ANFTA:

Me: This is a story I posted a while ago under a different account… I don't think many people remember it, but oh well – here it goes!

--

A young woman stood at Timber Station waiting for the train that would take her to Balamb Garden. She looked in disgust at the people around her, all of them talking loudly. But this WAS Timber station, and that's just how the people were in Timber – always happy, never afraid of danger.

The girl wore a dark brown, silver studded cowboy hat, an ankle length leather jacket, a white muscle shirt, black cowboy boots and cow hide / black leather chaps over top of her faded blue jeans. Her long, wavy brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Squall, seeing the girl, ran up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Irvine? Irvine Kinneas?" He asked, causing the woman to turn around almost instantly, and, just as fast, draw her shotgun.

"Irvine Kinneas just happens to be my father, sir. And if you don't leave me alone, I will put a piece of lead in you heart." The woman replied coldly.

"Sorry Trystan… you just look so much like your father." Squall muttered, taking off her hat, revealing Trystan Kinneas. Trystan bitterly took her hat back and shoved it on her head and placed her gun in its holster.

"Well no shit, Sherlock." Trystan replied solemnly.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!" Someone yelled, running up to Squall.

"Hey cherub. Where's your brother?"

"He was having some trouble finding his whip, so mom's helping him." The girl replied. Then looking at Squall, the girl continued, "And speaking of weapons, you still haven't given me mine!!"

"Ummnn… here. You can have my Gunblade…" Squall said, handing his most prized possession to the girl.

"Ahem…" Tryst coughed.

"OH! Chloė, this is Trystan Kinneas – Irvine's daughter. Trystan, this is Chloė – my only daughter and my youngest child." Squall explained, putting his hand on Chloë's shoulder. Trystan nodded understandingly.

"Irvine Kinneas… I've heard a lot about him. Is he really an awesome sniper? What's it like to have a famous father? How are your sharp-shooting skills? Hi. I'm Chloė. Pleased to meet you! May I call you Tryst?" Chloė asked all at once, extending her hand for Trystan to shake. Trystan merely nodded and roughly shook Chloë's hand.

"And…I… am… Sameth… Leonhart." Sam panted, running up besides his sister and standing doubled over.

"Charmed." Trystan replied, smiling vaguely.

"So! Trystan! What weapon do you use??" Chloė asked excitedly. "You already know that I use a Gunblade…" Trystan's hand immediately went to her gun holster. Relieved to find it still there, she replied;

"My fathers' shotgun. My mothers' nanchaku were always hard for me to master… Sam, you use a whip, no?"

"Yes. A Chained Whip, to be exact. Chloė, can I talk to you for a moment, please?" Sam mumbled hastily, steering Chloė aside. "Chloė, we should be really careful…"

"Why? Trystan seems nice enough…"

"What if her intentions turn evil? Haven't you heard of the Paladin of Dread?"

" You and your 'what if' s… What if every time you said that, a person died?? Just clam down – you're being paranoid is all. She appears to be stubborn – and I usually have a good judge of character." Chloė replied, turning around.

"But I know what you mean… I'll be careful, Sam. I will." Chloė replied after a brief pause. "I will."

··········· ¤ ···········

Trystan, Chloė and Sam were the last to board the train as it came rolling into the station.

"Let's head towards the back. There'll be less people there." Trystan whispered to Chloė, who whispered the message to Sam, who nodded. With Trystan leading the way, the trio was fast to find a deserted compartment away from all the perverted guys and sluttish girls that had tried to get them to share their compartments with them.

"Next time, I'm getting on the train first." Chloė declared, running right over to the window and throwing her bag down. "WINDOW SEAT IS MINE!!"

"You go right on and have it then." Trystan yawned, sitting down opposite Chloė. "Just wake me up before we get to Balamb, okay?" Chloė nodded and gazed dreamily out the window.

¤

"We should wake Tryst up now…" Sam said, nudging Chloė.

"Yeah… we should." Chloė muttered, standing up and swaying with the train. "Tryst, wake up." Chloė whispered gently.

"Hmm…?" Trystan yawned, sitting up as the compartment door was flung open.

"I am going to stay in here for the remaining ten minutes. No questions." The young man who barged into their compartment declared, slamming the door.

-I've heard that voice before…-Trystan thought groggily.

"You – Cowboy. Move so I can sit." He said.

"No."

"Tryst," Chloė whispered, "He's pretty hot. You should look." Trystan stood up and took off her hat, looking the person straight in the face. He wore a red trench coat with white crosses on the sleeves, his blonde hair all to vibrant in Trystan's memory.

"You!" Both Trystan and the man gasped at the same time.

"You know each other?" Chloė asked Trystan, who was looking at the man as if he were scum.

"Know him? I dated him! You no good son of a b—"

"Tryst – leave him alone. What did he do that was so horrible?" Sam, who had been quiet the whole time, intervened.

"You couldn't possibly imagine…" Trystan spat.

"Tryst – who is he?" Chloė asked innocently. Tryst looked at Chloė.

"His name is Kirojou Almasy." Trystan replied.