anything handy, mostly the person in front of me.
A muffled chuckle comes from the cloth heap. Why my boy, didn't your matron teach you any matters at all? The words echo in my head, and I realize the cloth pile is using telepathy to speak to me. Great, I have a subconscious that hates me.
Your subconscious is not capable of hate boy. Nor is it even real. In saying your subconscious hates you, you are simply revealing that you hate yourself.
Of all the…"What are you, Buddha?" I try to step around it, but it moves with me. Hyne, why won't you fucking move!?
The cloth pile tilts its head in question. Why do ask if I am Buddha, if you know my name? And why are you so disrespectful towards me, boy?
"Stop calling me boy!"
The clothed person laughs lightly. Yes, that is what began all your problems, is it not? It glides foreword into the room. The man with the black wings takes my arm before I can run out the door and makes me followed the robed thing. My wings brush against his and I shiver involuntarily in pleasure. Fuck, as if I need more than one sensitive body part…I rub my forehead with my free hand. This is a dream; I'm going to wake up soon. I snort when I get a mental image of myself tapping my heels together and wildly screaming 'there's no place like home!'
The robed figure removes its hood and turns to me. My eyes widen slightly when I realize I'm staring at he most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her skin is bronze and she has a small purple tattoo on her forehead. Her hair is as a slightly lighter shade of black then the winged man and braided into hundreds of tiny plaits. Like the man her eyes glow with some inner light. I barely notice when the man next to me releases my elbow and crosses his arm over his chest.
"Welcome to the Overworld boy. I am Hyne." The woman raises her arm to her waist in some kind of greeting, and then lets it fall back to her waist.
I raise an eyebrow. "The 'Overworld?' I would've hoped my subconscious could get more original than this."
Hyne tilts her head. "I thought I had told you that there is no 'subconscious'."
I sigh in annoyance. "You did, point taken, it was very educational. Listen, I plan on waking up anytime now, so could you get to the point please?"
The goddess smiles gently and motions me to her. I come, hoping to all holy that this will get me out of here faster. She gently places her gloved hand on my arm and looks up at me. "Why are you so convinced you are asleep?"
I look at her incredulously. "Because I remember falling asleep."
She shakes her head at me and leads me to a circular stone table. The winged man walks to us and stands on the opposite side of the table. That annoying smirk is still in place on his face, and I scowl at him. He sticks his tongue out at me…immature bastard. Hyne waves an arm over the table, and the stone top turns clear silver. She hums a little and then taps the surface. "You never fell asleep. You are dead, and would have been returned to your rightful place as one of my angels. However, there were some complications…"
I feel the need to interrupt. "Whoa, time out. I never fucking died okay? If I died I wouldn't be having this damned dream!"
"Are you done?" I snap my head up and bare my teeth at the black haired man, but say no more.
Hyne frowns at both of us and continues her speech. "Yes, as I was saying. There were complications with your death. You were destined to die in twenty-seven years. But my idiotic descendant just had to go and to mess with time." She turns back to the table and runs her hand over it. Images come up on the surface, images of my life. I stare at it passively, but I can't figure out how she's doing it. "At birth you were destined to be one of my loyal angels. Very few are selected for this honor. When you died during Time Compression your spirit was not fit to enter the body of the angel."
I shrug as I watch myself cutting into Squall's forehead. "So now what?"
"I wish to give you a second chance at life."
I turn to her in surprise. She holds up a finger to me. "But first you must prove yourself worthy of the privilege."
I must be insane; I'm starting to believe her. "How would I do that?"
She taps her bottom lip. "You must become a guardian to one of the destined."
I laugh breathily and raise an eyebrow at her. "That's it? I have to become a 'guardian angel'? That is the deed I must do to prove myself worthy?"
Hyne nods. "Aye, though it is not so easy as that. Here is the man you are to protect." She waves her hand once more over the surface. I peer intently, and then snort in amusement when the person comes in view. Hyne smiles at me, a knowing look in her eyes. "You see why it is not so easy. Did you honestly think I would give you a free pass into my realm?"
"Well no, but this is just, I mean, no, no way! No way in Hyne am I going to do this! I can't do it, I won't!"
She frowns at me. "But you shall."
I shake my head fiercely and point at the table. "That's Squall! I'm not going to risk my life to save Squall!"
She nods at me. "You will, and if you need help Lokana will help you." The winged man waves at my and grins.
I sputter at her. "But, I hate him too!"
Hyne shrugs. "That is not my problem. Goodbye, boy, and good luck."
Her golden eyes are the last things I see as I fall once more into a dark oblivion.