Xu sat at the table on the balcony of their room. It had just turned 19:00 and the ocean sky was a vibrant mix of colours. The normally deep blue waters round Balamb seemed more vibrant as the orange and red sky was reflected on them. The gentle waves shimmered in the descending sun's rays, giving them an almost golden shine. The sun itself was almost touching the horizon as it ducked down beneath the thin line of wispy clouds which had gradually formed during the day. The cool evening breeze swept through the town and many people were outside in it, savouring the moment. Balamb had a mild climate, but sometimes it could get ridiculously hot during the day so any breeze was welcome, especially in the evenings when work was over and people just wanted to relax. Sitting there with a bottle of Trabian white wine in an ice bucket, she picked up her half-filled glass and took a sip of it. Usually she preferred Galbadian red wines despite the behemoth-sized hangovers they inflicted on her, but the crispy taste of the Trabian white from Baron, a small town near the Vienne Mountains and the Trabian Crater was a refreshing change of pace. It surprised her how anyone could actually grow grapes in the climate of Trabia and the harsh landscape too. If it wasn't snow or ice, it was rocky terrain and arid heat, but in some parts of the border regions of the crater and the mountains - in the valleys, which shared the same longitudinal lines as the Mountains of Balamb, Hasberry Plains of Dollet and the Gotland Peninsula of Galbadia where its vintage reds were grown were fertile enough. As she took another sip of the wine, she let her thoughts drift to Trabia and her childhood.

She had lost her family when she was ten years old and then spent the next three years moving around from foster home to foster home. Some of the homes were horrible - although she was never touched in an inappropriate manner, she was beaten several times and the more she tried to defend herself, the worse it would get. In one home she broke her foster-father's arm as he tried to drag her to the cellar of their house and she was kicked out onto the streets by them for being 'unruly'. The only thing which kept Xu going through the years in care was her training and the vague memories of her mother and father. There was however, one nice set of memories from those years - Cid Kramer. He had visited her several times over the three years, each time he offered to adopt her, but the Trabian Child Services were reluctant to let her out of the continent. Eventually he succeeded and by the time she was nearly fourteen, she had a new life in Balamb.

At first it was odd for someone her age to be joining Garden's academy. Most students joined when they were between the ages of eight and ten, not nearly fourteen. Some of the students took exception to this and tried to haze her, but because she was already combat trained and had a skill level in weaponry which was equal to that of a low-ranked SeeD, no one could get near her. Any ambush they had set up had spectacularly failed and some of the students started to realise this. Given how she didn't talk much about her past, apart from that she was from Trabia, most people just assumed she was a Trabian exchange student, a facade she happily kept up. By the time she was fifteen, she had become good friends with Quistis, her roommate and two boys from Balamb - Dian and Xavier who were also roommates and had a similar age gap between them like the way Xu and Quistis were. She could have easily remained lost in her thoughts as she nursed her glass of wine, but the sound of Xavier's voice talking to someone near their room door snapped her out of her trip down memory lane. Bringing herself back to reality, she finished her glass of wine and stood up.

She was still wearing the same outfit as what she had worn to travel in - her jeans and t-shirt combination, but this time her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail. She didn't have much need to get changed since they were just spending the night here, in the hotel with a few drinks. Tomorrow would be the day they ventured out. As the door handle turned, Xu walked towards the room door. Xavier and one of the hotel staff wheeled in a trolley. Xavier slipped the man a handful of gil and saw him out the room. Walking over to the trolley with their evening meal on it she reached for the silver dome covering the dish but had her hand brushed away by her boyfriend.

Xavier: "I'll bring your food out in a moment Xu. Let me check everything is perfect, I don't want to spoil the surprise"

Xu snorted. The distinct noise made Xavier turn round from the trolley only to find his girlfriend 'pulling a Rinoa' again - screwing her face up and sticking her tongue out at him. He laughed at her and then stepped towards her.

Xavier: "You're doing it again..."

Xu: "Doing what?"

Xavier: "A Rinoa impression!"

Xu realised what she had just done and instantly lowered her head and tried to cover her face. It wasn't that she didn't like the young girl, it was just her mannerisms and way of acting were just too immature for her liking. Sadly they were also contagious it seemed. Quickly retreating to the balcony, she took the bottle of wine from the bucket and poured herself a glass. As she placed it back she heard the sound of a bottle opening behind her. Turning round, Xavier was stood there with a beer in his hand and a smirk on his face.

Xu: "What are you smirking at?"

Xavier: "Just how much you've changed"

Xu took a sip from her wine before setting it down on the table. She leaned back against the railing and tilted her head to one side, looking down over the balcony. She discretely turned her head slowly back towards Xavier and looked at him as he carefully watched her. She waited for a few seconds before speaking again.

Xu: "What do you mean... Changed?"

Xavier approached Xu. He set his beer down on the table next to her wine and placed his hands on her hips. As he held her, she turned her head fully towards him and looked into his eyes once again.

Xavier: "These past few weeks, you're more outgoing than normal and you seem to have that 'spark' back..."

Xu: "Spark?"

Xavier: "It's hard to explain... You're smiling more now than you were before all hell broke loose with the sorceress. It's like you've found something you had been missing and it's just turned you back to how you were..."

Xu put her hand up to silence him. She knew what he was going to refer to and even though he seemed to have come to terms with it better than she had, today was too nice to bring up old ghosts.

Xu: "I haven't noticed a difference to be honest. I might be a little more bold or outgoing from time to time now, but I still feel the same... Minus the Rinoa-isms I seem to be picking up. Let's stop talking and start eating shall we?"

Xavier nodded. He moved away from Xu and headed towards the trolley with their food on. He picked up the first dish and kept the cover over it so Xu couldn't peek at it. Turning back to the table, he carefully carried it out and laid it down on the table. Xu re-adjusted the position of her chair and as soon as Xavier moved out the way to get his dish, she pulled the cover off. Her eyes widened as she looked at the meal on her plate.

Xavier: "Hope you like Behemoth Steaks, took three days to order these in"

Xu looked at the portion on her table. It was a 30oz thick slab of meat garnished with various herbs. To its side was a small salad and some small buttered baby potatoes in a garlic and herb sauce. She had only tasted Behemoth once, but that was in the field and not actually prepared by a talented chef.

Xu: "You got these delivered?"

Xavier: "Yeah, fresh from Esthar, courtesy of one Mr. Irvine Kinneas and one Miss. Quistis Trepe"

Xu: "You mean this... is what they're cleaning out of Esthar now?"

Xavier nodded as he set his dish down. He picked up his fork and his knife, pierced the thick slab of meat and started to cut away at it.

Xavier: "Hyne, this must have been a tough one to take down."

As Xavier cut in to the beast, Xu started on her sides, seeing the trouble her boyfriend was having just trying to cut the steak, she figured she might as well eat something before she lost interest in doing so. After several minutes of trying, Xavier had managed to carve up his steak into smaller more manageable chunks. With a triumphant look on his face, he dug in. Xu followed suit, she must have got the softer cut because her knife glided through the meat with relative ease. She put the chunk of meat into her mouth and started to chew on it. It was juicy, it reminded her of beef, but tougher and it had a stronger taste.

Xu: "Hyne this is good! Did they send any more?"

Xavier laughed

Xavier: "No. I had to call in a favour to get these cuts. It's a delicacy and most of the top restaurants in Esthar and Deiling have deals with the extermination squads and poachers so the big kills like Behemoths usually get taken away to the slaughter houses and the like."

The two continued to eat as the sun continued to descend behind them. By the time they had finished, it was already dark. The faint light from a small lantern hanging from the wall, along with the moonlight was the only illumination they had. The air had started to turn cold, but both SeeDs were a little drunk at this point and the sudden drop in temperature hadn't seemed to have bothered them. Xu poured the last of her wine into her glass whilst Xavier opened a bottle of beer using the edge of the table and the palm of his hand. The two SeeDs looked at each other as they held their drinks.

Xavier: "What do we toast to this time? We've already toasted to the past, the present, the future and to our friends..."

Xu: "To each other then..."

Xavier: "A toast to each other? What's that supposed to mean?"

Xu: "Well, we've drank to celebrate everything else around us, why not drink to celebrate us? Hyne, it only took us seven years to reach this point"

Xavier smirked at Xu's off the cuff, blunt analysis of their current situation. When she was drunk, Xu was usually a party animal type or the sit alone in the corner and quietly reflect type. There was however, a third drunken persona of Xu and Xavier had only witnessed it once before, it was Xu's normal self, but with her 'safety' disengaged - she literally said what crossed her mind regarding anything and everything. Upon hearing her remark about it taking seven years for them to reach the place where they were now, he wanted to talk more about it, but the slightly detached and sarcastic tone in her voice told him not to bother. Instead he reached for his cigarettes. He pulled two out and offered one to Xu who took it from him and lit it whilst he lit his own.

Xu: "I mean, seven years? I'm fairly certain everyone in Garden, even those faculty bastards with their robes and their hats could see we crushed on each other and then started to love each other... How did it take us this long to finally hook up and realise?"

Xavier didn't answer her again. Instead he simply smoked his cigarette and drank his beer whilst studying her facial expressions and listening to her. She wasn't looking at him whilst she spoke, she was looking down at the floor.

Xu: "I mean, I went out with your blood-brother for a year, and I think that only came about because he made the move on me because I had almost given up on waiting for you to see me as a woman, not a friend..."

Xu's voice drifted off as she started to recall Dian. He was fifteen when they hooked up, two years younger than she was and three years younger than Xavier. His bold, outgoing nature and willingness to take a risk, no matter how big or dangerous it was appealed to her - she wanted excitement and adventure and because her efforts to get Xavier to notice her as more than a friend had seemed to have been exhausted. As she started to think about how Dian had gotten her attention, Xavier's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Xavier: "I don't mean to sound cruel right now... But do you really want to head down this road Xu?"

Xu looked up at him. Her eyes were reddening and there were some small tears forming in the corners of them.

Xu: "No... It'll only upset us both... but I do want to know one thing... Why did it take us this long to realise what we wanted had been staring us in the face all along?"

Xavier finished his cigarette off and looked up at the night sky. The stairs were faint, hidden behind the clouds which were creeping in and the moon's light cut through the gaps in the cover. The haunting pale light danced across the surface of the watery expanse behind them. Taking a swig of his beer once again, he placed the bottle down on the table and looked at Xu.

Xavier: "I'll be honest... I wanted you from the day we first met, I always did... It's just you were always the center of attention... You and Quistis. I could never get a word in sometimes, I wasn't confident enough to say what I wanted to say... Dian didn't have that problem, he was always bold..."

Xu: "Even back then, you knew you could have told me..."

Xavier: "I wanted to, I really did. By the time I worked up the courage to do so... Dian had asked you out... When things went south between you two I'd settled on the belief we'd never happen, so I tried my best to suppress the feelings I had for you..."

Xu: "You should have told me, I know you said you couldn't... But we're best friends... Hyne, all the things I've told you over the years!"

Xavier: "Yeah, I know that and I realise that, but by the time I worked up the courage to tell you again, Dian died and I couldn't do it. I didn't want to seem like I was taking advantage of your grieving. After that I was torn. I wanted to be honest with myself about my feelings for you... but then you seemed to turn into the legendary 'Heartbreaker'."

Xu hated that nickname, almost as much as she hated 'Diamond of Balamb' or any mentioning of Balamb and Diamond in the same sentence. She didn't intend to be a heartbreaker of sorts, but after she broke up with Dian, an ill-advised one night stand happened and when the man had tried his luck again, she shunned him. People said that he was devastated and 'heartbroken' by it, but the truth had come out - he was trying to play his way across Garden and Xu was the first one to knock him back when he tried a second time. After that, she realised just how many people were lusting after her just to say they had been there so she became more defensive, she'd lead them on and when she established their true intentions, she'd mercilessly dash their hopes and leave without saying anything further. It was a cruel method of weeding out unwanted suitors, but it seemed to work.

Xu: "Please don't call me that..."

Xavier: "Sorry..."

Xavier reached down for another bottle of beer. He held it out towards Xu who was now out of wine and looking for a drink. She took the drink from him and mouthed 'thanks' before she set it down on the table. Xavier was about to get the bottle opener, but instead, Xu placed the lid in her mouth and bit down on it, opening it with her teeth. She spat the metal out and took a hefty swig from the bottle.

Xavier: "I forgot you prefer to bite bottles of beer open... one day you're going to slice your gums open or break a tooth"

Xu laughed.

Xu: "Enough of that, why did it take us a further 3 years to wind up here?"

Xavier opened his bottle of beer in the same manner he had done all night - using the edge of the table and the palm of his hand. As he pulled the lid off, he took a swig from the bottle and set it down. He looked into Xu's dark brown eyes from across the table and took a deep breath.

Xavier: "I guess it's because..."

Xu: "No guessing... Just reasons"

Xavier: "I don't know... I'd like to say I think it's all down to me. I should have been more confident, I should have been bolder and I should have taken the step into the unknown. I always thought you weren't looking for anyone or anything..."

Xu sighed. She let her head hang down for a moment before she lifted it back up again and took a drink from her bottle. Setting it down once again, she looked at the floor, avoiding looking at Xavier at all costs.

Xu: "I wasn't looking for anyone... I was waiting for someone. I know it was wrong for me to expect you to have realised given how I'd acted... But I thought the past few months would have shown you differently..."

Xavier: "What about that night with Nida? I was going to find you but I saw you and him on the overpass in FH..."

Xu: "That was nothing... He needed a friend, I needed someone to talk to and to keep me away from the 'players' for an hour or two... We didn't mean to kiss, it just happened"

Xu kept looking at the floor. Xavier got up from his chair and walked towards her. He couldn't tell if she was upset or just deep in thought and reflecting a little too much, reading into things she shouldn't need to. He crouched down in front of her and took a deep breath. He placed two fingers underneath her chin and pressed them against her, lifting her head up. Her eyes were reddening but she wasn't crying just yet.

Xavier: "I don't care about the past or why it took us so long to reach this point. All that matters is that we got here."

Xu smiled as her eyes started to water. She blinked, trying to disperse the tears forming but it only served to make them form up and fall down her cheeks. Xavier brushed them away with the back of his hand and held both of her hands in his.

Xavier: "We might not be the fairy tale couple, or like Squall and Rinoa with their sorceresses, saving the world whirlwind romance... Nor are we Irvine and Selphie - flirtatious, full of energy and highly annoying.. And that is before they even decide to hook up properly as a couple."

Xu smiled as she looked into Xavier's face. She'd always known that he was loyal and would do anything for his friends and the way he spoke proved it. She knew she was being difficult, especially in her 'reflecting and critical' drunk personality.

Xavier: "We're the couple who have been friends for years before we finally accepted what we both felt for each other all along and now we're working through this one day at a time."

Xu pulled her hands away from Xavier's and wiped her eyes. She laughed at herself for letting herself get in this state and looked back at Xavier who had a slight smile on his face. He'd managed to cheer her up and remind her of stupid she was being at the same time.

Xu: "Thank you for everything Xavier... I guess I'm just not used to someone being this good to me"

Xavier pulled her towards him and softly kissed her on the forehead. As he pulled away from her, she reached up with her hands and pulled his head back towards her, this time pressing her lips against his. Xavier tried to keep his balance, crouching down on his toes, but he couldn't and Xu knew this. Taking full advantage of it, she moved towards him, coming off the chair and forcing him down onto the floor of the balcony, still with her arms around him and her lips firmly pressed against his. As they lay there, lost in each other's embrace on the balcony under the moonlight, the sound of the ocean crashing against the harbour wall echoed through the night.

=...=...=

"Wake up sweetie. Put your boots on, grab your coat and head downstairs with mommy"

Xu's eyes slowly opened at the sound of the soothing voice. As she looked up, leaning over here was an older version of what she currently looked like, but with longer hair which reached down to her back. She blinked several times and tried to speak but no sound came out.

"Am.. I dreaming again?"

Xu's perspective suddenly shifted, she was no longer looking through the eyes of the little girl, but now at the little girl and her mother who was rather pale and shaking slightly as she pulled out the boots for her daughter and the thick winter coat. Xu tried to recall where she had seen them both before as the two of them left the room and headed into the dark hallway. As the two of them walked down the hall with the 'astral' version of Xu following them the mother stopped and pulled out an ornate golden hairpin and placed it into the hands of the little girl who slipped it into the back of her ponytail. Upon seeing the hairpin, Xu realised where she was - she was in her home in Trabia again.

"Megitsune? Are you here?"

The guardian didn't speak to her, but she made her presence noticeable by letting a golden aura form around the ten year old version of Xu. As they walked towards the top of the staircase, the sound of engines in the distance became louder. Xu's mother stopped and placed her hands tightly on the shoulders of her daughter.

"Inahime. Quickly, get her out of here! Go down into the basement! Send word to Cid, he'll know what to do when he gets here."

Xu looked down into the hallway. Stood at the bottom of the stairs was her father - Hanzo, known by some as 'Lyuda'. He was dressed in a full ninja gi, complete with headpiece so only his eyes were visible. The gi was an arctic camouflage styled colour scheme - a subtle mix of greys, whites and pale blues which would allow him to blend in better with the terrain around them as opposed to an all black gi which would only be useful in the forest. Across his back was a sword which she recognised instantly from the ornate black and gold design on its sheath - the Yagyu Darkblade and at his left side was a kama - a hand-held version of a scythe but smaller and with a smaller blade. He looked up at Xu who stood on the top step, holding the railing tightly and nodded to her.

"Daddy has to go out. You go with Mommy to the basement and find your fox! She's probably worried about you"

Xu nodded and ran down the stairs with her mother close behind her. As they reached the bottom, Xu ran up to her father as he crouched down and flung her arms around him. She kissed the bridge of his nose, the only real visible part of his face before smiling at him.

"I love you Daddy, please be safe, its cold and dark outside"

Hanzo nodded.

"I will princess. Please, go with Mommy, Daddy will see you soon!"

Xu nodded and ran down the hall. As she did, Xu's dream-self watched the scene and started to well up inside. She knew that the GF suppressed memories which were painful for the host amongst other things and given what had happened recently, it seems that Megitsune seemed to be onto something so she was releasing memories back to Xu. She held back the tears as she watched her mother and father have one last conversation.

Inahime: "Hanzo... is it really him?"

Hanzo: "No, He wouldn't come, he'd just send people after us"

Inahime: "You mean he'd hire SeeDs?"

Hanzo: "No... Cid wouldn't allow it. He has the final say on missions and requests and anything involving Trabia has to come from him directly"

Inahime closed her eyes. She shook her head before slipping her arms around her husband's waist. Resting her head into his shoulder she sighed.

Inahime: "So this is where we make our last stand?"

Hanzo nodded. His family, the Hitsaguya clan were well known and feared ninja who originally came from Esthar, but as the rest of his family started to abandon their lifestyle under the rule of Adel, he took his wife and fled north and started to teach a new generation in Trabia before finally having a child of his own.

Hanzo: "Yes. Get Xu into the basement, arm yourself and do not open the door for anyone. If you think you need to escape - break the window and get Xu out of there. Tell her to run towards the town but keep the Crater to her right at all times. That way she should escape any would be pursuers or ambushes."

Inahime nodded. She let go of her husband and pulled his face-mask up and kissed him on the lips.

Inahime: "I love you Hanzo"

Hanzo: "I love you too Inahime... Now go, protect our fox and the cub. If I do not survive, make sure she does. The Hitsaguya line cannot die tonight"

Inahime turned round and ran down the hall towards the heavy iron door which was already open. As she approached it, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder as her husband slipped out of view. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Goodbye my love"

=...=...=

"Mommy, why did Daddy run outside with his sword?"

Xu sat in the corner holding a red stone in her hands. She smiled as its glow warmed her in the cold dark basement.

Inahime: "Daddy had to go out hunting, the news said that there were Blue Dragons coming this far east and we should take care. Daddy is probably going to check on the traps to make sure they are ok."

Inahime lied to her daughter. She was already an apprentice ninja who with great refinement would become as good as and someday even surpass her father. Under the care and guidance of Megitsune, the family's guardian force who Xu had been working with since she was four. The nine tailed fox knew her well and it also taught her what her parents could not. She watched as Xu held the red stone close to her before it vanished. She had junctioned to it. Inahime sighed, she knew that her daughter might be the only one to survive this night and it worried her because there was no one who could teach her the ways of her family. She shook her head and realised she had a task to carry out. Walking towards the back wall of the room, she opened the chest which was hidden in the corner and started to place things into it. Books, scrolls, ancient texts, things which would help their daughter if they didn't survive the night. The last thing she put in it were a set of sai's. They were almost two foot in length and the handle was wrapped in dragon skin.

Xu: "Mommy, what is that you are putting in the box?"

Inahime turned round and bit her bottom lip. She couldn't face lying to her daughter but she knew she had to for her own sake.

Inahime: "My sai's sweetie. We might have to move soon, so I'm packing away all the important things so they don't get lost."

Xu nodded. She then pointed at the door.

Xu: "Mommy, something is in the house? Is it Daddy?"

Inahime swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She closed her eyes and focused. Even though she no longer junctioned herself with Megitsune, she could still converse with the guardian.

Inahime: "Megitsune, please protect Xu and guide her. I fear the reaper has come for us. Do what you can to keep her safe."

Megitsune: "I shall Inahime."

The sound of glass smashing could be heard behind the door as Inahime looked up towards it. Whoever it was must have breached the house. As the two waited in silence and apprehension, the sound of glass smashing again followed by the crackling sound of flames started to fill the house. Inahime closed her eyes and lowered her head. She knew that the attackers would soon find them here and she couldn't risk Xu being caught up in the chaos. She took a deep breath and turned round to her daughter who was none the wiser to what was going on. Kneeling down in front of her with every single part of her body trembling with fear, she placed her hands on Xu's shoulders and looked into her innocent brown eyes.

Inahime: "Xu, I want you to know that mommy and daddy love you very much."

Xu: "I love you both very much also mommy"

Xu's heartfelt statement and innocent smile made what her mother had to say next even harder.

Inahime: "I need you to listen to me very carefully sweetie. When I open the window, I need you to run outside and head to the trees. Don't look back and don't listen to anyone. Just keep running till you can't"

Xu: "Why mommy?"

A loud bang on the metal door at the top of the stairs distracted them. The muffled noises of men shouting on the other side of it could be heard.

Inahime: "Bad men have come to hurt us, daddy is outside making sure they can't get to us, but some must have snuck round the back. I'll stay here and hold them off, I just need you to keep running. Megitsune is with you, she will help you"

Xu: "Will you come after me mommy?"

Inahime swallowed hard. She wiped the tears which were forming in the corners of her eyes and braced herself. This would be the hardest lie she would ever have to tell, but it was one she had to out of necessity and love.

Inahime: "Yes, I'll find you later."

Xu hugged her mother tightly and kissed her on the cheek. The two of them approached the window. It was narrow, but wide enough for a child to get through luckily. She pulled the locks off and pushed it open as wide as she could. The harsh cold air quickly flooded the room as Inahime helped Xu up. As Xu climbed through the window, Inahime quickly slammed the window shut behind her and turned around to face the metal door. She knew it wouldn't be long before the men on the other side of it breached it and she knew her time was short. She closed her eyes and reached into her robe for her tanto. She knew it wouldn't do much good against multiple attackers, but all she had to do now was simply buy her daughter some time. She focused her thoughts once again and reached out to Megitsune.

"Tell my daughter the truth when she is ready for it. Tell her that I am sorry for lying to her like this, but one day she will understand. Tell her that we love her very much. Please Megitsune, protect her and help her become strong"

As she opened her eyes, she drawn her tanto and readied herself.

=...=...=

Xu ran through the snow. She had only reached the clearing behind the house when she heard the loud explosion and saw the flames rip through her house. ignoring her mother's words, she looked over her shoulder and saw the fire in the windows. She wanted to yell and run back but she couldn't. She knew she had to keep running. As she turned back round, she failed to notice the man stood in her path. She ran straight into him and fell backwards into the snow. Xu tried to get up, but the man kicked her back down. He placed his foot on her stomach, pinning her in place and applying more pressure than what was essential for subduing a ten year old child.

Man: "Well look what we have here, a ninja-brat trying to escape from the flames... This is going to be easy."

He pulled out his handgun and took the safety off. Pulling the slide back and chambering a round, he looked down at the child with a twisted smile on his face. He held the gun tightly in his right hand with his finger poised on the trigger, ready to shoot. Aiming it at her face, he taunted her.

Man: "Goodnight little girl"

As his finger prepared to squeeze the trigger, Xu's eyes suddenly turned red. There was a massive burst of energy from her which knocked the man backwards. As he stumbled off her, Xu's hand reached for her hair and pulled out the ornate hairpin and effortlessly twirled it round in her hands. The man reached for his radio in a panic.

Man: "Guys, it's with the little girl... She's got the guardian! I need ba..."

Xu thrown the hairpin with pinpoint accuracy at the man's throat. The sharpened edge of the hairpin effortlessly pierced his throat and the shock of the attack sent him backwards onto the floor. As his body fell, the last action he could consciously carry out was to pull the trigger, hoping to at least injure the girl. The bullet narrowly missed Xu's head, but the sound of gunfire was enough. It drawn the attention of those who were still alive to Xu's location. As the shouts drew closer and the shadowy figures started to converge on Xu, the child stood up. Staring the heavily armed men down, she held out her arms and uttered one word. This was not the voice of an innocent child though, it was one which resonated with power.

"Burn... All of you will Burn"

A blast of red light illuminated the Heath Peninsula that night. There were some short lived screams of agony, but the flames and the explosion put rest to that.

=...=...=

Xu bolted upright, covered in sweat. Her heart was pounding and her breath's shallow. She gripped the duvet tightly in both of her hands and shook her head as she tried to compose herself. Ever since the accident her sleep had been plagued by the dreams and memories Megitsune had suppressed relating to the night her family was murdered. She didn't even have to converse with her guardian as she knew why this had been done now. Her heart ached, a dull throbbing pain. It radiated throughout her body and rendered her senses numb one by one after witnessing the last moments she spent with her mother. She felt her eyes watering, but she couldn't bring herself to wipe away the tears. As they rolled down her cheeks, she slowed her breathing down and closed her eyes.

"Mother... Father..."

She thought no more, if she did it would surely crush her more than she had been. She knew Megitsune was only fulfilling her parent's last wishes - show her the truth, help her be strong and right the wrong which had been committed. She carefully got up out of the bed and pulled her T-shirt on which she had thrown on the floor earlier. She cast her eyes over towards the clock on the wall, it was 03:00. She felt like she had been asleep for hours, but it wasn't that long really when she thought about it. They didn't leave the balcony till gone midnight and after they had enjoyed an evening of passion, it was nearer to 01:00. Reaching for her cigarettes and lighter, she headed towards the balcony. Carefully opening the door, trying not to wake Xavier, she slipped out into the cold night and closed the door behind her. Leaning against it, she slumped down to the floor and leaned her head back, closed her eyes and started to cry.

Her thoughts started to flood back to her now she was outside an free to release whatever had been pent up inside her. She wanted to scream till her voice went hoarse but she knew it wouldn't accomplish anything unless waking half of Balamb up was part of her coping mechanism. Instead she pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Taking the first drag, she turned her attention to the ocean. It was still. The black expanse against the dark blue and grey sky for a backdrop shimmered in the pale moonlight. watching the distorted reflection of the moon floating on the surface, she turned her thoughts to her dream.

"Why did they come for us? Why did they want you Megitsune? I always thought it was done out of revenge, not because of you"

Xu waited for the fox to respond but it didn't. She shook her head.

"Typical, you show me something this crushing and don't have anything to say to me... How can I get stronger and right what wrongs happened if I don't even know where to start looking..."

Standing up, Xu walked towards the chairs. She sat down and continued trying to order her thoughts.

"Why now though? Why show me this now, after the training center? Are they linked?"

As Xu tried to reason out what was going on, she failed to notice Xavier standing in the doorway. He had heard every word she said.

Xavier: "Are what linked?"

Xu looked up, slightly shocked at the fact Xavier appeared to be able to read her thoughts.

Xavier: "You were talking out loud babe. I heard every word of it. So... are you going to tell me or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

Xu stood up. Finishing her cigarette she looked at Xavier.

Xu: "Got any pants?"

Xavier nodded. He walked back into her room and pulled out her jogging pants and thrown them to her. Xu slipped them on and sat back down, prompting Xavier to do the same. She looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. This was a conversation she wished she didn't have to have yet, but unfortunately circumstance had forced her hand. Looking up, Xavier sat there patiently, waiting for her to get comfortable. He wasn't going to force it out of her, but his look suggested that just coming out with it would be the best option for her. It was one filled with concern for her wellbeing and frustration for being kept in the dark since the incident in the hospital. Shaking her head, she looked past him, focusing on the ocean behind them. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she gathered her thoughts and started to speak in a soft tone.

Xu: "What do you know about the Ninja clans of Northern Esthar and Eastern Trabia?"

Xavier: "Centuries ago they were a powerful force, but with the dawn of Esthar's technological advancements and the reign of Adel, not much has been heard or talked about. Rumour is they are all underground or their clans have died out and only live on in name or documents and historical texts"

Xu: "Before the reign of Adel, during her rise to power, there was a great meeting of all the heads of the families, like a war council of sorts. The main agenda was the growing threat of the sorceress. In the past, the ninja's had operated across the world, in the shadows. Sometimes they had been hired, sometimes they had taken it upon themselves to act, they were almost like SeeD in some ways - a neutral force aligned to no one but their blood ties and their oaths."

Xavier: "Let me guess, they made a move against Adel, trying to stop her before she took full control?"

Xu nodded. She looked up at the moon for a moment before she returned to telling her story.

Xu: "Many of the clans chose to strike before she became too powerful, but they had underestimated just how powerful she was. Several clans quickly fell before her. Some of the others defected to her. It split the entire society and started a civil war of sorts. Grudges between clans escalated to civil war in some cases and in a short few years, nearly all but a few of the clans who had opted to remain neutral and defend themselves and work for whoever required them were all that once remained. Most of those clans went underground, training new recruits and trying to branch out more, integrate into society for their own safety, but one clan did not."

Xavier: "Which clan was that?"

Xu: "The Hitsaguya clan... They relocated to Eastern Trabia, to the mountainous region of the Heath Peninsula."

Xu paused as she reached for a cigarette. As she lit it, Xavier took a moment to process the information she had gave him. Just like she had told him, the ninja operated much like SeeD did in some ways and much like the recent situation with the three Gardens, they had turmoil and conflicts with each other and there was a distinct fracturing of the relationships between the three.

Xu: "The Hitsaguya clan were small in number, but that meant they produced better quality ninja, they could focus more and develop each person's skills and abilities. They were also the last active clan."

Xu's tone turned to one of sadness when she mentioned the Hitsaguya. Although he didn't know her last name, Xavier instinctively knew that she was of the Hitsaguya clan and this was something she rarely shared with anyone.

Xavier: "You're a Hitsaguya aren't you?"

Xu nodded.

Xu: "Yes... I am Xu Hitsaguya, Daughter of Inahime Hitsaguya and Hanzo Hitsaguya"

Xavier: "And this means you are the last of the Hitsaguya then?"

Xu nodded as she looked down at the floor. This was painful for her to talk about. Previously she had only discussed this with Cid as he already knew of her lineage and what had happened that fateful night in Trabia. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaled and continued to talk

Xu: "My father was Lyuda... the white death... One of the greatest assassins to ever live. Unfortunately that meant he had many enemies, most of them rich and powerful. Unfortunately for us, one of those enemies managed to find us"

Xavier: "So the gas explosion which killed your parents and ruined your home..."

Xu: "Wasn't a gas explosion at all - it was a hit."

Xavier was stunned into silence. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't even think of what to say. All he could do was process the information which he had received, that Xu was the last living Hitsaguya, the daughter of the legendary 'Lyuda' and that her family were all supposed to have died the night of the fire.

Xu: "My father had assassinated someone influential during the early years of Deiling's reign as president of Galbadia, presumably a businessman who helped bankroll his campaign or funded some of the under-the-table operations and activities of his criminal side. It was no secret that Deiling had roots to the underworld of Galbadia and he often exploited them to get things his own way..."

Xavier: "Like the rumour that Julia Caraway was assassinated, that it wasn't a car accident?"

Xu: "Something like that yes... This businessman, he tried to hire my Father to eliminate someone as means to send a message. My father refused him and instead warned the target of what was being planned. Although the ninja operated like mercenaries, the Hitsaguya clan had a code of ethics we followed. Assassination was acceptable, but only if it benefited the greater good."

Xavier: "Like killing a general to help a resistance movement... or toppling a dictator?"

Xu: "Yes... My father instead took it upon himself to eliminate the businessman, who turned out to be one of the main crime bosses of Deiling but he was 'legit' as in he kept his criminal enterprise and activities separate from his enterprise, which happened to be in the natural resources sector, specifically minerals"

Xavier: "Let me guess... He wanted someone killed in Trabia so he could move in and get the land they owned or had the rights to work?"

Xu: "Exactly. The businessman had a partner. The partner was to be installed as head of the Trabian operation but once the businessman had been killed, the partner lost out and since then no one had heard from him..."

Xavier: "Until twelve years ago?"

Xu: "Yes. Father 'retired' after that incident, he only acted when he saw fit to as he knew that one day, revenge would be sought. A rich and powerful man casts a large shadow and can reach from beyond the grave. Father knew one day we would be targeted, so he split the clan up, told them to go and find new homes, train new people but to keep it low profile so they wouldn't be targeted."

Xavier: "So you might not be the last Hitsaguya?"

Xu shook her head.

Xu "I am the only living blood relation to Hanzo and Inahime. The rest were people who we had taken in and trained. They might use the clans name in secret, but they aren't of the bloodline, so they do not have our... unique abilities"

Xavier: "Blood magic?"

Xu nodded. She stood up and walked towards the rail of the balcony, stretching her legs and clearing her mind for a moment. As she leaned on the balcony, she looked out over the harbour and watched the reflection of the moon being distorted by the rippling of the waves.

Xu: "When I was ten, the shadow struck back. Men came to our home and destroyed it, murdering my parents and torching it, trying to make it look like a tragic accident. Until a few weeks ago, I wasn't aware of what had happened, it was only when Cid gave me my father's journals and the police reports of the incident that I realised what had happened that night."

Xavier: "Do you think Megitsune helped you forget about it until she believed you were strong enough to handle the truth?"

Xu nodded.

Xavier: "So... the dream... Is that about..."

Xu: "The night my parents died... yes"

Xavier stood up and walked over to Xu who kept her back to him, watching the surface of the ocean just outside of the harbour. He slipped his arms around her waist and hugged her. She leaned back against him, taking her hands off of the railing and placing them over his, pulling his fingers apart and interlocking hers with his. As she leaned back against him, she tilted her head back so it rested against his shoulder and angled it to the side so she could see his face. Xavier leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and squeezed at her hands tightly before she let go of them. Turning herself around to face him this time, she slipped back into his arms and rested her head on his chest.

Xu: "The girl who I shouted about... It was me"

Xu closed her eyes as the tears started to form in them. She knew Xavier had seen her cry before and he had even made her cry, but in those times she was in control of herself to an extent. Right now, even though she was willingly telling him all of this, she felt powerless. He could hear her sobs and feel her burying her face into his chest and all he could do was just hold her. He couldn't reassure her because he didn't know what to say. All he could do was simply be there for her.

Xavier: "Do you want to stop?"

Xu: "Please"

Xavier held her tightly against his body as she cried in his arms. He knew Xu was a very private person and for her to have shared this with him was a big step and show of trust. It was also quite traumatic for her too, given the events of the past week or so. Having been seriously injured and then for all the old memories which had been suppressed to come flooding back during her recovery whilst feeling helpless. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through right now.

"If Megitsune has released these memories to her now, after what has happened... It can't be a coincidence. There has to be a link somehow but I can't bring this up to her, not when she's like this..."

Xavier: "Can I just ask one question... What makes you think that they were after Megitsune and not revenge?"

Xu was confused by the question initially. She looked up at Xavier, as if to ask 'what do you mean?' but then thought back to what she had said earlier whilst Xavier had overheard her and it dawned on her.

Xu: "The man who tried to kill me... mentioned that I had the guardian and he wanted back up... "

Xavier: "I see... But with what you have told me, without going into the specific details of the events of that night at least, it seems like they were more there for revenge than stealing your guardian force. If anything, it could have been a surprised reaction, that you, a ten-year old would have the guardian force junctioned instead of your mother or father who were the capable fighters..."

Xu wiped her eyes as she tried to process what Xavier had said. It made sense looking at it from his analysis with most of the facts of that night missing to him and when the hairs on the back of her neck tingled, it seemed that Megitsune agreed with him.

"Is he right Megitsune? Were they just there for revenge?"

The hairs on Xu's neck tingled again. Closing her eyes and nodding she looked back up at Xavier who had now gotten used to her internal conversations with the guardian force who resided within her.

Xavier: "I take it Megitsune agrees with me then?"

Xu: "It seems like it."

Xavier let go of Xu and allowed her to sit back down. She was still upset. Her pale, tear stained cheeks and red eyes indicated this, but she seemed a lot more relaxed compared to before. Maybe it was because she had finally got such a weight off her chest and off her mind in telling Xavier the truth about her nightmares and who she really was, or maybe it was because Xavier had been kind, patient and understanding, allowing her to go at her own pace and actually listening to her story. She looked up at him and smiled at him before laughing.

Xu: "I'm such a mess aren't I?"

Xavier knelt down in front of her and took both of her hands in his. He held them tightly and looked into her eyes.

Xavier: "We're all messed up Xu. We have been trained to kill people since we were early teens, or in your case, even younger. I don't think there is a single SeeD who is a perfectly rounded, fully functional human being. We're all damaged remember, every single one of us."

Xu thought about his words and realised that he was right. They were all damaged in one way or another and it's what helped make them as good as what they were.

Xu: "True... but what if the damage is too much for some of us?"

Xavier had never seen Xu doubt herself before. In all the years they had known each other, she was the only one who had no doubts in her decisions or courses of action. She always believed in her abilities and even when she made a mistake or a bad call, she didn't lose control and crumble, she was always solid. But now, to see her like this, actually vulnerable, it was unsettling. Squeezing her hands tightly, Xavier got her attention once again.

Xavier: "Xu, out of everyone in Garden, you are the only person I know who has held their shit together no matter what has gone on. When Dian died I fell to pieces, I couldn't cope... You organised a revenge mission and managed to wipe out the bastards who killed him. You took on a guardian force to make it respect you. You helped coordinate the survival of SeeD and prevented NORG and his faithful followers from killing Cid. You even managed to get into the future with us all and although we didn't directly take part in the battle against Ultimecia, we saw firsthand what the future held if she wasn't stopped... and you helped us all keep our cool."

Xavier paused to wipe a tear from the corner of Xu's eye.

Xavier: "Hyne! You even took out six T-rexaur's solo. If there is anyone who can get through this little set back, it's you Xu. Even if you might start to doubt yourself, I never will... I firmly believe that the demons in your head are more of a gift than a burden. You should find whoever gave you them and thank them for it..."

Xu: "Why would I thank someone for making me an orphan?"

Xavier: "You're twisting my words Xu... What I mean is that you should 'thank them' for giving you the resolve to push on through everything thrown at you and to come out standing on the other side of it. Then you should probably murder them for putting you through all this shit... But do you understand me now?"

Xu: "I'm trying to..."

Xavier stood up. He let go of Xu's hands and stretched his arms. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the ocean.

Xavier: "What happened to you is horrible, but it also gave you the strength and character to get to where you are today. Kind of like a twisted blessing. It took more from you, but gave you something back in return. It gave you the will and motivation to be the best, the resolve to overcome anything and everything in your way and most of all, it gave you a goal - retribution for the fallen."

Xu looked up at Xavier who reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. As he placed it between his lips and coaxed the flame from his lighter, she processed his words. In a way he was right, the tragedy which happened involving her and her family had helped to shape her today.

Xu: "Can I ask you something Xavier..."

Xavier: "Sure..."

Xu: "Do you believe in fate?"

Xavier: "I guess so. There are something's which science and logic cannot explain..."

Xu stood up, wiping the last tears from her eyes and cheeks, she stood against the railing and looked across the ocean. She saw the grey clouds rolling in from Trabia and heading towards the Galbadian continent. Given its current speed and heading, it would probably make landfall in two or three days time. As she watched the clouds slowly creeping towards the west, Xavier clicked his fingers, snapping Xu's attention back to their conversation.

Xu: "Sorry, I kinda got lost there... That storm looks like it's headed towards Timber"

Xavier: "Yeah, I noticed that earlier, it's going to be a big one if it makes landfall"

Xu: "Yeah... Anyway, the reason I asked if you believe in fate is this... Looking at how Squall, Quistis, Seifer and the rest were brought up by Edea and Cid, it makes no surprise that they would be the ones to heavily feature in the events which recently happened"

Xavier: "People have started to call them 'Children of Fate' now, some big media tag"

Xu: "Maybe the media are right... I mean everything just seemed to fall into place for them to all play such a pivotal role in saving the world... What if they aren't the only ones though?"

Xavier: "What are you getting at?"

Xu: "I just get the feeling that with everything that has happened, things seem to be moving in strange ways again... Why would I suddenly be getting flashbacks of my past at the same time as something disturbing the monsters? Why was it me who was attacked when it could have easily been you or Quistis? I mean we were right in the middle of T-rexaur alley, any one of us could have been struck... Why me first?"

Xavier ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to think of a response to Xu.

Xu: "Everyone has some destiny right? Like how Squall and Seifer ended up facing off as the man to stop the sorceress and the man to protect her... What if what seems to be happening is linked to me and my parents?"

Xavier: "I don't follow..."

Xu: "After Squall killed NORG, Cid gave me the files about the incident with my family and all the journals and remaining scrolls of the Hitsaguya clan... Since I have only started to looking into them recently, things have started to happen round Garden. What if its fate? What if me looking into the events surrounding my parent's death has somehow triggered all of this?"

Xavier: "That's a bit farfetched, even for me. Say you're right, why was I attacked?"

Xu: "Why was Selphie transferred to Balamb Garden? Why was Irvine assigned to the Balamb team as a sharp shooter?"

Xavier: "Selphie was taking her SeeD exam, that's why she was transferred"

Xu: "But why wasn't she transferred before this one? Why didn't she take the following exam or the earlier one..."

Xavier: "Are you saying that things are being steered into place?"

Xu: "It's the only logical explanation I can come up with... And given the timing - as soon as the 'children of fate' are all out of Garden, things start going wrong again..."

Xavier: "This has been eating at you for days now hasn't it?"

Xu nodded.

Xu: "Since the first vision, from when I was out cold after the attack... It just seems like too much of a coincidence for it to actually be a coincidence... Something is making things happen. Megitsune knows it but she can't tell me why, she can only show me memories... And the only things she has shown me relate to Trabia..."

Xavier: "So what do we do next?"

Xu: "We relax and as soon as we get back to Garden, we find out what is really going on... One way or another, we need answers"

Xu turned her attention back to the ocean. The reflection of the moon on the water's surface was now gone, replaced with the darkness of the night. The thick grey clouds slowly rolled in, with any luck they'd bypass the town tomorrow and drift out towards Galbadia quicker. As she watched them slowly edging across the sky, she shivered. She couldn't say why, but she had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

=...=...=

A/N: Storm clouds are a reference to the events in C15 of "Bells of Freedom". For a timeline reference, this chapter takes place round the same time as Chapters 12-13 of "Bells".

This was quite a 'talky' chapter, but it all leads somewhere, I promise!