Remember
A memory floating
on the frothing wind stirs
the heart
in places unknown
and I
see it cascading down upon the world
to get caught in
spaces between wrong and right
to get stuck in
places between our hearts
between our love
lettering swirls around us and I
notice
how wrong we are, and how incredibly right.
Chapter One: Refugees, Dancing and a rousing game of Candyland
March
Edea Kramer glanced nervously out the doorway, waiting for her visitors to arrive.She grimaced at the thought. 'Visitors? More like refugees...' When the car pulled up, she beconned them hurriedly inside.
"Mr. and Mrs. Caraway, please, come inside, quickly!"
The stiff general and the innocent looking singer passed timidly through the door way. Edea peered fawningly at the child in Julia Caraway's arms. "Her name is Rinoa, she's just turned five." said Julia softly. Edea smiled. "She'll get along *wonderfully* with the others, I'm sure. Needless to say you'll be staying with us?" Mr.Caraway nodded, turning to Cid Kramer, who had been standing behind Edea."We're...*extremely* grateful for your hospitality, Cid." Cid laughed jovially "Anything for an old army collegue! Now, *how* about getting you settled in?"
Ellone peered out of the doorway into the room. Seeing the new people, she turned. "Quisty! They're *here*!" The small blonde nodded and shook Selphie,the tiny girl asleep next to her. "Sephy! Wake up!" The brunnette nodded sleepily "Booyaka..." she mumbled, allowing herself to be dragged out of bed. After pulling Selphie into a decently rumpled yellow jumper, Quistis sprang up to poke Fujin in the side."Fuu-chan, they're *here*!" The silver haired girl stirred, and adjusting the tiny eyepatch, she jumped up and out of bed. "ALREADY?" Xu rose from beside her. "Yeah,Matwon just told us yesterday they were coming!" Ellone nodded, "I know." Xu turned to Fujin "How is it, Fuu-chan?" Fujin touched her eyepatch tenderly "ALRIGHT..." she said with a sigh. Her eye had been ruined in an accident a while ago, involving firecrackers. The children were no longer allowed to play with them. Edea had healed Fujin to the best of her ability, but had been unable to save the eye. Ellone stood in silence for a minute, remembering. Then suddenly she spoke up "*C'mon* you guys, lets go!"
Irvine tackled Seifer. "Gimme back my *hat* yoo big bully!" Seifer held the crumpled cowboy hat out of little Irvine's reach. Zell grabbed it from Seifer, fixed it and placed it on his head.The blond scowled, still wrestling with Irvine. "Raijin, get it back from Chickenwuss!" the large boy obliged, grabbing it and climbing up to Squall's bunk. Zell leaped up, trying to grab it back. "Whatever..." said Squall, chewing thoughtfully on a green Crayola crayon. Nida sat behind him,quietly, peering at the work of art in progress on Squalls lap. Fujin entered "GUESTS!" she hissed, reaching up and holding out her hand to Raijin for the hat. Raijin handed it over, and Fujin pushed it onto Irvines head, dragging him and Zell out to the main room. Squall, Seifer, Nida, and Raijin scrambled out behind.
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Rinoa's eyes went wide as the large group of children paraded out before her.Selphie,
now awake, crawled out from behind Ellone, extended her hand, and giggled "Hiya! I'm Sephy! Hoo r yoo?" "Rinoa." The small girl said, a smile spilling out across her face.Everyone else looked awedly at the newcomer. Edea smiled and led the older Caraways out of the room "We'll let them get to know each other." she paused a second and called back over her shoulder "Ellone, Quistis, and Nida are in charge!"
Seifer scowled "Thats not *fair*!!" He hefted his makeshift cardboard blade, a symbol of power to the kids, even if he hadn't been put in charge. Ellone sat down on the small couch next to Rinoa, and Squall climbed up into her lap. Nida folded himself neatly at her feet, and Zell curled up next to him. Everyone else made a small semi-circle around them, ready to interrogate the new girl.
"REASON?" Fujin asked, kindly, the coldness in her voice lost for a moment. Rinoa hesitated, a bit."Uh...Well...I think....Mommy and Daddy r in twoble..." she said with a sigh.Seifer put down the blade "What *kinda* trouble?" he asked curiously. "Dunno." Rinoa answered. Seifer leaned in closer. "Yoo gotta know a little..."
Fujin shifted uncomfortably, she obviously didn't like all the attention Seifer was giving the new girl. Seifer seemed to notice and pulled Fujin into his lap. The small one-eyed girl grinned. '~That's better.~'
Rinoa shrugged "I don't." Zell looked at her for a moment, and sensing her unease he smiled " 'Nuff 'bout this!" He said "Shes stayin' here, rite' ?" Ellone nodded "Uh-huh, she is, for 'leasta week." Nida chimed in " Yoo liketa' color? Play Candyland?" Raijin groaned "He's gunna make us play Candyland *again*! Thats not right, ya know?"
Selphie giggled and Nida blushed "I was *just* askin'...I dunno what Galbadian girls liketa' do..." Apparently, it was uncool to like to play Candyland. Rinoa piped up, being protective of the little boy she had just met. "I *do* like Candyland...but I like dress-up better." Zells eyes sparkled, and Seifer noticed. He broke out into loud guffaws "Chickenwuss likes dress-up too!" Irvine snickered "Leave him alone!" he cried, trying to hide his laughter. Zell began to cry. "S'okay!" said Xu, patting his back."Shush!" said Quistis,"*Now* we're playing Candyland!" Groans were heard, but Quistis went and got the game anyway. She divided them into teams of three, Ellone, Squall, and Rinoa, Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin, Nida, Zell, and Selphie,and Herself, Irvine and Xu.
The game was uneventful, really. Zell cried upon landing on the 'Gooey Gumdrop' space,though Selphie found it funny. Seifer received the 'Princess Lollypop' card early in the game, only to get stuck in the 'Molasses swamp' and Squall and Rinoa went on to win, oddly enough getting primarily purple cards throughout whole game. Xu laughed when they won, her team still vying for a blue card to get her out of the 'Lollypop woods'.
"That was *fun*!" said Rinoa, yawning a bit. Squall climbed back up into Ellone's lap
"M'tired, Sis..." he said, cuddling up to her. Nida took Zells' hand and led him into the bedroom for a story, and Selphie was already out like a light, snoozing in Irvine's lap.
Ellone, after carrying a half-asleep Squall to his bunk, dragged the others to their beds, not including Seifer and Raijin,the boys being too "grown up" for naps, and Xu and Fujin, who had given up their shared bunk for Rinoa. Nida had lulled Zell to sleep easily, and both lay in their bunk together. Quistis stayed up and read,she had Selphie to deal with, the peppy brunette could roll over the bunk anytime during sleep.Rinoa slept fitfully, and Squall and Irvine napped ((A/N: Separately. I'm a Yaoi fan, but in my opinion, you just can't make Squall gay.))alone and undaunted from dreamland. Ellone looked smilingly at Seifer and Raijin, ones sleepy head on the others' shoulder, and Fujin and Xu curled up in their laps. Kids were so cute..especially her "Brothers and Sisters". It was a shame she would have to leave them so soon.
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Selphie awoke late that afternoon with a dangerous-looking sparkle in her eyes. It was Zell's birthday. She had an idea. One whisper into Xu's ear brought terror to the older girls face. Rinoa thought she had found her way to be 'a part' of the group. Squall said no with such gusto that Irvine was knocked flat on his little rump. Selphie wagged a tiny finger at Rinoa. "You can't be IN it, Rinoa, we've got a much better job for you." She rubbed her hands together with maliciousness astonishing to see in a six year old. She eyed Squall contentedly, laughing quietly to herself. Xu, Nida, Rinoa, and Irvine stood in shock as Selphie walked off to find some instruments.
"One...two...tree..*hit it*!" Selphie slammed her tiny hips into the tambourine she had found. Irvine banged delightedly on pots, pans and various buckets with his "drumsticks", and Xu and Quistis spun wildly around their little "booth", smashing fingers into four different Fisher Price eight-keyed pianos.Nida took control of the mass of T-boards they had clamped together to make a moving stage which turned in a slow circle around the yard.
Zell laughed and clapped. This was the best birthday he'd ever had. Even Seifer was being nice to him today.
Squall squeezed his eyes shut in agitation. It was off key and he hated the song, a sweet, cuddly fluffy-chocobo sounding song. He opened an eye long enough to see Selphie nudge Xu and Xu sadly mouth the word 'now' to Rinoa. He flinched as the new girl aproached him. She was gonna make him sing, or play an instrument, or something....worse...
".....Squall?" she asked timidly, He glanced around for help, noting that Ellone was at the other side of the yard, Seifer, Raijin and Fujin were with her, and everyone else was in the band. He was all alone. "Yes?" he said politely,straining to look over her shoulder as if he was interested in the music.
Rinoa swallowed hard. 'Ask him to Dance?!?!' her mind screamed. she reminded herself to yell at Selphie later for this.She looked behind her and saw Edea and her father coaxing her mother to stand by the tiny floating stage. Selphie sounded time to the song and her mother began to sing.
"Whenever sang my songs....on the stage...on my own...."
Finally Rinoa mustered up her courage. "Dance with me!" she said. Squall hid the terror in his face, and remained silent.
"...Whenever said my words...wishing they...would be heard..."
Rinoa decided she wasn't going to be disueded."I get it!" she said sweetly "You only dance with girls you like, right?" She made a swinging, hypnotic motion with her hand "You will like me....You will like me...." she smiled "Did it work?"
".....I saw you smiling at me...was it real, or just my fantasy?..."
"I can't dance." said Squall quietly. "Sure you can!" Rinoa cried, and she dragged him out into the middle of the yard.