gen_battle | Weighing Scales [Final Fantasy VIII: Any, chatting with a GF]

Title: Weighing Scales
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Wordcount: 409
Rating: PG
Notes: Reference to battle.
Summary: Squall thought he only had to fight the thing; the Dragon King had other plans.

It felt like a dream, another damned dream -– mercurial, insubstantial -– as it pricked and pulled at his awareness and melted away the world into a fine dark mist of nowhere. It felt like a dream …

Except it was no dream. Not two heartbeats before he’d been fighting for his life against some monstrous Guardian Force, and Squall did not trust this seeming change of state for one single heartbeat more -–

: Monstrous, am I. Fine sentiment from a human being. :

The voice resonated, low and deep as the abyss above, through his ribcage and pierced into his mind; and Squall, mouth tightening into a thin line of nerve-sharp alertness, lifted his blade warnings and glared into the mists.

Why was he here?

“Show yourself.”

: I am already here. :

Sensation accompanied the voice now, the slide of burnished scales and polished steel against one shoulder, across his back; the shake and thunder of beating wings buffeting against him. Unimpressed, he kept his weapon at the ready.

“Bahamut.”

: Yes. :

“Where are the others?”

: Celebrating the monster’s defeat, of course. They never shall notice a moment of hesitation on your part. If I wish it. Should you wish it. :

“So you’re telling me we defeated you -–“

: If it pleases you to call it that. And so here we are at this junction. :

The sensation of sharp and bitter amusement washed into Squall’s mind like bitter apples; in the same beat, the twin-bladed meaning of Bahamut’s last statement struck home.
Well, if that was the game to be played -–

“Why me? Why volunteer yourself now, after all that hell, and why should I trust you?”

: Wise, cynical one -– cynical enough, not yet wise enough. :

: You, Lion-Hearted, are stubborn, temperamental, judgemental to a fault. :
: You, Lion-Hearted, are principled, devoted, honourable to a fault. :

: Though you hide these last from your peers, from me you cannot hide. And I have waited long indeed for one such as your kind. :

“Is that all?”

Squall made no effort to hide the sardonic bite in his voice; bitter apples turned to smoke and cherry blossoms, and the Dragon King laughed.

: We are very much alike, you and I. :
: Do you accept? :

A beat, two beats -– Squall drew a breath, held it, lowered his blade.

The world came rushing back in the beating of steely wings.