Time and Tides Archives

Blinking a little, Balthier looked around. A field. Oh for heaven's sake, what was Gaia's deal with sending him to fields?! First the field he woke up in with Selphie and now... here. Wherever here was. Hopefully he wouldn't end up married by the time he got back to the Strahl.

Glancing around, his eyes narrowed on Laguna and then a sigh escaped at the sight of Sephiroth.

"Great..."

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As the glow faded, the gloved hand he'd lifted in the attempt to block out the sudden blinding light lowered to reveal two men standing before him. Turning his head away from the two men, Sephiroth scanned the horizon silently and sighed internally at the fact that it was rather obvious he was no where near Wutai anymore.

He sheathed the Masamune behind his back and closed what distance there was between him and Balthier, one pale eyebrow rising just slighty as he spoke to the rogue, subtle humor at the man's expense lurking in the words despite their current uncertain situation.

"Not much of a challenge, it would seem."

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“Laguna?” A soft, female voice called out from behind him.

Laguna jumped and turned around, surprised. He hadn’t heard her come up behind him. The woman in question had flowing, dark brown hair that fell to near her waist, a yellow headband keeping it from falling in her face. She wore jeans and a plain, yellow turtle neck shirt.

She was beautiful. She was Raine Leonhart, soon to be Raine Loire. If all went well, that is.

He quickly hid his hand behind his back as she came closer to him, her hands clasped in front of her. She smiled and lifted her head up at him. “What are you doing out here?” She asked, shaking her head lightly. He was always doing silly things like this, it seemed.

Laguna looked sheepish, his hand going to his head to rub it in embarrassment, a small blush on his cheeks. “Uh… well… I”

Raine suddenly looked curious, her head going to the side, blinking. “Hm? What is it?”

Laguna dropped his hand, staring at her for a moment. “Bye!” He lifted his head, turning and promptly trying to make an exit. He couldn’t do it! He couldn’t do it!

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"Through no fault of my own, I assure you. Gaia is a fickle-- what in the world is he doing?" Balthier nodded to Laguna who was talking to himself, or thin air...

Shaking his head slightly, Balthier glanced at the katana. "Over-compensating, much?" An eyebrow was arched as he crossed his arms to watch Laguna.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather we found our way back to something considered civilisation," Balthier called to the President, shaking his head.

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Sephiroth refrained from rebutting or even for that matter visibly reacting to the snarked question on Masamune's size, the suggestive insult was rather old and unoriginal. Not to mention, considering the way their companion was acting, it was not the time for what was likely to end up in a snark war anyway.

Pulling his phone from his coat pocket, Sephiroth tried to get it to tell him just where they might be, only to have it throw back error messages at him instead of the mapping feature he had expected to use to find the newest town.

"It would seem we're on our own as for finding 'civilization'." He told the two men as he gestured briefly with the phone as if to clarify just why they were to be on their own. "Whatever happened, it would seem it has killed the extra functions of the phone, thus no tracking and no maps."

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“W-Wait a minute!” She called out behind him, moving to follow and her left hand coming out to stop him. “Lagun-“

She was cut off when he finally turned back around, impulse driving him, and before he could stop himself, took her outstretched hand and slid a small, silver band over her ring finger. He let go as she lifted it in wonder, staring at it almost disbelieving. “Oh my….”

It was… it was wedding ring?! Oh… oh… it was… she put her hands together, a bright smile breaking out as she looked up at Laguna. Was he really…?

Laguna lifted his own left hand, the ring already on it, that same soft smile he had before was back in place. The woman’s eyes shined with tears. He really was! She lifted her hand again, both them now mimicking each other. She dropped it and ran to him, embracing him and burying her head into his chest. Laguna quickly caught her and wrapped his arms lovingly about her shoulders, bending slightly because of her shorter frame. Still, she fit perfectly within his arms. He could feel her tears seeping into his shirt as he held to tightly underneath the moonlight. Her hand shifted slightly across his shoulder blade and he laid his cheek against her head.

But then a tear fell from his eye and his arms encircled nothingness. Laguna gave a noise of surprise and lifted his head.

Raine was gone.

And two men he never met were standing behind him.

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Balthier blinked at Laguna, vaguely wondering if the man had simply gone insane and they'd have to tackle him to the ground and carry him away. Sephiroth's words made him sigh, however.

"Glorious." They were going to have to find their way to safety and something considered a settlement without any kind of maps or tracking. He didn't even bother to mess with his own phone.

"You there, when you're quite finished, we're going to move on. Standing in a field will do naught." Shaking his head, he gave a look to Sephiroth. "I trust you've the desire to find a settlement, as well, Sephiroth."

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Sephiroth nodded briefly once in response to the statement Balthier had directed toward him. Turning away from the two men, he picked what seemed a reasonable direction and started out to cross the field and see just what might lie beyond it.

He'd taken no more than two strides when it was no longer grass underfoot but metal and carpet. The moment the setting had shifted, he'd come to a halt and had silently taken in the new walls and furnishings that now surrounded him. It didn't take but a moment for Sephiroth to realize exactly where he was. He'd been through this area for most of his life after all.

Out of curiosity, he turned to look back behind him expecting to see nothing but the rest of an empty room, but was mildly surprised when he noted that Balthier and the other man had arrived here with him. "It would seem we've found 'civilization' or rather it has found us." He said to Balthier with a bit of mock humor gracing his words.

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Laguna blinked and turned to see the two men he didn't know walking away. Hastily wiping the tear away and trying to forget what he saw, he ran to the others and kept quiet for now. He stopped, however, when the world around them shifted.

"...where did we go?" Laguna asked, scratching the back of his head. "This wasn't in Winhill before."

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"Oh, how delightful," Balthier replied dryly, rolling his eyes at Sephiroth. At least this wasn't the middle of nowhere but there came a point where he had to wonder just what Gaia was even doing now. They'd had that shift back in July that sent them through to November, then all the invasions of monsters and now... this?

What was this? Why was Gaia sending them all over the place without a set, obvious reason?

Sighing, Balthier looked towards Laguna. "I'm unsure. It isn't a place I recall."

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"It's Midgar, but I've heard this place on Gaia was in ruins." Sephiroth turned toward one of the windows, and one could plainly see the city beyond those windows was not in ruins. The idea that he might have been sent back home where he'd come from was off-set by the presence of the two men behind him.

"Sephiroth."

The young SOLDIER turned around and a quiet but genuine smile came to grace the man's expression as the green eyes fell upon the one whom had called his name. He stepped away from the window to step toward Angeal, smile slipping some as he noted the young man wasn't alone. "Hello Angeal."

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Laguna blinked and looked around the room, but he spotted no one but Sephiroth and Balthier. "Um... who are you talking to?"

But Sephiroth looked like he couldn't even hear them.

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Oh. The crazy was catching, apparently. Watching Sephiroth talk to thin air, Balthier scoffed, shaking his head. "Probably the same damn person you were speaking to not a moment ago," he muttered, crossing his arms.

This was just getting stupid now. Very, very stupid.

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Sephiroth blinked as both Angeal and Genesis vanished to leave behind Balthier and the other man in their place. "That...was unexpected." He commented quietly, half to himself as he considered the meeting which had just apparently played out solely for his benefit alone it would seem.

"I take it neither of you saw anything?" He had idea the answer would be negative but it never hurt to be certain.

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"I was talking to Raine, not Angeal," Laguna protested with a frown. "I don't even know an Angeal."

It seemed Sephiroth's scene was done, however, whatever that scene was because he was already turning and addressing them. Laguna shook his head. "I didn't see anything."

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Shaking his head to Sephiroth's question, Balthier sighed. "I'd say we should make a move to leave, but this place is like to shift, I expect."

And, with that as a fore-warning, the walls of this room began to change, shifting into stacks of shelves, covered in books. A large desk was in the center of the room and Balthier's gaze fell upon the man near the far window, going over text in several books all stacked on the small table near the window.

A small gasp escaped him and Balthier rushed over, throwing his arms around the man's waist. "Father! The silly Judges keep chasing me. Didn't you tell Lord Gramis and Lord Vayne to tell them to leave me alone?" His voice was childish, a soft whine escaping him.

"Ffamran..." Cid sighed, petting his son's head gently. "It is because you are a child and you get underfoot, as you are now, my dear boy."

Pouting up at his father, Balthier frowned at him. "I am not a child! I am eight whole years and seven whole months, father! I'm a grown up!"

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Laguna blinked and looked to Sephiroth. "...did he just become a kid?"

Balthier did confirm that he was eight years old, after all. But the man hardly looked eight.

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Sephiroth almost succeeded in keeping the quiet amusement at the rogue contained, but you could still hear a subtle hint of it in his voice as he answered Laguna's question. "It would seem that whatever happened to us earlier has happened in a sense to Balthier..." He paused, a slight smile briefly gracing his lips as he considered what the other man was acting out before them.

"Only it would seem that wherever we're at now, it has something to do with his past.." At that last word and thought, the smile faded and he considered something anew.

"What you saw before, was it in your own past?"

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"Of course you are, my dear boy," Cid replied, patting his head. Balthier huffed slightly, only to snatch a book from the table.

"All you ever do is work. Must you, father? I have finished my studies for the day... I had hoped we may play a game..." He spoke as he pondered the book, grinning at his father over his shoulder.

A nod from Cid came. "A game it is. What would you like to play, Ffamran?" His voice was so gentle, so fatherly. A bright smile remained on Balthier's young face.

"I want to pla--" He cut himself off as his father vanished, along with the book in his hands. Bringing an empty palm up to his face, Balthier sighed into it before turning to look at Sephiroth and Laguna. "I don't suppose you were both selectively deaf to that little display?"

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Laguna nodded, giving a sad smile and shrugging. "Yeah, it was my past. I was 27, then."

He smirked though, in amusement, when Balthier snapped out of his own memory. "Nope! So how old were you? And was Angeal from your past?" He asked both men.

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Sephiroth nodded once in response to Laguna's question, "Yes, he was. I was 17 back then."

Turning his attention toward Balthier, a slight smile briefly crept onto the general's lips as he gave the man an amused look. "Eight whole years and seven whole months, hm?" He asked, one pale eyebrow rising in query.

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Just simply glaring at Sephiroth, Balthier shook his head, covering his eyes with his hand again, sighing slowly. "I was a child, as you can tell. Enough of the sarcasm," he murmured, his voice tight with annoyance.

He didn't deal well with teasing and, this time, it was perhaps well deserved.

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Laguna couldn't help the laughter though. "Still though, I wonder why you got a memory of when you were eight whole years and seven whole months old, hm? Sephiroth was a teenager and I was 27."

And proposing to Raine. "In any case, we should probably keep going and find a way out here."

But as soon as he turned his head, they were all gone and he was suddenly in Raine's home. The woman in question was in bed, looking utterly exhausted but happy as she caught sight of Laguna. "You're late," She whispered.

Laguna walked over to her and looked at the child in her arms, Ellone was still asleep on the other side. "I know, I'm sorry."

He reached out to touch the baby's head but then everything suddenly disappeared again and he closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. "Oh c'mon, gimme a break."

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"Another?" Balthier asked as Laguna started interacting with an empty bed, soon shaking his head as he awaited Sephiroth's behaviour. If these were supposed to be good memories, since he knew that he was happiest when he was a child, then something had to include Fran and being a pirate, right?

He couldn't begin doubting his contentment in front of these two.

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"It would seem that whatever is doing this isn't ready to let go of us so quickly." Sephiroth replied, blinking once in silent surprise as their surroundings once again suddenly became rather overly familiar. Almost painfully so.

Walking away from Balthier and the other man, he paused at the end of the canon and looked down at the sea below. Everything looked exactly like it did in that one simulation that last time.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess.
We seek it thus, and take it to the sky."

Turning around headed back in Genesis & Angeal's direction as Genesis continued to read, coming to a halt several feet from them as Genesis finished the verse. "Loveless, Act I."

The book was closed and set aside as Genesis moved to stand up. "You remembered." The words got an amused noise from the pale-haired man.

"How can I not when you've beaten it into my head." He replied, a gloved hand lifting to emphasize the words by tapping briefly against his skull before the hand dropped and the left hand moved to ready the massive sword as the other two pick up and ready their own respective swords and come at him.

Blocking the both of them, he turned quickly to block Genesis again before swinging back around to block and dodge Angeal's following attacks; turning briefly enough to block Genesis once more before switching back to Angeal, and once more before there was a small pause. Standing straight with sword lowered but ready, he waited for the next move to be made.

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The change of scenery was intriguing and Balthier crossed his arms, sighing gently at the light breeze. It was pleasant, even as Sephiroth started playing out what he assumed was another memory. Turning his gaze out towards the ocean, he let Sephiroth continue without paying much attention.

However when that sword started flying, Balthier was quick to snatch hold of Laguna's arm and dragging him off towards the bulk of the structure they were stood on, and away from the edge of the cannon.

"That thing shouldn't be allowed in public." The man, not the sword.

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The fight continued, Moving in-between the duo and fighting both of them. The ebb and flow of it almost automatic considering how well the three knew each others movements. Crossing swords with Angeal, he let some small amusement show. "Is that the best you can do?"

Pushing Angeal back suddenly away, he swung the Masamune down back to his side as Angeal recovered. "All hail Sephiroth, huh?"

The words seemed to prompt Genesis into demanding a solo spar with him to which he agreed to readily enough. Blocking the fiery sword as it was swung toward him, he dodged the next attack and then blocked the overhead strike, the force of the power behind the blow driving him down into the surface of the canon, marring the surface of it with a dent the size of a small crater.

Smirking silently at the redhead, he shoved him back away from him and exited the depression as Genesis came again at him, forcing him to go on the defensive against each strike, blocking or dodging, steadily driving him backwards. Finally he stopped, standing his ground and blocking the next strike with his sword held in a vertical position, braced by his other hand as Genesis's strike hit.

Using the leverage of his arm, he shoved Genesis backwards hard, going on the offensive, each strike of his shoving Genesis back further until he changed the angle of attack and threw the redhead into the sky above. Following Genesis into the sky, they continued the fight there, one of his strikes driving the other man down some distance beneath him. A distance that Genesis took full advantage of throwing fire magic at him until he was surrounded by it.

Dispersing the flames with a energy strike, he watched as Genesis blocked the portion which crossed over him, the canon suffering the rest of the attack, a good half of it falling into the waters below. Genesis descended to land on the canon, and dodged his next attack which took another chunk of the canon off of the remaining edge of it. Landing on the piece that was sliding down and away, he watched Genesis vanish as the metal he was standing on fell. Leaping off it, he lunged toward the canon's edge and the sword bit into it, slicing huge chunks of metal out of the massive structure as he came to stand upon the remains of the canon's barrel before Genesis once again, resuming the crossing of their swords.

The canon's barrel suffered further for this, sections of it falling off as they progressed up the remaining length. The fight intensified until finally Angeal interceded, demanding an end to it. Pulling back he almost thought Genesis was going to protest, but the redhead finally lowered his own sword.

Suddenly it was no longer Genesis and Angeal that stood before him but Balthier and the other man. He blinked once, the suddenness of the change almost shocking before sighing quietly, sheathing his sword silently and closing his eyes. He should have known that such an ending was a fantasy. Genesis would have never have quit a fight so easily.

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Laguna gave a startled yelp when he was suddenly pulled away and brought to an area of the cannon that was away from Sephiroth's large sword. He didn't catch what Balthier meant about "that thing" but it was an amazing display of swordsmanship to watch, even if he had no idea what the general was fighting.

Once it finally seemed over, Laguna tentatively stepped out from where he and Balthier had been hiding. "...what was that?" He asked. "That was incredible!"

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Balthier shook his head, sighing as he did. This was absolutely insane. Their lives were in danger now.

Anger was bubbling inside him but Balthier soon lost that anger when the skies were suddenly concealed by old stone walls and a certain Sun Cryst shimmered over at the back wall, glowing and swirling, just swelling with power. His eyes saddened slightly, for the briefest of seconds. "The Pharos at Ridorana," he murmured, almost too quietly. Taking a slow shaking breath, he looked towards Sephiroth and Laguna for a moment but soon found himself distracted by the sudden roaring of the Cryst.

It was about to explode.

Balthier's eyes fell upon Cid, brought to his knees in front of them all. Jogging towards him, the very imposing figure of an Occuria blocked his path. "Let him by, Venat. It is done." Cid stood, though his injuries, particularly bullet wounds, were far too much to contend with. "Ah, how I have enjoyed these six years."

"The pleasure was all mine," Venat hissed, vanishing from sight.

His eyes saddened and Balthier watched the man. "Was there no other way?" His voice shook with a lack of the confidence he usually oozed. He was a frightened child about to lose his father a second time.

Dr. Cid shook his head with a sigh, the nethecite inside him ebbing and glowing, the man slowly fading. "Spend your pity elsewhere... I... was blinded by power. I did not deserve to be a father." He sighed, wincing in pain as a hand found the worst wound. "You were never a bad son... if only a little too spirited for your own good."

Balthier gave a sad laugh, stepping closer, his eyes tracing Cid's pain stricken face. "You weren't a bad father at first. The stones took you from me; no child can run away from a parent they don't have."

Cid gave a bitter laugh. "Right you are, my Ffamran." Balthier trembled, covering his mouth with his ringed fingers to choke down a small sound of anguish. "If you are so set on running, hadn't you best be off? Fool of a pirate."

As Cid vanished, Balthier closed his eyes with a shaking breath, only to hear Penelo call out the name of his partner. Turning, he saw nothing. No Fran, no Penelo. Just... those two.

It wasn't real...

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