Confused yet? Good, you should be. ^_^ I will be switching between three points of view in this one..don't worry, each sub-section will be clearly marked. I should also warn of Cecil abuse in this one. ^^;;; Gomen, Cecil fans!

I was getting to know this place far too well. Enough so I appear where I wish when it finally unfurls itself...something that seems to have upset my other self in this dream. He glares at me visiciously- even more so when I settle down beside this cloaked figure who never speaks, crossing my arms on the table.

"What are you trying, Golbez?"

Oh my- I seemed to have most certainly ruffled his- my?- feathers. I smirk indulgently...after spending so long stumbling around to this person's rules, I certainly don't mind acting like I have the upper hand for once. For all I know, I might! Instead, I let my gaze wander about the room as if in thought...no sign of Cecil. Not surprising...so where DOES my brother go when we both dream? At first, I don't see Palom either, then a flickering by the hearth briefly catches my eye. It's so brief I can barely catch it when it happens again- just a faint outline in the air. At least one of them made it in....

"If you're quite done wasting my time-?"

Did I always sound so angry? Ah, well- no point in wondering. I meet my own gaze, musing a moment- then let the smirk settle into a knowing smile.

"I'm not quite done doing so yet actually. Call it revenge for wasting so much of MINE."

I start to study the cloaked figure again...then simply reach out to just jerk the hood back- or I would have liked to. The master of this little dream has instead chosen to intervene, grabbing my wrist as my fingers just begin to brush the cloak. There is a look in his eyes I'm quite certain rarely visits mine..a near madness, I would say. I relax my wrist until he lets go, just watching him calmlly...and watching the flicker behind him catch the not so subtle clue for where to begin his investigating. And while I haven't gained a clue as to WHY this figure continues to harry cecil and myself- I do think I have concluded one simple thing about him.

"You are me, yet I am not you, and you are quite unlike me..."

Violet eyes blink in confusion now and I press on- keep him distracted. Let my little spy do his job.....

"You speak as I do- even act as arrogant. You are me. And still.....you hesitate."

I look to my hand, pushing the sleeve down to regard my wrist, not even bruised. Nothing like the violence shown when I had entered Cecil's dream...I still bore bruises, real bruises, from that.

"I would never hesitate to kill. I don't know how to. And you do. You hesitate to even harm me if you don't need to....even when I may well be endangering your little plans... And yet, once, you tried to kill me. Or was that...someone else?"

Shots in the dark..and hitting closer to home than I ever could have hoped if I'm reading my own expression rightly. Perhaps I'd gain something useful from this after all, beyond what Palom would have to tell us....

When fighting my brother ten years ago- I had often wondered what sort of person could do such cruel things. In the end, however, it hadn't been Golbez behind it all- it had been a mad Lunarian.

Now I'm wondering just how much of that madness had infected my brother- or did he truly resent me that much? I'd seen it since his return, every time we met. A contempt bordering on hatred at times, at others a simple sort of....resentment, as if my having a good life were an insult to him. Now, he was sending me here, where "he" waits for me. There is no denying THIS Golbez hates me. From the first dream it's been evident.

"Well well- I certainly didn't expect you to return so soon "dear" brother."

The dream spreads around me - though as always he appears first. Then the thrones...one with Rosa frozen into it. As usual, he is standing beside that one, arm resting against her head, a smirk on his lips. I glance away a moment- where was Palom? Didn't Golbez mean to bring him here as well?- and find it to be a mistake as a loud cracking of ice fills the room, "Golbez's" hand periously near Rosa's arm..the ice a very frail barrier between them. One that's cracking under his fingers from the sheer pressure.

"I don't suggest ignoring me. Not unless you want me to free your little queen from her prison. I don't promise she'd do so in one piece."

Such a cold, mocking smile. Why does he hate me so much? My eyes return to him just as I catch the briefest flicker of something near the hearth...and the pause comes at a cost. Not his earlier threat, no- this is a sudden blow, knocking me back to the floor and then setting his foot upon my chest. He pushes his weight down on me, resting his hands on his leg as he leans to better see me, a viscious little smile lingering on his lips.

"You're being very rude...come all this way and you won't even talk to me "brother"? Ah ,but why am I surprised? I'm simply not as good and worthwhile as the mighty paladin king, eh?"

"You are the one who always calls me here...Golbez. What is it you want?"

Odd. I never thought what happened in the dream world could truly hurt. But then again- nothing in this dream had been following the rules of "normal".

"What I want isn't the same as why I'm here, brother. Hasn't "he" been able to tell you? He IS me after all."

The foot raises- only to slam into my ribs hard and send me to the foot of Rosa's frozen throne, while Golbez continues to smirk at me. He was ENJOYING this......

"He hasn't been able to discover what you want either! Why don't you stop these games and just TELL us what you want? If he's here -I KNOW you can't be him!"

Dead silence follows my words- was I right? I simply glare at him for a time- I learned early on that I could not fight him in these dreams. He controlled this place completely... I had tried to impose my own will on it a few times, but nothing had ever come of it save more abuse from "Golbez". Sudden laughter breaks me free of my musing as hands close about my throat, dragging me to my fight. He isn't squeezing- apparently he's not ready to KILL me yet- but I can feel the tips of his fingers digging in.....

"And what, DEAR brother, makes you think you're right.....?"

Cecil's brother was insane. That's all there was to it. I don't know what he has up his sleeve, but dragging ME off to some dream-world when I don't know the first thing about dreams has to be the reasoning of a madman. Just what does he think I can see that he and Cecil can't? Oh well....I'm stuck here, so I suppose I'll just have to make the most of it......

If I just knew what was going on.......

Around me, the dream I've heard so much about takes shape...but it doesn't look QUITE like what both Cecil and Golbez described. For one thing....there's two rooms. In one sits two Golbezes- as if ONE wasn't bad enough- and in another stands Cecil and yet ANOTHER Golbez.

"Great...one was bad enough- now there's triplets?"

I sigh in frustration -where should I look? One of the Golbez's in the other room sits down and seems to be trying to talk or poke at something beside him- but nothing's there. He really IS out of his mind. And in the other room..Cecil is taking some major abuse. Well- he beat me once already, but I'll STILL try to stand up for him.

Try, however, seems to be the operative word. Two steps and someone's grabbing me and pulling me back. I spin about to see who it is-

"Why am I NOT surprised............?"

Golbez- a FOURTH one?- is standing there, holding my arm in a tight grip. He doesn't look quite like any of the others though...he looks pale and drawn...as if very tired or sick.

"Palom...? .....you shouldn't be here....."

"Ah well.....y'know- you're the one who brought me here....."

And please, powers above- WHY do I not like the way he's smiling....?

(Continued in: Abandoned Heart)