Author's Note: Hi all! Hope this update is worth the wait. This is an insanely long chapter I did not intend on writing. I never imagined it would be so long when I began writing but here it is! I saw no valid reason to divide it into two separate chapters. I did my best editing it so please forgive any misplaced, misspelled, or just plain missed words. After reading it through so many times, everything begins to look the same.
I appreciate all of the follows and favorites. Thank you for the reviews as well. It means a lot when a reader takes their time to express their opinions and criticisms about a chapter.
Thank you so much for reading, and on with the chapter! I hope you like the update.
Phoenix poked at her food. She had no appetite, but Hinawa had put on quite a spread tonight. Not for any special occasion really except that all the members of Company Eight are together and everyone is alive.
If there is cause for celebration, it would be their one official new member and one potential new member among their ranks. Viktor Licht had become their one and only science officer despite everyone still being leery of his intentions. Hopefully the crew and their own special little idiosyncrasies will not ward off Vulcan from becoming their engineer.
For the most part, everything is back to normal which is a relative concept at Company Eight. Shinra and Arthur are fighting over the last of the sweet and sour meatballs. Maki is talking with Tamaki and Iris about the latest romance novel she read. Captain Ōbi is speaking with Vulcan about a problem with the Matchbox. Viktor is chatting with Hinawa about - something. Well, he is talking at the Lieutenant who is busy eating.
Phoenix pushed the piece of broccoli around her plate. Maybe if she arranged the food differently they would believe she ate something. Then she felt eyes on her. Glancing up, her eyes met Hinawa's intense, penetrating gaze from the opposite corner of the table. She forced herself to eat a bite. The man had put a lot of hard work and time into making all of this delicious food. Guilt about not eating it crept over her.
"So about the upcoming meeting...," Captain Ōbi said, turning his head in her direction.
"What about the meeting, sir?" she asked when he did not continue.
"Will you be attending?" he inquired.
Is he actually giving me a choice?, she wondered, making her unsure of how she should answer.
"I think it's important you be there considering you had direct contact with White Clad members in Asakusa," he said to give her a hint.
"They were low ranking. Expendable. My interaction there hardly amounts to anything significant," she returned, dropping her fork onto her plate. "What happened at Vulcan's place is far more important."
"Yes, but the other thing - " the Captain began to be cut off abruptly.
"The other thing is nothing more than the ravings of madmen who are seeking someone who doesn't exist and is meaningless. Can I be excused?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied. "At any rate, I need you there as my assistant to take notes. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear, Sir," she replied, saying nothing more having had her choice taken away from her.
Phoenix picked up her plate to leave. Walking through the dead silent dining room, she stopped beside the Lieutenant bowing in apology.
"I'm sorry, Sir. You're food is delicious. I mean no disrespect to you by not eating," she said.
"It's fine. You should be more concerned about your health though," he admonished her gently.
"Yes, Sir," she returned, bowing again then continuing on her way to the kitchen.
Restless, not wanting to think anymore, she busied herself with cleaning the cooking implements strewn about the kitchen. By the time she finished with the pots and pans the plates would be brought in thereby giving her plenty of work to distract herself.
As she rinsed the last pan, Vulcan entered carrying a tall stack of dishes. He began scraping off the remnants of food into the trash can.
"You can leave those right there. I'll get them," she told him without turning around.
"Do you mind if I help?" he asked.
Phoenix did not feel like arguing with him. Besides, there would be a lot more dishes coming. She could definitely use the help, or she would be in here until midnight.
"Knock yourself out. When you get done scraping those, you can dry what I've done so far. Towels are in that drawer right there," she said, jerking her chin toward the drawer on her right.
"How long have you been here?" he asked her, sitting down the first stack of dishes on the counter beside her at the sink.
"Uhm...honestly, I'm not sure. My career here got started with a bang. Things have been so crazy with the investigation and everything that's happened, I haven't really thought about it. Most days it seems like I've always been here. Like I'm meant to be here," she added, scrubbing a plate.
"Captain Ōbi briefed me about the investigation and everything that has happened," he said, drying a pot.
"And you're still considering being a part of Company Eight?" she asked, casting him a sidelong glimpse. "You're as crazy as the rest of us then."
"Yeah, maybe so," he agreed. "You seem pretty sane."
"Nah, not really. I'm probably the worst one out of all of them. I just hide it better," she said in a loud mock whisper.
Vulcan laughed lightly. That was the first time she had seen him smile or laugh or look the least bit relaxed since he arrived. She didn't mind insulting herself for that reaction. He always looked so sad and deep in thought it was nice to see him smile and relax.
"What is it that you do here exactly?" he inquired to keep the conversation going. "Besides being the Captain's assistant."
"I guess you could call me the informational officer. I take every bit of information that comes into this company whether by paper or by mouth and make sure it is documented and filed properly."
"Sounds important. And like a lot of work."
"I take care of all of the paperwork. I'm a glorified paper pusher."
"Hmmm," he hummed pensively, growing quiet.
Phoenix did not feel the need to fill the ensuing silence with conversation. She would let him proceed at his own pace, talking or not talking, as he wanted to. Besides, the clatter of dishes and constant running water made for a sufficient and plesant filler to keep the lack of verbal interaction from being awkward.
"Shinra is your boyfriend?" Vulcan inquired as she began washing the serving dishes.
The personal question took her by surprise. Although she knew he was asking more of curiosity to learn about his potential new company members rather than romantic interest. She had heard him speak of a woman named Lisa, and when he did, his face always clearly showed his heartache.
"Yeah. You have someone special too?" Phoenix questioned him tentatively not wanting to poke a sore spot.
"Yeah. No. I don't know. I did, but..." He hesitated and that pensive, sorrowful expression he had been wearing often since his arrival returned.
"She turned out to be a White Clad. A plant. A spy. But I loved Lisa. I still love her. And there is Yū. We were a family. I just can't believe it was all a lie. No one could pretend to love someone...to be a family...for that long and not feel something real. I..." His voice faded away. Picking up a pot, he asked, "Hey, uh, where do these go? I'll put them away."
"The lower cabinet beside the stove. I'm sure Lisa still loves you."
"Then why did she betray us? How could she go back to them so easily like we meant nothing to her?"
Phoenix thought about her father and their conversation - the very thing that had dominated her every waking moment since she went to see him. She had tried to understand his reasoning for sending her away.
Logically it made sense. Sending her away was his best option to protect her. The hurt in his eyes told her that giving up all connection to her was not easy thing for him to do nor was it something he really wanted to do. But he had ignored his heart and gone with his head. And she was alive because of it.
"I don't know, Vulcan. I don't understand why people who say they love us do a lot of things they do. But I'm trying. They have their reasons and to them they are good reasons. Even if we don't understand, even if it hurts, we have to believe they still love us and are doing the best they can to protect us," she said, scouring the dish in her hand until it squeaked.
Phoenix grew quiet as the anger surged inside of her. At first she had wanted to be angry with her father and stay mad at him. She wanted to continue hating hate him for abandoning her like she had for so many years before she even knew his identity.
Anger and hate are extremely draining emotions and hurt no one but the person nursing those soul sucking emotions. Weariness settled over her like a heavy, suffocating blanket. She was tired of being angry and hating someone for choices they made that seemed the best option at the time and under those particular circumstances.
She asked a different question to steer the discussion to a less emotionally charged subject. But not much. "Will Yū be leaving the hospital soon?"
"In a few days. Captain Ōbi said he could stay here with me. With us," he corrected himself. "He's a good man isn't he?"
"Yeah," she replied. "He's a great man and an amazing Captain. He's like a big brother to me so I understand having an adoptive family."
Family was definitely a touchy subject for her. In the following quiet, her thoughts went to her mother and her work experimenting with the Infernal Bugs in her desire to find a cause and put a stop to it.
Phoenix could not longer harbor resentment for her mother either. The woman had been willing to purposely sacrifice her life and even put her child in harm's way in order to find a reason behind Spontaneous Combustion. What is one, even two lives, in comparison to saving millions if she had found the answer?
"Lisa left with the man who shot Yū ," he growled angrily. "He would have killed him had your friends not been there to save him. All of that makes it difficult for me to believe she actually gave a damn and was doing her best to protect us."
"Shinra's brother attacked him. He nearly killed Arthur. Yet Shinra won't give up on him. He still plans on finding him and bringing his little brother home to be with him. You have to believe in Lisa like Shinra believes in his little brother."
"I want to. I still can't stop loving her despite everything that happened. But her leaving like that - "
"What do you think would have happened if she stayed?" Without waiting for him to answer, she answered her own question. "They most likely would have come back with intention to kill you all. I have the distinct feeling they would not have failed a second time. If she's with them, if she knows where they are, what they're plotting. She can protect you better that way than if all of you are wearing a target on your back, completely clueless, and running for your lives."
"Maybe so," he murmured. "What would you know about it anyway?"
Phoenix whipped her head toward him, glaring at him. Rather than screaming at him or cursing him out, she took a deep breath. Calmly, she spoke, "More than you know. Let me tell you a little story about me, Vulcan Joseph. It all began in Asakusa not too many years ago..."
After recounting how she got involved with the Fire Force, Phoenix went up to the roof - her quiet place, her haven - to relax and settle down. She sat down on the brick retaining wall, sighing sadly as she looked toward the back corner.
The tent had been taken down by orders of the Captain. Her and Shinra's little love nest no longer existed. They knew Ōbi would not let that go on too long, but it still depressed her that their safe place together was gone.
She turned her body to dangle her feet over the edge. She stared into the darkness below. What lay beneath her appeared to be a bottomless pit but actually had a finite ending that was quite close and made of cement. Things aren't always as they appear.
Everything she had thought and believed about her life had once again been turned upside down and inside out. At least this time the upheaval actually worked in her favor. She and her father had made contact, and he actually wanted to be a part of her life now. He had all along but circumstances required he make a difficult choice.
She couldn't say she would have done the same thing. Selfishly, she would have kept her child with her condemning them both to living a miserable life with a constant cloud of danger and doom hanging over them. As good as you are, there is always someone better.
Someone would have gotten to her eventually. Her father understood that. Although he would have fought his damnedest to protect her, someone stronger could have come along - someone who could have defeated her father. He refused to take that chance. By sending her away, he also gave her the opportunity to grow up in a loving, happy home even if it wasn't with her birth parents.
Back to the present dangerous situation, they did not really know exactly what they are dealing with concerning the White Clad. No one knew the extent or types of abilities possessed by the White Clad members. They did not even have a clue as to their numbers. Their interactions had been few, brief, and violent, ending with many lives lost. What would happen if they do begin an all out war against humanity to bring about another fiery cataclysm?
That brought her to her next quandary: the Avenging Angel. Phoenix scoffed. The only thing angelic about her in the slightest is her wings. She extended her wings, lighting up the night and revealing the desolate corridor below.
The head of the firebird rose above her head then lay it's fiery beak on her outstretched palm. It turned its head to look at her, blinking its eyes. The phoenix. Her angel. Was this power, her ability, a gift her mother had imparted to her?
She smiled, scratching its chin as if it were a real live entity. She sent up a quick prayer that Vulcan could find a way to bring all the animals back. One day, after they solved the puzzle of Spontaneous Human Combustion, she would tell him and Viktor about all the vials she had seen at Haijima Labs on her snooping expeditions.
Deep in the belly of the labs, contained In large freezers, there are hundreds of little glass tubes, possibly thousands, containing samples of genetic material for animals. Each one had been labeled with the scientific name of the creature whose DNA it held. There are also tons of files outlining scientific hypotheses and detailing failed experiments to bring them back.
Uniting their minds and hands, the scientist and the engineer with a love of animals might be able to find a way to bring those extinct creatures back into existence.
The phoenix opened its beak issuing a little gurgle, almost a purr. The creature made of fire is little more than a puppet, something she manipulates and controls to appear alive.
"Go forth," she murmured, sending the bird flying upward.
It turned and flew over the buildings then rose upward further into the sky like a fiery arrow. A fiery arrow like the ones that White Clad used. She was the one tracking her and Shinra in Asakusa.
Phoenix had picked up on the woman's movements as she ran across the rooftops above her, watching her. Later she gathered the White Clad had actually been searching for Shinra and followed her to get to him.
The White Clad are after Shinra - not her. She became an accidental obstacle and unexpected convenience. She feared in the future she would become incidental leverage to use against Shinra.
The White Clad are seeking individuals with Adolla Bursts. They would never be able to convince him to come to their side and support their mad dreams. However, she knew they would use Shinra's love and faith in his brother to manipulate him as well.
Shinra had told her more about what happened at Vulcan's that day. He said he and his brother shared a link, memories and emotions passing between them. He described how Shō moved so fast with his sword he could not even see him until he was right in front of him.
He described Shō to her, saying he looked like an angel which she found hard to believe. That's probably why her brain formed that picture of him in her dream with white hair and having Shinra's face. Shō is his brother after all so it made sense he would look like him.
Phoenix made the firebird explode like a firework, raining down showers of red and orange sparks like stars falling from the heavens. Her mind drifted back to her ancient religion teachings. In those relics of past civilizations Angels are always servants. Whether they are messengers or soldiers, protectors or guides, they are always servants.
What was that Captain Ōbi said Captain HIbana told him? 'This Avenging Angel will the one to go before them, declaring war on humanity...sounding the call to wipe out the earth by fire all over again.' So the angel is nothing more than a messenger, sounding the call to arms and announcing the beginning of the war.
My angel. She could hear Shō's soft voice from the dream. So loud and so real, it was if he was speaking to her presently. He spoke to her possessively. His angel. His servant. Is her duty to be his personal servant, his mouthpiece, since he is the Commander? She shuddered.
Captain HIbana said she might be the shield to a sword when she introduced her to Captain Ōbi. At the time she had been referring to Arthur. Maybe she had the wrong sword wielder in mind. A shield is used to protect the swordsman, absorbing the blows and receiving all of the damage meant for its holder while slowly being destroyed in the process.
Phoenix inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Perhaps she just was not meant to live long from the beginning. Her being alive at all is a veritable miracle considering her fiery and bizarre birth - just like the mythical bird she had been named for.
"Phoenix," Shinra called to her. Although his voice was soft, his sudden presence almost frightened her out of her skin.
"Oh, hi," she gasped when he sat down beside her on the wall.
He faced toward the rood, his feet planted firmly on the surface. She still faced out toward the alley, her feet dangling in the air.
"Have you been thinking again?" he asked, knocking his shoulder into hers.
"You know it's a bad habit of mine," she quipped back, trying to smile.
"What is going on with you?" he asked, pushing his fingers through her hair
"Same crap, different day...just thinking too much," she muttered, leaning toward him. She offered her lips for a kiss which he readily gave to her. "I'm trying to figure all of this out. I still need to know so many things. It would help so much if we knew more about the White Clad."
"Me too," he replied. "It would make it easier to fight them if we knew who and what we're up against."
"That's for sure."
"Don't go thinking you're going to play spy again and invade their hide out, wherever it is, to gather information. They're quite a bit different and a lot more dangerous than anything you encountered at Haijima Industries," he warned her.
"I know," she sighed, rubbing her sore neck.
Shinra rubbed her back then squeezed her neck.
"You're so tense," he commented, pinching the tight muscles at the base of her neck.
Phoenix turned to look directly at him, her eyebrow jumping toward her hairline.
"Why don't you help me relax?" she suggested, biting her lower lip.
"Oh, you are a terrible woman. You're tempting me, aren't you?"
"You better believe I am."
Phoenix leaned in for another kiss. Shinra turned his head away, staring down at his hands that fiddled nervously with the sleeves of his jumpsuit tied around his waist.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together into one with concern.
Anxiety made her abdomen contract and her stomach somersault. What now?
"Uhm, Phoenix, I was sent up here to tell you something."
"Let me guess, a message from the Captain I don't want to hear. He sent you because he knows I won't kill you. How close am I?" she questioned, receiving another smile along with a sweet pink blush on his cheeks.
Shinra tapped the end of her nose with his forefinger before declaring, "Right on the nose, my love. Beautiful and smart."
Shinra knew the perils of being a messenger. The receiver could unleash their wrath on the messenger upon receiving unpleasant or undesirable communication. "Don't shoot the messenger," is quaint saying and an old piece of wisdom. Being the bearer of bad news could get someone killed if it was a message the recipient did not want to hear.
"Fuck," she muttered.
"Nothing compares to your poetic use of words of though," he rejoined with sarcasm worthy of his Queen of Sarcasm.
Anger welled inside of her along with tears. She had a sneaking suspicion she is about to be sent away again. She was beginning to feel like an unwanted child being shuttled from home to home. It hurt. Her mother abandoned her through no fault of her own then her father sent her away, albeit with good intentions. Then Hibana transferred for her, not that she regretted that move at all. And now, she was leaving again to go somewhere new.
It stung like a betrayal leaving her with the lingering feeling of being shunned and rejected, despite logically knowing it was probably for the best. Logic rarely wins over emotions without great effort being involved.
Emotions are not logical and a general pain in the ass. That's why she kept hers locked away for so long. The members of Company Eight changed all that.
"What is it, Shinra? What's do you need to tell me?" she asked, turning her body around to face in the same direction as him.
"Your father called Captain Ōbi. He wants you to come stay at the First for a while," he said, keeping his eyes lowered to the roof under his feet.
"And Captain Ōbi agreed to this?"
"He did...with the express understanding this is not a company transfer. Only a temporary arrangement. Actually, they're writing it up as a temporary exchange program to avoid raising suspicions and making people ask questions."
"Right," she murmured, turning her back to him. "We've already stirred up enough trouble to be deemed troublemakers at best and insurgents at worst."
She sighed loudly in defeat. She was tired. She did not feel like throwing a fit, cursing and screaming. Besides, with the meeting of the minds and a unified front of the two obstinate captains, she did not have a prayer of changing their decision anyway.
There is no reason to yell at Shinra because he is just the unlucky person strategically sent to deliver her the message. Shinra is the one who could calm her down the fastest - they know that and she knows that hence him being the chosen messenger.
"When am I leaving?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. After the meeting you will go back to Company One with Karim Flam," he explained, studying her face intently.
"With an escort no doubt. They treat me like a helpless child." She full on pouted, poking out her lower lip and folding her arms over her chest.
"They're just being overprotective. I don't exactly mind the extra precautions myself. This is a good thing though, you know," Shinra said, trying to take a positive outlook. "It will give you a chance to spend time with your father and get to know him."
"Yeah, sure," she agreed, patting his hand gripping the brick wall between them. Standing up, she announced, "I should go pack."
"I'll help," Shinra offered, jumping to his feet and getting ahead of her with his longer legs and opening the door for her.
"That would be great."
As she moved to enter the door, Phoenix stopped in front of him. She reached out, cupping his cheek and meeting his ruby red eyes in the muted golden glow that filtered onto the rooftop through the open door from the light in the stairwell.
"I love you, Shinra Kusakabe," she declared, smiling at him as if to tell him it she was okay.
"You're scaring me," he returned. Placing his hand over hers, he pulled it to his mouth to kiss her palm.
"Why?"
"Because you're not fussing and cussing and screaming hell no I won't go. Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"
Phoenix laughed. "I'm being more careful about which battles I fight. I shouldn't fight if it's something for my own good. Right?"
"I'm glad you see it that way," he said, not letting go of her hand as he followed her through the door.
"No matter what happens, I love you."
"I know," he replied, grinning at her when she glanced back at him.
Phoenix giggled lightly. When he smiled a genuine smile he looked so handsome. The sincerity and happiness warmed her heart and spread throughout her entire body.
"I adore that smile," she said, swinging their hands between them as they walked.
"Only you can make me smile like this."
"Silver tongued devil."
Shinra followed her into her room, closing the door behind him. When he locked it, she whirled around to face him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We could get into serious trouble."
"We won't. I promise," he assured her, pulling her into his arms.
Phoenix giggled when he kissed her which made him pull away. "Oh, Shinra Kusakabe, you are a bad boy."
"In the best of ways. Let me show you," he said, seizing her t-shirt and snatching it over her head with a single hard jerk.
She squealed and laughed, receiving a hissing shush in return. She placed her forefinger against her lips, shushing him back.
"I thought you were going to help me pack," she reminded him as he pushed her back toward her bed.
"Later. First we're going to unpack some stress. Got any complaints?" he demanded with mock forcefulness.
"None at all...Sir," she added, sitting down on the bed.
Phoenix stretched her arms over her head, having to fold them at the elbows to keep from punching the wall when she laid back. Her eyes went to his face as Shinra unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. His expression was so serious, so intense, he appeared angry.
She lifted her hips so he could shimmy her jeans and her underwear down her legs. Another laugh escaped her when he flung them behind him the legs flying up behind his head.
Sitting up, she untied the sleeves of his jumpsuit, unzipping it the rest of the way and letting go so the loose fitting article of clothing would fall to the floor. He stood in front of her in nothing but his black t-shirt and underwear.
"Get comfortable," he invited her, grabbing her by the ankle to turn her to lay lengthwise in the bed instead of horizontally across the short width. "Roll over onto your belly."
"Kinda getting into this whole giving orders thing, aren't ya?" she teased, rolling onto her belly and tucking her pillow under her chin and chest. "I think I like it."
"Here's your next order. Close your eyes," he commanded her in a low voice.
Phoenix complied. She could hear movement, the barely perceptible sound of cotton gliding against skin. Biting her lip, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she resisted the urge to steal a glimpse at him getting undressed.
Without a word, Shinra mounted her hips, sitting on her behind. A certain part of his anatomy lay across the small of her back, warm and stiff. His erection twitched with yearning as it glided across her skin when he leaned forward. His powerful fingers grasped the bunched muscles of her shoulders, his thumbs digging mercilessly into her back between her shoulder blades.
"Oh, Holy Sol," she gasped when a white hot jolt of pain shot across her back and down her spine.
It hurt like hell, and she almost asked him to stop. Eventually the pain diminished as he loosened up the muscles by working them with his amazing hands. By the time he finished, she was lay under him definitely less tense but incredibly aroused.
Shinra moved off of her back, pushing her legs apart to kneel in between them. He prodded her to rise up on her knees slightly, and she moved the pillow down to under her belly to hold her hips up.
Phoenix cried out in pleasure as he slowly sank inside of her while leaning over her. As he gradually lowered his body on top of hers, she pressed the back of her hand over her mouth to hold back any further noise. She groaned as he hooked his arms under her shoulders, pulling her up a little to keep from compressing her lungs as he pressed his chest against her back to make skin to skin contact.
His heart beat steady and strong, thumping against her back between her shoulder blades and resonating with hers. He moved slowly, gently, holding her tightly as he took great care in making love to her sharing emotions instead of indulging in a mere physical act. Arching her back, opening her mouth to emit a low moan, she prompted him to move faster.
When he pushed forward, she pushed back toward him, meeting in a clashing of flesh that sent pleasure arcing through their bodies. His mouth pressed to her neck. His teeth nipped her ever so slightly as he pressed his mouth harder against her to stifle his moan into a groan of bliss.
They continued to sway their hips, their pleasure rising in unison as they sought to bring each other to a more than satisfactory climax. He alternately kissed her neck and gave her tender love bites to suppress his utterances of gratification. Shinra hooked one arm around her shoulder and chest, bracing his hand on the mattress underneath her to hold them both up during their simultaneous orgasm.
Like ripples on a pond, the wave started in the center of her body and spread until she was consumed. Phoenix grasped his forearm with one hand, her fingernails sinking into his skin. When she felt him weaken, growing heavy against her back, she flattened her hand beside his on the bed to push and help with propping them up so they would not collapse on the bed. The vibrations of his erratic heartbeat hummed through her chest and extended through her entire body until she felt like she was going to shake apart.
Shinra enveloped her with his arms and turned to the side to fall onto the bed instead of on top of her. He grunted as she wiggled around in his arms to face him, tucking her head under his chin and pressing her face into his chest.
"We should get up," Phoenix said despite making no attempt to move.
"We should," he agreed, only to enclose her more securely in his arms.
The drowsiness of complete sexual satisfaction settled over them. Without meaning to, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
~\..'../~
Phoenix shivered. Chillbumps erupted over her entire body. A discomfort formed in her chest as if her heart had turned to stone, growing hard and heavy while barely beating. Although her eyes were not open, she could tell she was in that place again - the one between dreams and reality where for a short time she existed on a completely different plane. And she was not alone.
"Come to me," he commanded her.
She recognized that voice. Soft, breathy yet sinister and threatening despite its softness. Shō Kusakabe.
Down on her knees, head bowed, she knelt in front of the childlike commander in a subservient position. She stayed quiet and still in front of him stubbornly refusing to answer.
"Did you hear me?" Shō asked.
"I heard you," she replied, keeping her head down.
"Give me your hand, and I will show you the way."
"No."
"Come to me," he ordered her. it was not a request.
"Why?" she challenged him, raising her head.
Phoenix willfully glared into the eyes of the young man standing above her.
"Do you not understand how to follow orders?" he asked her without the smallest bit of irritation.
Phoenix said nothing, gritting her teeth instead in pigheaded opposition. She would not give into him so easily. Besides, this is nothing more than a hyper realistic dream while her brain tried to work out what exactly is going on. Isn't it?
Following orders had never been her strong suit. Being a headstrong, domineering woman had endeared her to Captain Hibana enabling her to fit right in with the woman's philosophy which allowed her the freedom to do pretty much as she pleased while a member of Company Five.
Captain Ōbi allowed her the same freedom to be herself giving her only loose boundaries to operate inside. However, he did teach her how to follow orders for the good of others without impeding on her independent nature.
Standing to her feet, her chin lowering to look down at the shorter, younger boy, she set her lips in a determined line. She would not give up her freedom to anyone especially the White Clad standing in front of her.
"A servant should always obey their master. You will be punished for your disobedience," he warned.
"I'm not the one you truly want," she said. "So why are you talking to me? I am not your angel. I am not your servant."
"Actually, you are more important to me than you think," he returned.
When Phoenix raised a questioning eyebrow, obviously doubtful of his words, he sighed.
"Figured it out have you? You are a very smart woman. Too smart for your own good," he stated blandly, far from impressed with her deduction.
"Yeah, I've been told that before," she responded.
"But do you know the entire story? I doubt you can fathom the entire scope of your purpose."
Phoenix began to shake when he stared deeply into her eyes as if trying to see down into her soul.
"Why don't you tell me? Hmm? I love stories," she rejoined, folding her arms as much to warm herself as an attempt to hide her fear.
She was scared, terrified really, of hearing the truth. How could she be sure it is really the truth or just more of her own vivid imaginings?
"Tell me first, is this real? Are you really here talking to me? How? Why? What is it you really want from me?"
"I am sure you are somewhat familiar with an Adolla Link. Surely by possessing an Adolla Burst yourself and having such a close relationship with that man Shinra Kusakabe," he said, spitting out the last four words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth. "You have experienced a link with him, have you not?"
"That man is your brother," she reminded him, stepping toward him in a rage fueled burst of courage. "Are you saying this is a different kind of link? But I've never met you or been close to you. How - "
"Do you think there is only one kind of link? Only a single manifestation or method of connecting with possessors of the Adolla Burst? While it is true we have never met face to face, he has a connection to you, and I have linked with him before. It is an extremely simple concept really," he stated in a derogatory tone hinting that she was not understanding and stupid.
"Yeah, I get it. This is all very new to me. I wasn't raised by a cult and tutored in all of these arcane concepts like some people."
"In your present state you are at your most vulnerable. Your psyche is easily breached and highly suggestible."
"Good to know. I am sure you know a lot about using people. I suppose you did learn from the best when it comes to matters of conditioning and influence. Brainwashing to be blunt."
"You tell me something now since we seem to be sharing information," he said, quickly turning the tables on her as they were playing a game of give and take. "Tell me what you think you know."
"I'm guessing your little encounter with your brother at Vulcan's was a test...a test of Shinra's skill and worthiness. Your intentions were to take him that day, wasn't it? But you failed," she stated brusquely.
Phoenix knew she was ambling into dangerous territory, poking the little bear so to speak to see if it was possible to get a rise out of him. Her stomach felt as if it wre turning inside out, despite her bravado.
All of her insides seemed to rattle around inside of her as his red eyes glittered with something close to amusement. Or he could be happy because he was preparing to kill her. She could not be sure.
"What else?" he prompted her, propping his hand on the handle of his sword strapped to his side.
Phoenix glanced down at his hand which did not grip the handle but merely used it as a resting place. A knot formed in her throat forcing her to swallow several times to rid herself of it before she could speak again. When she did speak, her voice was loud and clear and confident. She did not feel confident at all, but he did not need to know that.
She went on to explain how she believed the White Clad only wanted her as a pawn to be used against Shinra to draw him into their fold. She is expendable to them. Shinra is not. They already had him as their commander. Surely they had big plans for his brother. Together they would be far more powerful.
"Do you really think so little of yourself? That you will be used as a mere tool and thrown away?" he asked, the hint of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth.
"Yes," she replied, finding the confidence she sought about the worst possible thing. "That's exactly what I think. I don't see how I could be of any more real use to you."
"You surely are a bright shining star," he said. He actually seemed pleased despite his expression and tone never changing. "You are a herald. A messenger."
Tell me something I haven't heard!, she wanted to yell at him, another burst of anger permeating her system and pushing away the fear. Inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, she watched as a puff of smoke exited her mouth. The distraction enabled her to get a grip on her attitude and temper.
"What exactly is my message, Commander?" she asked, pretending to play along with his lead.
"A message of vengeance. You will declare the beginning of the Second Great Disaster," he replied bluntly. "You are the first sacrifice. Your blood will be the first to spill."
Phoenix's abdomen ached as if she had been punched straight in the gut. She bit her lower lip to hold back the laughter that bubbled up her throat. Despite its being incredibly unbefitting of the situation, unbridled terror mixed with shock and cynicism made the laughter want to break free regardless of the inappropriateness.
"Your birth was foretold," Shō said, his passive eyes meeting hers. "Phoenix."
She visibly winced, stumbling back from him at the shock of hearing him speak her name. Quickly she regain her composure, squaring her shoulders and looking directly into his eyes.
"is that so?" she challenged him.
*"Peace will never reside within her for it is hers to give birth to war. When the bird of wonder dies another will rise," he began to recite.
Phoenix stumbled when her knees instantly dissolved. She knew those words. Her mind immediately started searching, trying to remember where she had heard them or seen them.
*"From her ashes a new heir will be created... greater in admiration than the maiden phoenix before her...her blessings shall be heaped upong the one after her. One day she will be called upon to leave her cloud of darkness," he continued, speaking slowly deliberately.
"Where did you hear those words? Where do they come from?" she asked him, pressing her fingertips to her forehead to make her head stop spinning - but it did not.
Then she remembered where she knew them from. She had seen those words in her mother's diary. At the time, they made no sense to her - just like many other random thoughts her mother had written sporadically throughout her journals. She had always assumed they were simply bursts of creative inspiration when her mother waxed poetic. But now she realized they were something much, much more.
*"Then, from the sacred ashes of her honor, she shall star-like rise...sending her message to all of those who believe...to take up arms and reclaim their fallen world. And so she will die...returning to the ashes from whence she came," he finished.
His eyes followed her movements as she faltered and dropped back down onto her knees in front of him.
*"That is the prophecy of your birth and your destiny," he informed her coldly. "And before them she will stand fixed. A symbol of birth and death by flame...her honor left behind as a banner for those he bear witness to carry into battle. From her ashes peace, plenty, love, and truth will be born. So will begin the renewal of the earth. The victory will theirs...the chosen ones."
"By chosen ones, I assume you mean those who believe like you...who believe in your Evangelist and the Holy Sol Temple," she growled through her teeth. She hoped she appeared fierce and not sick while the nausea tried to consume her and make her vomit.
Shō paused, bending down to look at her face as he spoke the next words.
"May Holy Sol's bright shining light cover their path so her sacrifice by fire lights the Eight Eternal Flames that brings honor and greatness to them all."
Phoenix felt numb. The White Clad meant to use her as a human sacrifice to insure their victory.
"You are only the beginning. The sacrifice upon the altar. The first flame meant to die and burn away into nothingness. Just like your mother," he added, giving her one last stab straight to the heart with his piercing words.
You're crazy!, she wanted to scream but could not find her voice. She felt like she could not breathe, although she was sucking in great gasping inhales that made her chest rise and fall so heavily she swayed back and forth where she sat.
"My mother," she said, her voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper. The fury returned like a flash fire igniting her brain. "What the hell do you know about my mother?"
Shō said nothing. He waited patiently, unmoving until her eyes met his.
"I know that your mother was once a Knight of the Ashen Flame. She betrayed the Evangelist and all her brethren when she turned her back on them and ran like a shameful coward. She renounced her beliefs and let down all of those who believed in her. All in the name of science," he snarled, his top lip peeling back from his teeth.
For the first time his voice exhibited emotion. He was angry at her mother for betraying the Knights and his precious Evangelist. He held a a grudge against a woman who was dead way before he was even a twinkle in his father's eye.
"I'm guessing they told you bedtime stories about her. A devil. A boogieman. A cautionary tale of what happens to those who betray the Evangelist," she said with all of the sarcasm and boldness she could muster.
"What do you know about me?" he questioned her in return, hit teeth gritted together.
"I know that your brother believed in you and knew he would find you alive although everyone told him you were dead. People blamed him for the death of you and your mother. They called him a devil. Despite all of that, he is a kind and wonderful man who still loves you. All he wants is his little brother back. That's what I know about you," she virtually growled at him.
Phoenix noticed his rapid return to his normal apathetic state after the spark of rage. The passive expression returned. His facial muscles relaxed allowing his frown to disappear. His jaw loosened developing the childish roundness again.
Without a doubt he knew her weak points - Shinra and her mother. She had inadvertently equipped him with the weapons to use against her. However, she had also learned a few of his buttons to push as well.
"You possess a righteous anger meant for vengeance," Shō said, marveling at her as if he had found a shiny bauble that captured his attention. Something to be played with then tossed aside when his interest waned.
"I will not stand with you. I will not be a disposable tool for the Evangelist," she swore to him.
"What will you do then? Will you avenge your mother's pointless death? She was supposed to be the initial spark, but she ran away. She paid dearly for her transgressions against the Evangelist. Or will you attempt to seek revenge for the man you love? All of those who shunned him...hurt him...called him a devil and a murderer. "
"If I choose to take revenge on those who have hurt Shinra..." Phoenix paused, keeping her eyes locked with his even as he stood up. "That would include you. I would put you at the top of my list."
"Hmph," he snorted derisively, his lips tilting into an arrogant smirk. "Are you sure you do not want to take your rightful place? Die with honor and pass it on to heir? Will you really dare to stand against the Evangelist and her Knights?"
"I. Will. Not," she snapped, enunciating each word as a sentence all unto itself. "I have no place with you."
"We shall see," he sighed, totally unfazed by her resolve. "What you are now and what you are meant to be will always be at odds. That is the way it is meant to be. No one can outrun their destiny no matter how far they go," he stated with a cryptic air.
"Hah!" she scoffed. "We each make our own destiny. My mother chose hers, and I will choose my own."
"Did she really?" he asked her pointedly, looming over her. "In the end, she died just as she was supposed to in order to bring you into this world."
Phoenix tried to move,to stand, so she could at least have the advantage of height over him. Her brittle confidence cracked and shattered. Her legs refused to move. All she could do was glare up at him from her kneeling position in front of him - a position of subservience. Dammit!
"Before you begin to think too highly of yourself," the commander warned her, "you should remember you are the mere spark who lights the eight flames who will burn the world."
"Eight flames? What are you talking about?" she asked.
Suddenly he was in her face, almost nose to nose with her. Then there was pressure on her belly like something pushing against her. And it was cold. Looking down, she saw he held his hand with the palm pressed flat to her abdomen.
"Like with her, if you fail, there will be another to take your place. That is the death and life cycle of the phoenix. That is the way things will be until the Second Cataclysm comes."
"What - "
Phoenix blinked, and he was gone. When he disappeared so did the overwhelming pressure pushing down on her and compressing her lungs. As if she had been drowning and was pulled above the surface of the water, she could breathe in air. Pulling in a loud, wheezing breathe, her eyes popped open.
Phoenix stared at the white ceiling above her trying to get her bearings. Everything above her seemed to waver and the bed under her felt like it was shaking. Then she realized it was only because of her trembling.
Turning her head, she saw Shinra still sleeping soundly beside her. When asleep, he looked so young and childlike - so much like his little brother.
The backs of her fingers brushed across his cheek. She needed to touch him, to know he is real and not another vision that would fade away. When he moaned and wriggled around, she sighed in relief and closed her eyes. He could feel her too. That's very good.
His hand moved across her belly causing her to flinch away. But his hand was warm. Undaunted by her wrenching away, he grasped her hip and pulled her closer to him. Holding her in a sideways hug, he nestled his face into her neck. The soft fringes of his hair tickled her chin bringing a smile to her lips.
It was just a dream...a bad, terrible, awful dream...but just a dream, she told herself. Whatever the hell that was that just occurred between her and Shō Kusakabe, she was going to believe it was a dream no matter what he said because she had to believe it was not real in order to hold onto her last thin thread of sanity.
"Another bad dream?" Shinra mumbled, his lips grazing her neck as he spoke.
"Yeah. I'm sorry," Phoenix apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you up. Just another stupid nightmare. Crazier than the last one."
"Would you like for me to do something to help you forget it?" he inquired, kissing her neck.
"Yes, please," she almost begged stretching her neck to offer him more skin to kiss.
He kissed her neck while his hands explored her chest. He grunted as she clambered on top of him, sliding herself into place.
Phoenix gazed into his eyes; the eyes she knew so well and loved with all of her heart. She drank in their warmth to rid herself of the remnants of that cold place and the frigid glare of eyes so similar yet spectacularly different than his.
She made love to him slowly, sweetly to revel in their closeness. Nothing at all mattered in the world in this moment except the two of them. When it was over, she kissed him on the lips, then lay down beside him.
"I hate to say this, I really do, but - " She cut him off by kissing his lips.
"I know," she sighed, patting his chest over his heart. "You need to go."
"I love you."
Her eyes met his and she smiled.
"I know," she returned.
Shinra smiled broadly back at her. After stealing one more kiss, he rolled out of the bed.
"You lied to me, Shinra Kusakabe," she accused him, sitting up in the bed to watch him as he hunted for his clothes amid hers strewn all over the floor.
"No, I didn't," he shot back, throwing a black t-shirt at her. "Oh, no wait...that's mine."
Phoenix balled up the shirt and threw it back at him, hitting him in the face with it.
"Thanks," he mumbled under the material before pulling it off of his face.
"You said you were going to help me pack. Instead you distracted me. In the best way possible of course, but still..." she pouted, sitting straight up in bed. "I didn't get a damn thing done."
"Yeah, speaking of distractions," he remarked, his eyes focusing on her bare breasts. "Hey, that was a hell of a going away present don't ya think?"
"Oh, my goodness. Someone is full of themselves this morning," she teased him as he leaned down to kiss her. "Cocky much?"
"I am not cocky...just convinced. It's your fault you know." He rubbed the tip of his nose across hers.
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered in mock aggravation.
When he moved in for another kiss, she pressed the palm of her hand against his face and pushed him away. If he kept kissing her, they would have sex again and most definitely get caught.
"You better go. If you don't leave now, we're going to get into big trouble."
"I know. I love you," he told her, giving her a quick hug.
"I love you too."
After pulling on his clothes, he went to the door. Carefully unlocking it and twisting the knob ever so slowly, he acted as if the slightest squeak might bring someone running to investigate.
Phoenix watched him open the door and slip away like a thief. He is a thief. A damn good one. He had completely stolen her heart away from her.
~\..'../~
Phoenix was wrapping her mother's private journals in the pink flowered cloth she always keep them in when there was a knock on her door. She placed the bundle in her suitcase, hiding it between her shirts. There was no reason to hide them, but she felt like she needed to keep them hidden all the same.
"Hey, Duchess, it's me," Captain Ōbi called from the other side of the door.
"Coming," she rejoined, going straight to the door to open it.
Through the mere four inches she cracked it, he extended a croissant filled with cream cheese and strawberries.
"Peace offering?" she snapped, glaring at the delicious looking pastry.
"Maki brought you this. She said it's your favorite. You skipped breakfast so I thought I would bring it to you."
"Since it's from Maki I'll accept it," she said, snatching the baked good wrapped in waxed paper from him and opening the door all the way.
"Are you okay?" he questioned her, rubbing that back of his neck self-consciously.
"No," she answered curtly and honestly.
"I suppose that's fair. At least you're being completely truthful. If there was another way..." he began in an attempt to explain his motivations but couldn't find the words.
"Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it. I'm trying to understand. I'm doing my best to see things from the perspective of others," she said, hazhazardly tossing the last stack of shirts into her suitcase and slamming down the lid.
"You're all packed and ready?" he asked trying to sound cheerful.
"As I'll ever be," she sighed, plopping down on the bed to eat the breakfast dessert.
"The meeting will be starting soon. Everyone is already here," he informed her as if warning her to prepare herself to behave.
Phoenix had no intention of misbehaving. The last time she and her former Captain were in the same room together things had gotten a bit heated and she had said things she should not have said but did not regret one iota. Her only regret was that she put her present Captain in a bad situation by being insubordinate to a fellow Captain in his presence. She would do better today.
Today would be the first time Phoenix and Captain Hibana would be in the same room together since their little confrontation. Captain Ōbi had no idea what to expect when those two came into close proximity of each other.
So far Phoenix seemed unusually low key and reserved. She was definitely not her usual self which actually bothered the Captain more than if she were stomping around complaining, fussing about everything, and carrying on like a two year old having a temper tantrum. At least then he would know what she was thinking and feeling.
"Well, I better go make sure everything is ready. I need to hide all of the sharp objects," he mumbled as he away.
Phoenix snickered after hearing his words. She wondered if he said it on purpose to make her giggle. She would miss him. She would miss all of them - her family. In an instant, tears filled her eyes and overran her lower lids to streak down her cheeks.
"You're not going away forever, stupid," she chastised herself, snatching a tissue out to the box to dry her face. "Besides, you'll have a chance to get to know your real father. Won't that be nice?"
"Who are you talking to?" Shinra asked her, appearing in her doorway.
"Oh!" she cried out, jumping and whirling around to face him. "You scared the hell out of me."
"So who are you talking to?"
"Just myself. Trying to convince myself why this is a good thing, and why I shouldn't be crying. It's only temporary and - "
"Hey," he interrupted her. "It's okay to feel the way you feel. It sucks, and I hate it too, but it's something we need to do."
"Yeah. That pretty much sums it up."
"I'll walk you to the meeting room."
"Thanks."
Phoenix walked beside him, the back of her hand brushing across his as they slowly strolled down the hall.
"I won't wait too long before I come to see you," he promised.
"And I'll call you every night," she promised in return.
As they neared the meeting room, Phoenix could hear voices. She heard Konro's first, thanking Iris for the tea she served him. Then she heard Captain Hibana yell at Captain Ōbi for forcing Iris to the do the job of a common house maid. After that she could only hear the mumblings of the conversation between her and Iris before Karim said something.
"Sounds like things are already lively in there," Shinra commented, taking her hand in his and squeezing it before quickly letting go.
When she reached the open door, Iris was bowing to everyone and taking her leave. She smiled at the girl who smiled back and continued on her way to the kitchen.
"Good luck," Shinra whispered, kissing Phoenix's cheek before following Iris. "Hey, Sister, do you need any help?"
Phoenix straightened her shoulders, put on her best resting bitch face, and entered the room. She nearly tripped over Karim because she did not expect him to be sitting on the floor at the end of the couch. HIbana sat perched on the back on the sofa like a glorious pink haired bird.
What the hell is going on in here?, she thought to herself, nodding at Konro and walking past Captain Ōbi who stood to the side.
Taking a seat in the chair in the corner, she picked up the notepad and pencil to begin taking notes. She had purposely placed the chair and her writing implements there last night, setting herself apart from the others. Since she had no choice but to be here, she could follow orders but still be as far away as possible.
"Do you not understand how to follow orders?" the Commander's voice floated through her brain. As if it was not bad enough he invaded her dreams, he was beginning to encroach upon her waking moments as well.
Phoenix shook her head to clear away the remnants of the ghost of him to get down to business. She lifted her pencil to get ready.
"Well, i think I can safely skip the niceties and get to the point of this meeting. We can put together to pieces of information we've gathered here and there about the White Clad. Maybe we can all learn something new. Then we can decide how to deal with them. Agreed?" he asked, receiving a unified response of agreement.
Konro apologized for not having much to contribute considering they did not believe the White Clad existed until seeing them firsthand during the incident in Asakusa. Hibana remarked the White Clad are responsible for making an innumerable amount of Infernals and would be responsible for any mass events of Spontaneous Combustion.
Duh, Phoenix wanted to snidely retort but kept her mouth shut and kept writing. They had experienced a mass event of Infernals being created at once in Asakusa.
"Rekka Hoshimiya was turning those children into Infernals in search of something called the pilot light. The bugs are also used to find people with a special ability. Unfortunately, we don't know what that ability is yet," Karim said.
The pilot light? What the hell is the pilot light?, Phoenix wondered as she made a star by those words. She had never that phrase used before. Shō Kusakabe had not mentioned anything like that. Perhaps they did not use that exact terminology. Shaking her head again, she focused back on the task at hand.
"At Vulcan's Workshop, we learned Dr. Giovanni is a member of the White Clad and was looking for the key to Amaterasu," Captain Ōbi said next. "We don't know what their plans are for the power plant yet. It was reported by the media that an impostor was responsible for the attack. Vulcan verified the man at the press conference was the impostor. It's safe to assume the real Giovanni took off, scuttling back to whatever hole the rest of his kind are hiding in."
"Several fire soldiers from the third have disappeared as well. I think we can assume they are White Clad spies as well," Hibana added. "There's no doubt they have returned to the Evangelist along with their Captain. I doubt any suspicion has been cast on Haijima Industries in this incident as of yet. But it doesn't really matter since they are beyond reproach being far out of the government's reach. They are untouchable. Considering they back Company Three, that pretty much absolves them as well. "
"We shouldn't wait too long before acting. It's obvious they're getting bolder in their attacks. Now that they've had a close call with getting caught, they probably feel they do not have anything to lose which will make them even bolder," Karim said.
"I'd say out best chance is to strike first," suggested Ōbi. "We should take the fight to them. They won't be expecting that."
"But first you need to find out where they are hiding, you big dumb gorilla," remarked Captain HIbana insulting as ever.
"I'm already on that. Viktor is at Vulcan's place searching for clues to their whereabouts as we speak," he informed her with a smile of pride on his face at being a step ahead of her for once.
Phoenix sighed as she half way listened to rest of their conversation but did not bother taking notes. The topics being discussed at this time did not need to go on record.
Viktor Licht's loyalties and trustworthiness came into question and so did the capability of the Eighth's members to be able to handle another skirmish with the White Clad. Admittedly, they had not done well so far when confronted with members of the mysterious and powerful group.
Discussion of how to make the Eighth's recruits better followed. Konro suggested allowing him to bring Shinra and Arthur back with him to learn from Beni. He is the best of the best after all.
Good luck on convincing Beni, Konro, she thought to herself. So much for Shinra coming to see her any time soon.
"Phoenix and I were already planning on practicing to polish our skills. Captain Burns will most likely want to oversee at least part of her training as well," Karim added.
"Do you have anything to add?" Captain Ōbi asked.
Phoenix glanced up to see who he was talking to. With all eyes on her, she realized he was speaking to her.
"Do I have anything to add?" she asked herself out loud. Then her eyes landed on Captain Hibana. "I don't have anything to add, but I do have a question though. Princess, did you know my mother was a White Clad?"
Captain Hibana's mouth dropped open, and not because she referred to her by her nickname given to her by others. The color actually drained from her lovely tanned face leaving her skin pale and sickly in appearance. Pink dots of color formed on the apples of her cheeks then began to spread across her face gradually darkening as everyone stared at her.
"Who told you that?" Hibana asked as her.
"So it's true?" Phoenix countered.
"I never said - "
"I know you never said, and that is the problem," she responded gruffly, cutting off the woman's words before she could lie to her - again. "I will ask you one more time, did you know my mother was a White Clad?"
"I did. I didn't give you her journals writen during her time spent there. It would have only confused you and disappointed you. I will admit I didn't tell you everything...but it was for your own good. I withheld many of her personal documents from you," she confessed, kicking her foot nervously. She crossed her arms and lowered her gaze to avoid Phoenix's glare. "That includes letters between her and your father. I also altered many of the diaries and notes I did give to you."
Phoenix began to shake. She heard a snap like a twig breaking. Looking down at her hand, she saw she had broken her pencil in half. Her fingers trembled as she carefully placed the pieces on the notepad and set everything on the table beside the chair.
"I was only trying to protect you. I figured it would only hurt you more if you knew all of the truth," Hibana said, following her ex-subordinate's every movement as she stood up from her chair.
The Princess did not act the least bit remorseful. She raised her cute round nose into the air and dared to look down it at Phoenix as she sat haughtily on the back of the couch as if it were a throne.
"I appreciate everyone looking out for me, trying to protect me. The poor little child who lost her mother in the worst way possible at her birth. And now I know my mom did not keep me a secret from my father. Thanks for that lie, you bi-"
"Phoenix, don't!" Ōbi yelled, stopping her before she could say the entire insulting word.
Phoenix could feel her blood heating in her veins. She wanted to lash out, slap Hibana silly or wrap her hands around the woman's neck and squeeze real, real hard. She did neither of those things. Instead, she went to the window and opened it. She inhaled deeply, concentrating on the breeze blowing across her face as she tried to calm herself.
"Phoenix?" Captain Ōbi called to her as she sat down on the sill. "How angry are you?"
A smile actually touched her lips. He did not ask her if she was okay or if she was angry. Phoenix was grateful to her perceptive Captain who Hibana viewed as a dumb, oafish brute. It her former Captain who was an idiot - especially where people are concerned. She believed Ōbi to be exceptionally smart when dealing with people in general and far more emotionally intuitive than the dominatrix Princess.
"I'm mad enough to kill her, Captain Ōbi," she admitted. "And that is why I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?" he asked her, his voice calm.
"I'm going to see my father. I have some questions for him too," she said, ducking her head under the window to flip backwards.
She extended her wings and pushed them back with all of her might to propel herself forward. A hot wind from the blast of heat blew back into the room ruffling the hair of the occupants.
"She always did like making a dramatic exit," Hibana commented, boredly picking at her fingernails.
The three men in the room glowered at her hotly, but she did not seem to notice and definitely did not care.
"I should go," Karim announced. "I really need to catch up to her."
"That's not gonna happen," Konro warned him.
"I know. And Captain Burns is going to kill me. Bye!" he exclaimed, making a quick exit.
"Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Beni," Konro said, standing up and looking around.
"Use the one in my office next door," Ōbi said, pointing to the right to indicate the direction he should go.
When they were alone, the irate Captain turned to the woman still sitting on the back of the couch as if it were her throne. She had produced a nail file from somewhere and was scrubbing at her nails.
"Did you know from the beginning her mother was a member of the White Clad?" he asked her. "Why did you withhold so much information from her? How could you do that? Especially about her father."
"Like I said, I did it to protect her," she replied, sliding the file back into the pocket of her jacket.
"Are you sure? To me it sounds like you were protecting yourself," he stated as an accusation rather than an observation. "You used that girl to do your dirty work, and you damn sure weren't too intent on protecting her life when you sent her into Haijima Labs time and time again."
"I had faith in that girl, and my faith was not misplaced. She completed her missions flawlessly and without incident so I was right."
"And we all know how much you love being right."
"Listen, gorilla, I really was trying to protect her even if I went about it in a way you do not approve of. I was hoping she would never find out the truth about her mother being a member of the White Clad," Hibana sighed, for the first time exhibiting a hint of sadness. "I'm sorry, Ōbi. I really am."
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
~\..'../~
Phoenix entered the building, bypassing the front desk without a peep from the protective nun. As she stomped down the hall to her father's office, she could hear the woman talking to him on the phone warning him of his impending surprise guest.
The door opened before she could reach for the doorknob. Her father stepped out to meet her, holding the door open, and extending his arm to invite her inside.
"What is it?" he asked. "Did something happen?"
"When were you going to tell me about my mother?" she demanded, refusing the seat he offered her. "When were you going to tell me she was a Knight of the Ashen Flame? Was anything you told me about her true?"
Her father sat down in his chair while she paced back and forth in front of his desk. She could feel her anger leaving her like when the air is released from a balloon. But she needed to hang onto it to keep herself from completely falling apart.
She was familiar with anger, comfortable with it. It was the sadness, the betrayal, the helplessness, and that damn penetrating hurt that filtered all the way through her heart she could not stand.
"I didn't find out until later in our relationship that she had ever been part of them. She ran away from the Evangelist when she was about your age. She turned her back on her religion and everything she once believed. Don't you think that was terrifying for her?" he asked.
Phoenix could feel her anger ebbing. He sounded as sad and hurt as she felt. Their emotions were syncing up, allowing the other to feel exactly what they were feeling while lessening the painful emotions. Their Adolla Link. Each one truly is different.
"Your mother found a new way to believe in science. She wanted to make sense of this world and find the key to Spontaneous Human Combustion. She knew there had to be more to it than divine retribution. She enrolled in the university of math and science to begin her new life," her father explained. "We met soon after at that pizza restaurant. I wasn't lying about that."
"I'm sorry. I just..."
Defeated and tired, she sat down in the chair across from his desk.
"I just don't know what to think. Everything keeps changing. So many things I believed all of my life are now being exposed as lies. And I'm being told other things that make no damn sense. Ahhh!" Phoenix screamed, grabbing fistfuls of her hair in frustration. "I don't know what to think and it just makes me so damn mad!"
"I know you're angry. Devastated would not even begin to describe how you feel," he said, standing up from his chair. Reaching across his desk, he waited for her to put his hand in his. "The reason she was so adamant against our relationship is because I was studying to be a priest. She said she wanted nothing to do with religion at all. Nothing."
"I get it, Dad," she assured him. "So why didn't you just leave her alone? Why didn't you just, I don't know, not pursue her? She said she wasn't interested in you so why - "
"It wasn't just love at first sight," he said, his eye meeting hers. "Because we had a bond, a connection - "
"A link? An Adolla Link more specifically?" she ventured.
"Yes," he confirmed, his fingers squeezing her hand lightly. "How do you know about that? You and Shinra have one too?"
"Yeah. So I know exactly how you feel," she sighed.
"I did honor her wishes to never get married no matter how much it pained me. Especially when she told me she was pregnant with you. She broke off our relationship, not wanting to draw attention from the White Clad onto me or herself." He stroked the back of Phoenix's hand with his thumb. "She was also very concerned about embarrassing me, bringing dishonor to me should anyone discover her pregnancy. She hid it until the very end. Only four people knew about your existence before your arrival. Myself, your aunt and uncle, and of course her."
Phoenix felt slightly dizzy and dazed, suddenly devoid of emotion as shock set in. Her father's calm demeanor began to still her feelings that were running away from her. She glanced down at his long, strong fingers that enclosed her hand and squeezed back.
"Haven't you noticed the link between us?" she asked at last when his tranquility quelled the storm inside of her.
"It's so subtle, barely perceptible, I didn't notice it at first. I guess that's what kept you from tearing my head off at our first meeting. It's growing stronger," he murmured, raising his other hand to rub the temple beside his eye-patch. "It's always been quite painful before. I didn't know it was possible to have such a low key, not entirely unpleasant experience."
"My connection with Shinra was so powerful it was painful at first. Then I guess our bodies adjusted to each other. So I really do understand having that instant connection different from anything else you've ever felt and beyond your own comprehension. I wouldn't have been able to stay away from him either. Maybe it's easier for us since we're father and daughter, tied by blood as well. A more natural link?" she suggested.
"Maybe," he murmured. Then his eyebrows drew together, his jaw muscles tightening. "Where is Lieutenant Flam? Wasn't he supposed to walk you here?"
"Yes, but I left in a hurry. It's not his fault," she assured her father. "I left him behind without warning. So please don't be angry with him."
With uncanny timing, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" Captain Burns grumpily inquired.
"It's Karim Flam, Sir. May I enter?" he requested.
"Come in," he returned.
Red faced, sweaty, and panting, Karim Flam entered the room. Phoenix had never seen the usually calm and bored looking Lieutenant looking so flustered. Casting a scathing glimpse at Phoenix, he stepped up to his Captain's desk.
"I'm sorry for failing in my duties of escorting your daughter here safely, Sir."
"At ease, Lieutenant. She already told me what happened. It's her fault you failed. Not yours." Captain Burns looked at his daughter. "I believe we should continue our conversation at a later time after we have both had a chance to rest and regroup."
"Yes, Sir," she said, standing up from the chair.
"Lieutenant, please show our guest to her room," he ordered Karim.
"Yes, Sir," he replied, saluting then turning to follow Phoenix out of Captain Burns' office.
Phoenix waited for him in the hall, her hands clutched together in front of her. When he closed the door behind him, she bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"I'm just glad he wasn't angry."
"Me too. So where will I be staying?"
"We have a special guest facility set apart from the regular fire soldier's dorms and the nun's quarters," he said, opening the door for her to exit the building.
Karim led her to a the building where she first met Shinra. Her room wound up being the very one Shinra and Arthur had been staying in. Her suitcase had already been placed in the room.
"Well, welcome to your home away from home. If you need anything, just dial zero on that phone. It goes directly to your father's assistant, and she will help you," he said.
"Hmmm, that woman probably hates me. I wasn't too nice the last time I came here."
"You do have your moments, don't you? Is there anything else you need at the moment?"
"No. Actually, I think I'm going to take a nap," she said, looking at the bed.
"Good idea. I'll be back later to get you for dinner. I'm looking forward to a sparring session tomorrow."
"You got it."
Phoenix exhaled noisily, dropping down heavily onto the bed. For a moment, she stared at the dark wood paneled ceiling above her, then her eyes closed. Soon she fell asleep. Anger is exhausting.
Author's note: The quote that Shō speaks is inspired by an excerpt from the the play Henry VIII by William Shakespeare. The words are spoken by the character John Fletcher, Archbishop Cranmer in Act V, Scene v in reference to Elizabeth (who was to become Queen Elizabeth I).
...Nor shall this peace sleep with her; but as when
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,
Her ashes new create another heir
As great in admiration as herself;
So shall she leave her blessedness to one,
When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,
Who from the sacred ashes of her honour
Shall star-like rise as great in fame as she was,
And so stand fix'd...
