Chapter 14

Tuesday, June 9th (same year as last)

Kailyn

I woke with a start, sitting up quickly, gasping and clutching my left arm. A sharp pain radiated from the bone, and a stinging, burning sensation made me think a Snow Lion or Blue Dragon had slashed my arm. It felt as if I had broken my arm and cut the muscles and skin above the break.

"Owwww!" I moaned. After a few minutes, the pain disappeared, leaving me breathing heavily and startled. I removed my hand from my arm, inspecting the area that had hurt so bad not but a few minutes earlier. There was nothing there. I glanced at my alarm clock. Just after midnight.

"What was that?" I asked out loud. It took a few minutes for my sleep-muddled brain to realize I'd experienced this before. Back on Earth. When Sylvia was hurt. I gasped.

"Sylvia! She's alive!" I exclaimed. A slow grin worked its way on my face. My sister, the only person who knew most everything about me, she was alive! She most likely had a broken arm and a big gash, if my twin connection was working right, but alive.

I flopped back onto my bed, grinning like a fool. At least I could rest easy now, knowing she was safe. (1) I did so, falling asleep rather quickly.

I woke up the next morning, trying to remember what happened last night. When I did, I shot up and out of bed, grabbed my journal, and wrote everything down. Then I paused before writing more carefully and slowly:

…But, last night… what happened? I know I was ecstatic that I know my twin is alive, so I didn't question anything. But, now… Why would our connection suddenly just "open" like that? I mean, it's been almost a year, and I haven't had anything like this happen since I arrived here... So, what could have caused such pain?

See, the connection Sylvia and I share is affected by distance. The closer we are, the stronger the connection. There have been times when I could feel it when Sylvia stubbed her toe on a desk or something, but I was standing right next to her. I felt when she scraped her elbow from about 10 feet away, but can't feel it when she stubs her toe or something from that distance. But there was that one time we were separated. Sylvia went to some sort of outdoor camp on the other side of the country. I remember she ended up breaking her arm, leg, and some ribs. She also ended up getting a huge gash on her side, and I felt it from home. When mum, dad and I called to check on her, Sylv told us she had fallen off the rock wall and landed on a sharp rock on her side.

That one time I felt the pain as if it had happened to me. I think it was because Sylvia was in a lot of danger of dying… Last night it was the same. I felt the pain as if it happened to me, but Sylv's not anywhere near Trabia…is she? I don't think so. Our scouts would have found her (2).

…Would I have felt it if Sylvia is still on Earth? Maybe I won't see her until I get back to Earth… I mean, I really like my friends here on Gaia, but if Sylvia isn't here, I won't be able to stay. Sylvia… Sylvia is my reason to live. If I can't see her again, I have no reason to keep living.

But, then again, maybe she is on Gaia. If that is the case, I will do anything I can to find her. I will become her guardian as she has been mine, if need be. Nothing will keep me from ensuring her well-being. Nothing.

K. Marriba

July (4th year, one year before SeeD exam)

I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and burying my face in my arms. I hate this! Here I am, top of my year, and not paying attention to the lecture. Yeah, me, not paying attention in class. Never thought I'd see the day. But, in my own defense, I have a killer headache. Not one of those "I-studied-too-long-and-now-my-brain-hurts" headaches, but an "oh-crap-my-head-is-gonna-split-open" headache. Basically a borderline migraine… maybe it is a migraine… I dunno, my head hurts too much…

"Miss Marriba," Instructor Williams barked.

"Hn?" I replied. I still have Instructor Williams, even though I finished the required math class. He's subbing in for the science class.

"Will you please pay attention!" he barked out. I winced as his voice irritated my headache/migraine more.

"Hnn," I groan.

"…" the class was quiet. I could imagine what they're thinking. 'Kailyn? Not listening to the instructor? What's wrong?' Finally, one of the students spoke up.

"Kailyn?" she asked softly. I didn't look up to see who it was.

"…" I tried to block out all the noise, but failed.

"…Maybe she should go to the infirmary…" the girl said.

"Fine. Please escort Miss Marriba to the infirmary, then come back," Instructor Williams sighed.

"Yessir!" the girl said, voice sharp. I winced in my arm again. "C'mon, Kai. Let's get to the infirmary." I felt arms around my shoulders. I stood up, trying to keep my balance. I'd been laying my head down too long…

"Nn…" I squinted my eyes, ignoring how the light caused a sharper pain to stab into my head. I allowed the girl to lead me, arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"Are you ok?" she asked, worried.

"Head hurts," I mumbled. I shuffled down the halls, quiet.

"Kailyn…why didn't you ask to go to the infirmary earlier?" Siren asked softly.

Didn't think it would get this bad… She stayed quiet, as did my classmate. I glanced over to see the girl who played the piano at the Winter Festival a few years back. You know, the one Selphie and Alex made me perform at? Yeah, that one.

"…Crysta?" I mumbled.

"Yes?" she replied.

"…thanks." Crysta beamed.

"Don't mention it, Hun," she replied. "It's the least I could do. You've been so nice to everyone, so…"

"Yeah," I said. We reached the infirmary, where Crysta led me to one of the rooms and sat me down on the cot.

"I'll get Dr. Habasku. Lay down and she'll be in in a moment. I'll see you later," she said softly. I nodded, laying down and covering my eyes with an arm. I heard the soft 'click-click-click' of her boots as she left the room.

I lay there for only a few minutes before the doctor came in. I moved my arm to squint at her just as she looked at me, arms folded.

"What's the problem, Kailyn?" she asked kindly.

"Headache… maybe a migraine…" I replied, moving my arm to cover my eyes again.

"Ah. Alright, let's see." She walked to the side of my bed and had me move my arm again. I was forced to open my eyes as she looked in them with that flashlight pen thing. I growled as the light made my headache worse.

"Geez, doc! Couldn't you be nicer about it?" I asked. She just laughed. Jerk.

"Sorry, dear. I'll give you some medication, take two if you get a headache. But, I'm ordering you to stay here for a while, until your headache goes away." I glared at her. I'll be missing the rest of my classes! She just gave me a glass of water and put two pills in my hand, and a bottle of them on the bed table. I sighed, reluctantly popping the pills in my mouth and swallowing them down with the water. Dr. Habasku smiled at me when I did. I glowered, laying back down and covering my eyes again. Soon, I was asleep.

Only what seems like moments later, I'm being woken up. "Kailyn…" a voice called.

"Nn… lee me lom…" I slurred.

"Kailyn, you need to get up," the voice called again.

"Hn…" I rolled onto my other side, provoking a giggle from the voice.

"Kailyn…You need to get up now. C'mon, we need to check your headache."

"Nnn…" I groan and crack my eyes open, looking over my shoulder. Dr. Habasku was standing by the cot.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked. I roll onto my back.

"Tired," I replied. I yawned and stretched my arms above my head, then allowed my arms to flop onto the cot.

"How's your head?" I think for a moment.

"Eh. Ok, I guess." Dr. Habasku chuckled.

"C'mon, I need to run some tests." The woman walked to the door, before looking over her shoulder. "Once you're awake, come to the back room."

"A'ight," I reply. Then she left. I lay on the cot, staring at the ceiling. Last time I was in here… I had been injured by an adult Snow Lion. Well, not just injured, but knocked unconscious and nearly eaten. I have scars on my back from its claws as proof. What is it with Snow Lions and them wanting to eat me? Remember the first monster I met when I 'arrived' in Trabia? That was also a Snow Lion. Geez, they must have it out for me.

After deciding I was awake enough, I got off of the cot and stretched again. I sighed, then went to the back room as was ordered.

"I'm up. What do you need?" I asked. Dr. Habasku looked at me, then finished setting some stuff up.

"Alright, I need you to stand here," she said, indicating a tape line near the door. I did so. Then she handed me a plastic… thing. "Put this over your left eye." Again, I did as told, seeing where this was going. "Now, I want you to read the smallest line you can read without squinting."

"Oookaaay? Um… E D F C Z P." (FYI: that's line 6 on the Eye Exam Chart thing)

"Try reading line 7 for me."

"Umm… P E L C D Z O… I think…"

"Mm-hmm. Ok." She wrote something on a clip board, then ordered me to do the same thing, covering my right eye. I could read line 7 (F E L O P Z D) but not 8. Then I was told to do it again, without covering any eyes. I could read 8.

"D E F P O T E C," I read off.

"Good, good." The doctor then went to a machine, waving me over. I walked over, and she did some more sight tests.

"Alright. Thanks, Kailyn! I will get back with you in a bit. You're free to go," the doctor told me.

"Hey, doc? What's up?" I asked.

"I think your headaches are being caused by poor eyesight. When you read too much without anything to help correct your vision, you get headaches," Dr. Habasku informed me.

"Oh. So, I'm getting glasses?"

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded.

"A'ight. Well, I'm off," I say, heading to the door.

"Mmkay, don't strain your eyes too much. If your head starts hurting, take some of that medication I gave you earlier, and stop reading or doing your work. Just save it for later. I'll tell your instructors, so they don't push you too hard."

"Ok. Bye!" and I left. I walked to the dorms, head down as I thought.

So, I'm getting glasses. I need to take breaks when reading or doing my class work. I have meds for my headaches. I'm getting special attention from the instructors….this is gonna look bad to the cadets. They'll think the instructors are favoring me. Geez, this is complicated…

"Ease up, Kai!" Siren said. "If you think too hard, you'll make your head worse."

Ha ha. Very funny. …What am I gonna do now?

"…spend time with your friends? Organize a festival? Spar with Don? Go to the Training Center? Ask for permission to go outside Garden?" Siren offered.

…I don't like being in charge of large projects like festivals. I don't wanna go to the T-Center. Don and Alex are spending time with family (3). …I think I'll ask Selphie if she wants to go with me to the Chocobo Forest, if Headmaster Dave lets us…

That thought in mind, I go to the head's office. Waiting patiently in the lobby, I walked in once called.

"Hello, Headmaster," I said. He looked up, smiling.

"Hello, Kailyn. I heard you were sent to the infirmary. Is everything alright?" he asked. His grey eyes swirled with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a migraine. Dr. Habasku is sending in for some prescription glasses." I offered him a small smile, and the concern in his eyes dwindled. There was still that little bit of worry that people hold when someone they know is sent to the hospital or, in this case, the infirmary. It was almost like he was worried I hadn't been discharged by the doctor.

"She said I could leave, as long as I don't read too much. She also gave me some medication in case I get another migraine."

"Good, good. So, what can I do for you?" the headmaster asked. The worry was mostly gone, just a small bit left. Curiosity had replaced the rest of his worry.

"Actually, sir, I was wondering if Selphie Tilmitt and I could go to the Chocobo Forest today. We'll be back before curfew," I say. I could see the gears working in his brain as he thinks this over. I mean, I'd missed the rest of my classes and had just been released from the infirmary.

"…As long as Selphie goes with you," he conceded. I gave him a smile.

"Yessir," I replied, snapping off a salute. He chuckled, waving me off. I left the office, hurrying down the halls and to the dorms. I went to my dorm first, grabbing my swords, a light jacket, and some gloves, then went to Selphie and Alex's dorm.

"Selphie!" I called, knocking on the door. "C'mon! Get out here!" The door opened and Selphie looked at me. Her Nunchaku was on the table, along with some cleaning supplies.

"Kailyn? What's up?" she asked. "I thought you were in the infirmary?"

"I was released by the doc. I got permission from the headmaster to go to the Chocobo Forest, as long as I took someone. Wanna come?" I asked. Her green eyes brightened and a grin broke out on her face.

"Of course! Hold on, let me get my stuff." I watched as the brunette hustled about the dorm, grabbing her items, her weapon, and some gloves. "Alright!" She ran back to the door, bouncing.

"Ready?" I asked, looking down. Selphie was now 5'1 ½", and I was 5 ½" taller.

"Yup! Let's go!"

(1) Kailyn hasn't been sleeping too well. She's been too worried about her twin sister to get any good sleep.

(2) T-Garden regularly sends out scouts to check for any missing or lost people on the plains. Trabia has freak blizzards that can last up to 2 weeks, or only a few hours. But they are so intense, they sometimes kill people. So, SeeD and cadets go out and scout around for any people.

Alright! I got this chappy up before the weekend ended! I almost didn't make it! Stupid writers' block...

Anyway, this one is so short because I couldn't think what I wanted, and when I knew what I wanted, I decided to put the Chocobo's forest scene in the next chappy. *shrugs*

Sorry about the time skip. I ended up skipping, like, 3 years! And I'll end up skipping another year, just to get to the good part. Sorry, guys and gals. I just don't have enough inspiration for this part...

And, since I have glasses, I decided to put in a character that needs glasses. Decided that character should be Kai. n.n

So, this is "ciao", for now.

Risika

So... Time skip. Kailyn feeling what happened to Sylv a few hours after the fact. Killer headaches. Mentions of evil Snow Lions. Eye exams. Interesting...

Nah, actually, if I'm completely honest (and I am right now) this chapter is B-O-R-I-N-G!

Next chap has Chocobos, Chicobos, Chocoboy, and Sylvia. Dunno what'll happen to her yet, but something will. n.n'

Love me? Then don't send explosive reviews please! ehehehe n.n''

See ya next chapter, peoples!

Sylvia

Ieee! I hate Snow Lions! Evil things! Oh, hey! Read Chocobo's Forest! We have the second chapter done, and will put it up, but it may provide some insight to what will be mentioned by the Chocoboy and co. n.n

And, I guess I'm really opening up, huh? No longer shy around Selphie or Alex. Well, I've been around them for around 4 years. Course I'd open up!

Um... Thanks again to Demica Webb Kempton and kenegi. So glad you both are enjoying this fic. And Crazy-hime Suni Uchiha, you need to get working! You're lagging behind! n.n

Reviews keep us happy! Any questions, comments, concerns, or tips will be brought into concideration.

Until next time, mis amigos!

Kailyn