Twisted Destinies: Part Four
Authoress: Tsutae Kouken
~Outside Tandoku, center of Forest on Desert~
Zell blinked several times before finally telling himself that what he saw was real.
A cluster of small houses, all together was making a tiny village in a small oasis in the
desert. Zell began walking down the path into the scenic village.
People didn't stop to look at him, as if visitors with small planes were regular things.
Zell wandered around for a bit, then decided to ask about Tari.
"Excuse me, miss. Could you tell me anything about a Tari Ihiri?" Zell tapped an older
woman on the shoulder.
The woman, with wispy gray hair and pale watered eyes look at him in surprise. She then
began shouting.
"Pappy! Come here, quick! This young'un knows something about our Tari!" The
woman smiled happily at Zell, who was purely startled at having such good luck.
"You know our Tari?" The woman beamed up at Zell. All Zell could do was nod.
"I shoulda figured. You have strange hair just like that grandchild of mine." She pulled
Zell into the small house, as an older man came down a set of stairs.
"It's sure been a while since we've heard from Tari. How is she? Did she come with
you?" The older man asked. Zell found his voice.
"I'm Zell Dincht, and I'm sorry to say, Tari didn't come with me." Zell said, bowing
slightly to the two elderly people. "It might have cleared many things up if she had."
"Is she in trouble? Or causing trouble?" The old man demanded, getting red in the face.
"Calm down, Pap Kinny. It's okay. I don't think she's in trouble." The old woman said,
laying a hand on Pap Kinny's shoulder. "I'm Ma Kinny and this is Pap Kinny."
"Well, I came here to find out about Tari." Zell said, deciding to be blunt.
"I thought you knew her?" Pap Kinny said, looking puzzled. His gray hair was frizzy and
his brown eyes were all cross-eyed.
"I do, but I need more information. Has she lived here all her life?" Zell asked, preparing
himself to barrage these people with questions.
"No…she left here around 14, after she found that dad-gummed ice GF. It turned her hair
blue. Blue as her eyes it did. What does she look like now?" Pap Kinney demanded of
Zell.
"Blue hair on the right side and violet on the left. But…her hair wasn't always
multicolored?" Zell asked.
"No…here's a picture of her and a picture of her brother. See? They both have that rich
mahogany hair that their parents had. They've never met, I imagine." Ma Kinney pointed
to two pictures on the wall.
One was clearly Tari with mahogany hair and blue eyes.
The other shocked Zell. It was Irvine.
"Is that….is that Irvine Kinnaes? " Zell asked, his voice catching in his throat slightly.
"Yes. That's his sister, Tari Kinnaes. She's a wild one, like her brother. He was sent to
become a SeeD. Tari really resented the fact that he was sent and she wasn't. She was
born shortly after Irvine." Pap Kinny said, his eyes growing misty with memory.
"They was just beautiful little kids, until missy Tari found that GF. She used it once, and
her pretty ruddy hair turned all blue. It made me sad to look at it, and I hope Irvine's
hain't done the same." Ma Kinny wiped a small tear from her eye.
"So…Irvine and Tari are brother and sister?" Zell said, trying hard to understand, that the
two siblings had been separated soon before Tari's birth.
"That's right. Tari used to tell me she wished she didn't have a brother. She just heard so
much about Irvine becoming a great SeeD, she said she hated him. I just took it as a
childish jealousy, but she said one day she'd kill him." Ma Kinney sighed. "She was so
full of hate, none of the other children could abide her. She grew up so lonely."
"Hm. So you have no idea where she is or what she's doing?" Zell asked, growing
somewhat alarmed.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" Ma Kinney asked, worried. Pap Kinney just sighed and
looked away.
"She's fine. But I fear Irvine is in trouble. They're both at Balamb Garden." Zell said,
standing up from where he had sat down.
"Balamb? Tari, starting a fight at BALAMB? Disgrace on the girl!" Pap Kinney spat out,
very angry. "You tell her to come straight home, you hear?" He shook his finger at Zell.
"I will." Zell grinned grimly. He had to hurry back.
Climbing into Tandoku, he set off. 'I hope I'm not too late.' He thought, his mind full of
worry.
Irvine sat back and enjoyed the food he was being served. Quistis couldn't help but laugh
every time Irvine said something even remotely stupid.
Selphie's eyes sparkled. 'I wonder why Irvine is doing this?? He's so sweet.'
Irvine put his arm around her and Selphie sighed. Irvine turned his head slightly and
winked at Squall. Squall nodded and ushered everyone out of there.
"Well…we're alone." Selphie sighed.
"Yeah. Selph…." Irvine said her name softly, making her turn her face towards his.
Selphie smiled at him in a questioning way.
Irvine leaned forward, placing his mouth on hers. Selphie immediately parted her lips
slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.
"Geez. I didn't know Selphie knew how to kiss like THAT!" Quistis giggled as she
peeked through a hole in the door.
"Lemme see." Rinoa butted the blonde out of the way. "Oooh. Is that what WE look like
when WE do that, Squall?"
Squall felt his face grow warm. Quistis sputtered with laughter and Rinoa acted innocent
of anything. Turning back to the hole in the door, Rinoa wondered how long it would be
before either of them needed to breathe.
Rinoa watched as the two broke apart then resumed kissing again. She laughed lightly as
Irvine's hand stole up Selphie's shirt and turned away when they stopped and Selphie
stood up.
"I've got to go to the ladies room, Irvine. I'll be back." Selphie made her way to the door,
Rinoa scrambling to unlock it. Selphie came through the door, gave Rinoa and Quistis a
knowing look and skipped away.
Rinoa and Quistis burst into fits of giggles. They didn't see the door closing again,
leaving Irvine out there by himself.
Irvine breathed in the night air and listened to the faint sounds of birds flying by. This
was the perfect place to take someone you loved.
Irvine heard a rustling sound overhead. Turning, he could see nothing in the dim
moonlight. Sitting back again, he closed his eyes.
He didn't see the dark form leaping from above down onto him, hands spread and ready
to strike.
Quistis was relaxed from her laughter and wondering if someday she and Seifer might do
exactly the same thing. She leaned against the door, wondering what he was doing right
then when she heard Irvine making a few weird-choking noises, and then turned into
several crashing sounds and a yelp.
Quistis looked over at Squall with wide eyes then pushed open the door.
The three teenagers look upon an interesting scene.
Rinoa gasped when she saw who was pinned under Irvine.
Zell banged on the steering mechanism several times. Something was going wrong with
the Tandoku and it never acted this way. 'I bet some of those kids in that village took
some parts to the Tandoku.' Zell thought, bitterly.
Gently landing the small plane, Zell rested his arms on the steering device. He sighed and
wondered how he'd ever get back in time to warn Irvine about his sister. He sat there, and
the sun began setting and the shadows lengthened.
He settled back in his seat, and decided to get some sleep. He had dozed off when he
heard some one hissing at him.
"You…you the stranger. Come here. Wake up." A hand shook him roughly and he
started awake, his eyes wide, ready to fight anyone who was going to ambush him.
A young man of about 25 was leaning over him, a longbow and arrow in his hand. Zell
backed up against his sleeve, thinking about calling on Ifrit.
"Shh… It's not safe for you to be here. You must come with me." The man held out his
hand in an offering of friendship. Zell took it and he was helped out of his plane a little
clumsily.
"I'm Rakor. We heard you arrived in the village. And that you asked about Tari. We need
to speak with you." The man said, walking away, assuming Zell would follow him.
Zell did follow. "Who's 'We'?" He asked.
"My friends. We are a group of hunters who live in the woods. I know that you are a
SeeD." He said, turning so Zell could see him clearly.
Rakor was a tall man, with several deep scars on his arms and face. His hair was long and
light brown, and held in a ponytail much like Irvine's.
"What do you know about Tari?" Zell caught up with the man and put a hand on his
shoulder, stopping him.
"It is not about the girl. It is about the demon." Rakor turned again and started walking,
heading into the deep forest.
"Demon?" Zell asked himself, thoroughly puzzled.
"Tari?" Rinoa said, a little too loudly. Squall and Quistis looked at each other in shock.
Tari and Irvine?! And on this date, too!
"You move fast, Irvine, but in the wrong direction." Squall said, not joking at all. Tari
was pinned down under Irvine, on her back, his knee between her legs, and his hand on
her chest. She was wearing a black sweater and black shorts.
'Shit.' Tari thought, leaning back on the pavement where she had tried to struggle her
way from under the larger boy.
"Irvine? What the he-??" Selphie made a well-timed entrance onto the scene. Irvine
backed off of Tari very quickly. Looking down at at the girl on the ground with a
thoroughly disgusted look on her face, he wondered what she was doing out there
jumping on him when Selphie's voice entered his mind once more.
"How could….how…how could you do something like that to me?? Irvine...I thought
that you weren't….." Selphie stuttered, shocked out of her wits. She then narrowed her
eyes at Irvine.
Squall looked at Selphie and inwardly was glad this was happening to Irvine and not him.
He had always known that Selphie wasn't the type to run off, tears doing the magical
floating on the wind action.
"I cannot believe you, Kinnaes. But you did it anyway. GO TO HELL!" Selphie's eyes
seemed to turn red and she swiftly gave him a kick in the nether area. Irvine doubled over
and groaned with pain.
Tari had stood up and climbed up onto the railing. Snickering at how well her plan had
turned out anyways, she spread her arms and fell off the edge.
"SEE?! She did it again!!!" Squall pointed at where Tari stood.
"I hope she died. I don't really care anyways." Selphie stalked out the door, muttering
about putting a bomb in Irvine's room.
"Um…Irvine? I really can't say anything for you here. I don't know why or where or
what happened. Sorry. Let's go, Rin-rin." Squall took his girlfriend by the arm and led
her away. Quistis gave Irvine a look and followed.
Irvine was on his knees, staring at the ground. Lifting his face to the sky, he cried out her
name. The name that was breaking his heart then and there.
"SELPHIE!"
~In the Forests~
Zell sat around the campfire in the cave, the smoke being effectively drawn out of the
cave, where several men sat, cleaning their guns and knifes, eating and talking. Zell
sipped at a bowl of soup that was thick but good.
"Well…we need to talk, Dincht." Rakor came over, two other men with him.
"Okay. About what?" Zell asked, setting his bowl down for one of the dogs who also
stayed in there to lick out of. Rakor stood to his right, and one of the men left.
"This is Agon. He's the one who has done some research on this 'demon' Kinnaes'
youngest child has possession of." Rakor looked at the fire, the golden glow making his
eyes seem evil.
"A demon? You mean, Rhapha, her GF?" Zell asked, suddenly wanting to know more.
"Yes. Rhapha. She is a demon, and is looking for someone to take a permanent residence
in. We're afraid that she has Tari as the one." Rakor crossed his arms over his chest.
"Tari? How do you know Tari??" Zell was puzzled. ' Damn…this girl gets around fast!'
he thought.
"Her brother, before they took him to the SeeD orphanage, helped us find a rare white
stag once. He had sharp eyes, and we taught him how to handle a gun at a very young
age. We even helped that little girl too. We showed her how to use GF." Agon said,
calmly poking the fire with a stick.
"So….you're saying she learned GF when?" Zell asked, meaning to get Tari's history
straight.
"When she was 14. I showed her how to use a water GF named Cirus. It was a mistake.
Her hair turned completely blue. Strange, but it showed her compatability with magic.
She was always very good with magic." Rakor said. He sighed and turned to Zell.
"Now this is the serious part. Rhapha was a woman once. A very proud, very powerful
woman who lived during the Sorceress Wars. She died early on, but she knew that when
she died, she had a spirit spell to fall back on. She could become a GF and take over a
monster's or a person's body. Obviosly, Tari stumble upon a monster with Rhapha in it
and took Rhapha. We fear that Rhapha might make Tari her permanent home." Rakor
sighed again and fingered a jeweled necklace around his throat.
"Well….would that be really bad? Was Rhapha really that evil?" Zell was somewhat
skeptical about it. "Tari seemed pretty normal and very….." Zell groped for the word and
got lost in thought.
'Tari…isn't just normal. She's…she's beautiful and nice…and a whole lot better when
she isn't possessed probably.' Zell felt himself grow warm when he thought of her in this
way.
"Very wonderful as a whole anyway, right, Dincht?" Rakor smiled grimly at the blonde
boy. Zell grinned in a sheepish way back. 'Hell…I haven't even known her for a week!'
He thought, rubbing a hand through his blonde hair.
"She would make a great friend to stand by your side." Zell said, putting his hand in his
pocket and feeling of the velvet box in there.
"She would. But Rhapha lives on hatred and Tari hated any mention of her brother."
Agon pointed out.
"I know. Those people in that Village told me. Tari…Tari didn't have many friends, did
she?" Zell asked, eyeing Rakor's necklace. There was something familiar about it.
"No. Most of the children were afraid of her magic abilities. Tari was a very lonely
child." Rakor said, fingering the necklace again.
"Rakor….is that necklace in anyway connected to the Phoenix Egg?" Zell pulled the box
out of his pocket and opened it, showing the two men.
"That…where….did you get this?" Rakor gently took it into his hand, the ruby of the egg
matching that of the pendant on Rakor's chain.
Holding both of them up to the firelight, Zell could see the hollow where the Egg fitted
into it, surrounded by more fiery little gems. Slipping the Egg gently in, Rakor and Zell
watched as a flash of light filled the cave and when it settled and cleared away…..the
pendant was whole.
"The Phoenix pendant. The source of life restoring magic." Rakor half smiled to himself.
Then handing it to Zell he said this:
"Boy…take this. You will need it in the days to come. Who knows….maybe someone
you love will take a turn for the worse or even yet….to die. Do all you can to help Tari.
For the only way to get rid of Rhapha, is to have Tari die. Rhapha can't live without a
host. We…we know." Rakor smiled faintly and Zell watched in amazement as everything
disappeared, like a fading mist in the sunshine.
The cave was empty except for Zell and the red pendant.
"I'd better go." Zell turned and left, still kind of spooked by what he had seen.
When he fired up the Tandoku….it worked perfectly.
"Hey….Elph-chan. Wait up." Rinoa said, softly to the girl. Selphie slowed down in the
long hall to the training center.
"Yeah, Rin-chan??" Selphie asked, her demeanor soft on the outside, but seemingly very
hard on the inside.
"Want some company?" Rinoa offered cautiously. Selphie seemed glad somewhat that
Rinoa had asked.
"Sure. I was just going to sit down and think for a while. They said that they put up most
of the youma today." Selphie's eyes hid the pain she felt, and the anger showed through.
Rinoa felt her own heart being assaulted by the pain that Selphie felt.
"Okay. Squall said you might want some company." Rinoa ventured, dreading to bring
Irvine's name into the conversation.
"Well, I'm through with men for now. I knew I couldn't trust one, especially that Irvine
Kinnaes." Selphie said bitterly, going thought the iron doors, Rinoa not far behind.
Rinoa furrowed her brow. "I didn't think you would want to talk about him. Why do you
think he did it?"
"I don't know. I've heard he's always had a reputation. And not a good one either."
Selphie punched one of the trees in the artificial jungle, making it quiver slightly.
"But…did you see that look on his face? I think maybe it wasn't his fault." Rinoa said,
speaking what had really been bothering her. Squall had thought the same thing.
"Tari is a friend. Not anymore, not when she and he did that to me." Selphie sat on one of
the fallen logs and sighed. "I thought maybe…maybe I'd really fallen in love with Irvine.
I'd felt so….so different around him than any other guy."
"Kinda like Squall. I think this all might be Tari's fault." Rinoa frowned when she
thought of the girl. "I always thought she was a little weird anyways."
Selphie nodded slightly and the two got up and continued walking down the path to the
center of the training grounds.
Rinoa was thinking and was lost in her thoughts when she heard the music. Selphie stood,
her cheeks growing red at the sound of the voice and the guitar.
'No matter how hard I try….
Even If I stand up and touch the sky
It's falling down on me
And the pain stings my eyes
And even if I take the time to cry
It makes no sense to me….'
The last few notes died away and then laughter filled the air around them. It was as if the
singer had retained it's sanity for only a few moments.
Then there was a roar and that laughter again. Rinoa ran ahead and found herself facing a
giant T-rexaur. Tari stood next to it, grinning, her eyes glowing that inhuman green color
again.
"Have fun." Tari said, laughing again. She phased out of sight.
"OH CRAP!" Selphie whipped out her nunchuku. It was her lowest grade one, for she
hadn't prepared for an attack. 'Tari does have something to do with this…' Selphie
thought, before she and Rinoa launched into attacking the ugly creature.
Zell jumped out of the Tandoku, and rushed up the walkway to the Garden. Something
was going on. It was the second night since he'd left and he'd tried to hurry back.
Wearing the red and gold medallion around his neck, Zell felt something had happened
while he was away.
Walking in and seeing SeeDs running around like crazy and a group of people he
recognized as his close friends heading to the Infirmary in a close group.
Putting on the speed, he rushed towards the group. Finding that Selphie and Rinoa were
missing, he stopped Squall.
"Yo, man…what's wrong? What happened??" Zell's hand on Squall's shoulder brought
the dark haired boy to a stop. Squall's eyes seemed filled with pain.
"A T-rexaur….attacked Rinoa and Selphie….they're hurt pretty bad." Squall said,
looking the blonde boy in the eyes. Zell couldn't fathom the pain that came from
worrying over someone. Squall turned from his friend to Irvine, who looked just plain
sick.
"I wasn't there…to help her. She wouldn't let me near her…" Irvine talked in radom
sentences to himself, his eyes void of emotion but his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles
white.
"He was caught with Tari yesterday night. When they were having their dinner. Irvine
and Selphie. We don't know why, but we suspect Tari…." Zell gave Squall a sign for
silence, Squall looking somewhat surprised at his interruption.
"I have to tell you and you alone about what it is with Tari. After we check on the girls."
Zell said, and let the others lead the way into the Infirmary before he turned and spotted a
figure on the second floor railing.
It was Tari.
And she was grinning at him.
A/N: Okay…That was done. Sorry to leave ya hanging but I got Gundam Wing and
Zelda and Rayearth fanfiction to work on too! Ja! Tsutae Kouken
Authoress: Tsutae Kouken
~Outside Tandoku, center of Forest on Desert~
Zell blinked several times before finally telling himself that what he saw was real.
A cluster of small houses, all together was making a tiny village in a small oasis in the
desert. Zell began walking down the path into the scenic village.
People didn't stop to look at him, as if visitors with small planes were regular things.
Zell wandered around for a bit, then decided to ask about Tari.
"Excuse me, miss. Could you tell me anything about a Tari Ihiri?" Zell tapped an older
woman on the shoulder.
The woman, with wispy gray hair and pale watered eyes look at him in surprise. She then
began shouting.
"Pappy! Come here, quick! This young'un knows something about our Tari!" The
woman smiled happily at Zell, who was purely startled at having such good luck.
"You know our Tari?" The woman beamed up at Zell. All Zell could do was nod.
"I shoulda figured. You have strange hair just like that grandchild of mine." She pulled
Zell into the small house, as an older man came down a set of stairs.
"It's sure been a while since we've heard from Tari. How is she? Did she come with
you?" The older man asked. Zell found his voice.
"I'm Zell Dincht, and I'm sorry to say, Tari didn't come with me." Zell said, bowing
slightly to the two elderly people. "It might have cleared many things up if she had."
"Is she in trouble? Or causing trouble?" The old man demanded, getting red in the face.
"Calm down, Pap Kinny. It's okay. I don't think she's in trouble." The old woman said,
laying a hand on Pap Kinny's shoulder. "I'm Ma Kinny and this is Pap Kinny."
"Well, I came here to find out about Tari." Zell said, deciding to be blunt.
"I thought you knew her?" Pap Kinny said, looking puzzled. His gray hair was frizzy and
his brown eyes were all cross-eyed.
"I do, but I need more information. Has she lived here all her life?" Zell asked, preparing
himself to barrage these people with questions.
"No…she left here around 14, after she found that dad-gummed ice GF. It turned her hair
blue. Blue as her eyes it did. What does she look like now?" Pap Kinney demanded of
Zell.
"Blue hair on the right side and violet on the left. But…her hair wasn't always
multicolored?" Zell asked.
"No…here's a picture of her and a picture of her brother. See? They both have that rich
mahogany hair that their parents had. They've never met, I imagine." Ma Kinney pointed
to two pictures on the wall.
One was clearly Tari with mahogany hair and blue eyes.
The other shocked Zell. It was Irvine.
"Is that….is that Irvine Kinnaes? " Zell asked, his voice catching in his throat slightly.
"Yes. That's his sister, Tari Kinnaes. She's a wild one, like her brother. He was sent to
become a SeeD. Tari really resented the fact that he was sent and she wasn't. She was
born shortly after Irvine." Pap Kinny said, his eyes growing misty with memory.
"They was just beautiful little kids, until missy Tari found that GF. She used it once, and
her pretty ruddy hair turned all blue. It made me sad to look at it, and I hope Irvine's
hain't done the same." Ma Kinny wiped a small tear from her eye.
"So…Irvine and Tari are brother and sister?" Zell said, trying hard to understand, that the
two siblings had been separated soon before Tari's birth.
"That's right. Tari used to tell me she wished she didn't have a brother. She just heard so
much about Irvine becoming a great SeeD, she said she hated him. I just took it as a
childish jealousy, but she said one day she'd kill him." Ma Kinney sighed. "She was so
full of hate, none of the other children could abide her. She grew up so lonely."
"Hm. So you have no idea where she is or what she's doing?" Zell asked, growing
somewhat alarmed.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" Ma Kinney asked, worried. Pap Kinney just sighed and
looked away.
"She's fine. But I fear Irvine is in trouble. They're both at Balamb Garden." Zell said,
standing up from where he had sat down.
"Balamb? Tari, starting a fight at BALAMB? Disgrace on the girl!" Pap Kinney spat out,
very angry. "You tell her to come straight home, you hear?" He shook his finger at Zell.
"I will." Zell grinned grimly. He had to hurry back.
Climbing into Tandoku, he set off. 'I hope I'm not too late.' He thought, his mind full of
worry.
Irvine sat back and enjoyed the food he was being served. Quistis couldn't help but laugh
every time Irvine said something even remotely stupid.
Selphie's eyes sparkled. 'I wonder why Irvine is doing this?? He's so sweet.'
Irvine put his arm around her and Selphie sighed. Irvine turned his head slightly and
winked at Squall. Squall nodded and ushered everyone out of there.
"Well…we're alone." Selphie sighed.
"Yeah. Selph…." Irvine said her name softly, making her turn her face towards his.
Selphie smiled at him in a questioning way.
Irvine leaned forward, placing his mouth on hers. Selphie immediately parted her lips
slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.
"Geez. I didn't know Selphie knew how to kiss like THAT!" Quistis giggled as she
peeked through a hole in the door.
"Lemme see." Rinoa butted the blonde out of the way. "Oooh. Is that what WE look like
when WE do that, Squall?"
Squall felt his face grow warm. Quistis sputtered with laughter and Rinoa acted innocent
of anything. Turning back to the hole in the door, Rinoa wondered how long it would be
before either of them needed to breathe.
Rinoa watched as the two broke apart then resumed kissing again. She laughed lightly as
Irvine's hand stole up Selphie's shirt and turned away when they stopped and Selphie
stood up.
"I've got to go to the ladies room, Irvine. I'll be back." Selphie made her way to the door,
Rinoa scrambling to unlock it. Selphie came through the door, gave Rinoa and Quistis a
knowing look and skipped away.
Rinoa and Quistis burst into fits of giggles. They didn't see the door closing again,
leaving Irvine out there by himself.
Irvine breathed in the night air and listened to the faint sounds of birds flying by. This
was the perfect place to take someone you loved.
Irvine heard a rustling sound overhead. Turning, he could see nothing in the dim
moonlight. Sitting back again, he closed his eyes.
He didn't see the dark form leaping from above down onto him, hands spread and ready
to strike.
Quistis was relaxed from her laughter and wondering if someday she and Seifer might do
exactly the same thing. She leaned against the door, wondering what he was doing right
then when she heard Irvine making a few weird-choking noises, and then turned into
several crashing sounds and a yelp.
Quistis looked over at Squall with wide eyes then pushed open the door.
The three teenagers look upon an interesting scene.
Rinoa gasped when she saw who was pinned under Irvine.
Zell banged on the steering mechanism several times. Something was going wrong with
the Tandoku and it never acted this way. 'I bet some of those kids in that village took
some parts to the Tandoku.' Zell thought, bitterly.
Gently landing the small plane, Zell rested his arms on the steering device. He sighed and
wondered how he'd ever get back in time to warn Irvine about his sister. He sat there, and
the sun began setting and the shadows lengthened.
He settled back in his seat, and decided to get some sleep. He had dozed off when he
heard some one hissing at him.
"You…you the stranger. Come here. Wake up." A hand shook him roughly and he
started awake, his eyes wide, ready to fight anyone who was going to ambush him.
A young man of about 25 was leaning over him, a longbow and arrow in his hand. Zell
backed up against his sleeve, thinking about calling on Ifrit.
"Shh… It's not safe for you to be here. You must come with me." The man held out his
hand in an offering of friendship. Zell took it and he was helped out of his plane a little
clumsily.
"I'm Rakor. We heard you arrived in the village. And that you asked about Tari. We need
to speak with you." The man said, walking away, assuming Zell would follow him.
Zell did follow. "Who's 'We'?" He asked.
"My friends. We are a group of hunters who live in the woods. I know that you are a
SeeD." He said, turning so Zell could see him clearly.
Rakor was a tall man, with several deep scars on his arms and face. His hair was long and
light brown, and held in a ponytail much like Irvine's.
"What do you know about Tari?" Zell caught up with the man and put a hand on his
shoulder, stopping him.
"It is not about the girl. It is about the demon." Rakor turned again and started walking,
heading into the deep forest.
"Demon?" Zell asked himself, thoroughly puzzled.
"Tari?" Rinoa said, a little too loudly. Squall and Quistis looked at each other in shock.
Tari and Irvine?! And on this date, too!
"You move fast, Irvine, but in the wrong direction." Squall said, not joking at all. Tari
was pinned down under Irvine, on her back, his knee between her legs, and his hand on
her chest. She was wearing a black sweater and black shorts.
'Shit.' Tari thought, leaning back on the pavement where she had tried to struggle her
way from under the larger boy.
"Irvine? What the he-??" Selphie made a well-timed entrance onto the scene. Irvine
backed off of Tari very quickly. Looking down at at the girl on the ground with a
thoroughly disgusted look on her face, he wondered what she was doing out there
jumping on him when Selphie's voice entered his mind once more.
"How could….how…how could you do something like that to me?? Irvine...I thought
that you weren't….." Selphie stuttered, shocked out of her wits. She then narrowed her
eyes at Irvine.
Squall looked at Selphie and inwardly was glad this was happening to Irvine and not him.
He had always known that Selphie wasn't the type to run off, tears doing the magical
floating on the wind action.
"I cannot believe you, Kinnaes. But you did it anyway. GO TO HELL!" Selphie's eyes
seemed to turn red and she swiftly gave him a kick in the nether area. Irvine doubled over
and groaned with pain.
Tari had stood up and climbed up onto the railing. Snickering at how well her plan had
turned out anyways, she spread her arms and fell off the edge.
"SEE?! She did it again!!!" Squall pointed at where Tari stood.
"I hope she died. I don't really care anyways." Selphie stalked out the door, muttering
about putting a bomb in Irvine's room.
"Um…Irvine? I really can't say anything for you here. I don't know why or where or
what happened. Sorry. Let's go, Rin-rin." Squall took his girlfriend by the arm and led
her away. Quistis gave Irvine a look and followed.
Irvine was on his knees, staring at the ground. Lifting his face to the sky, he cried out her
name. The name that was breaking his heart then and there.
"SELPHIE!"
~In the Forests~
Zell sat around the campfire in the cave, the smoke being effectively drawn out of the
cave, where several men sat, cleaning their guns and knifes, eating and talking. Zell
sipped at a bowl of soup that was thick but good.
"Well…we need to talk, Dincht." Rakor came over, two other men with him.
"Okay. About what?" Zell asked, setting his bowl down for one of the dogs who also
stayed in there to lick out of. Rakor stood to his right, and one of the men left.
"This is Agon. He's the one who has done some research on this 'demon' Kinnaes'
youngest child has possession of." Rakor looked at the fire, the golden glow making his
eyes seem evil.
"A demon? You mean, Rhapha, her GF?" Zell asked, suddenly wanting to know more.
"Yes. Rhapha. She is a demon, and is looking for someone to take a permanent residence
in. We're afraid that she has Tari as the one." Rakor crossed his arms over his chest.
"Tari? How do you know Tari??" Zell was puzzled. ' Damn…this girl gets around fast!'
he thought.
"Her brother, before they took him to the SeeD orphanage, helped us find a rare white
stag once. He had sharp eyes, and we taught him how to handle a gun at a very young
age. We even helped that little girl too. We showed her how to use GF." Agon said,
calmly poking the fire with a stick.
"So….you're saying she learned GF when?" Zell asked, meaning to get Tari's history
straight.
"When she was 14. I showed her how to use a water GF named Cirus. It was a mistake.
Her hair turned completely blue. Strange, but it showed her compatability with magic.
She was always very good with magic." Rakor said. He sighed and turned to Zell.
"Now this is the serious part. Rhapha was a woman once. A very proud, very powerful
woman who lived during the Sorceress Wars. She died early on, but she knew that when
she died, she had a spirit spell to fall back on. She could become a GF and take over a
monster's or a person's body. Obviosly, Tari stumble upon a monster with Rhapha in it
and took Rhapha. We fear that Rhapha might make Tari her permanent home." Rakor
sighed again and fingered a jeweled necklace around his throat.
"Well….would that be really bad? Was Rhapha really that evil?" Zell was somewhat
skeptical about it. "Tari seemed pretty normal and very….." Zell groped for the word and
got lost in thought.
'Tari…isn't just normal. She's…she's beautiful and nice…and a whole lot better when
she isn't possessed probably.' Zell felt himself grow warm when he thought of her in this
way.
"Very wonderful as a whole anyway, right, Dincht?" Rakor smiled grimly at the blonde
boy. Zell grinned in a sheepish way back. 'Hell…I haven't even known her for a week!'
He thought, rubbing a hand through his blonde hair.
"She would make a great friend to stand by your side." Zell said, putting his hand in his
pocket and feeling of the velvet box in there.
"She would. But Rhapha lives on hatred and Tari hated any mention of her brother."
Agon pointed out.
"I know. Those people in that Village told me. Tari…Tari didn't have many friends, did
she?" Zell asked, eyeing Rakor's necklace. There was something familiar about it.
"No. Most of the children were afraid of her magic abilities. Tari was a very lonely
child." Rakor said, fingering the necklace again.
"Rakor….is that necklace in anyway connected to the Phoenix Egg?" Zell pulled the box
out of his pocket and opened it, showing the two men.
"That…where….did you get this?" Rakor gently took it into his hand, the ruby of the egg
matching that of the pendant on Rakor's chain.
Holding both of them up to the firelight, Zell could see the hollow where the Egg fitted
into it, surrounded by more fiery little gems. Slipping the Egg gently in, Rakor and Zell
watched as a flash of light filled the cave and when it settled and cleared away…..the
pendant was whole.
"The Phoenix pendant. The source of life restoring magic." Rakor half smiled to himself.
Then handing it to Zell he said this:
"Boy…take this. You will need it in the days to come. Who knows….maybe someone
you love will take a turn for the worse or even yet….to die. Do all you can to help Tari.
For the only way to get rid of Rhapha, is to have Tari die. Rhapha can't live without a
host. We…we know." Rakor smiled faintly and Zell watched in amazement as everything
disappeared, like a fading mist in the sunshine.
The cave was empty except for Zell and the red pendant.
"I'd better go." Zell turned and left, still kind of spooked by what he had seen.
When he fired up the Tandoku….it worked perfectly.
"Hey….Elph-chan. Wait up." Rinoa said, softly to the girl. Selphie slowed down in the
long hall to the training center.
"Yeah, Rin-chan??" Selphie asked, her demeanor soft on the outside, but seemingly very
hard on the inside.
"Want some company?" Rinoa offered cautiously. Selphie seemed glad somewhat that
Rinoa had asked.
"Sure. I was just going to sit down and think for a while. They said that they put up most
of the youma today." Selphie's eyes hid the pain she felt, and the anger showed through.
Rinoa felt her own heart being assaulted by the pain that Selphie felt.
"Okay. Squall said you might want some company." Rinoa ventured, dreading to bring
Irvine's name into the conversation.
"Well, I'm through with men for now. I knew I couldn't trust one, especially that Irvine
Kinnaes." Selphie said bitterly, going thought the iron doors, Rinoa not far behind.
Rinoa furrowed her brow. "I didn't think you would want to talk about him. Why do you
think he did it?"
"I don't know. I've heard he's always had a reputation. And not a good one either."
Selphie punched one of the trees in the artificial jungle, making it quiver slightly.
"But…did you see that look on his face? I think maybe it wasn't his fault." Rinoa said,
speaking what had really been bothering her. Squall had thought the same thing.
"Tari is a friend. Not anymore, not when she and he did that to me." Selphie sat on one of
the fallen logs and sighed. "I thought maybe…maybe I'd really fallen in love with Irvine.
I'd felt so….so different around him than any other guy."
"Kinda like Squall. I think this all might be Tari's fault." Rinoa frowned when she
thought of the girl. "I always thought she was a little weird anyways."
Selphie nodded slightly and the two got up and continued walking down the path to the
center of the training grounds.
Rinoa was thinking and was lost in her thoughts when she heard the music. Selphie stood,
her cheeks growing red at the sound of the voice and the guitar.
'No matter how hard I try….
Even If I stand up and touch the sky
It's falling down on me
And the pain stings my eyes
And even if I take the time to cry
It makes no sense to me….'
The last few notes died away and then laughter filled the air around them. It was as if the
singer had retained it's sanity for only a few moments.
Then there was a roar and that laughter again. Rinoa ran ahead and found herself facing a
giant T-rexaur. Tari stood next to it, grinning, her eyes glowing that inhuman green color
again.
"Have fun." Tari said, laughing again. She phased out of sight.
"OH CRAP!" Selphie whipped out her nunchuku. It was her lowest grade one, for she
hadn't prepared for an attack. 'Tari does have something to do with this…' Selphie
thought, before she and Rinoa launched into attacking the ugly creature.
Zell jumped out of the Tandoku, and rushed up the walkway to the Garden. Something
was going on. It was the second night since he'd left and he'd tried to hurry back.
Wearing the red and gold medallion around his neck, Zell felt something had happened
while he was away.
Walking in and seeing SeeDs running around like crazy and a group of people he
recognized as his close friends heading to the Infirmary in a close group.
Putting on the speed, he rushed towards the group. Finding that Selphie and Rinoa were
missing, he stopped Squall.
"Yo, man…what's wrong? What happened??" Zell's hand on Squall's shoulder brought
the dark haired boy to a stop. Squall's eyes seemed filled with pain.
"A T-rexaur….attacked Rinoa and Selphie….they're hurt pretty bad." Squall said,
looking the blonde boy in the eyes. Zell couldn't fathom the pain that came from
worrying over someone. Squall turned from his friend to Irvine, who looked just plain
sick.
"I wasn't there…to help her. She wouldn't let me near her…" Irvine talked in radom
sentences to himself, his eyes void of emotion but his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles
white.
"He was caught with Tari yesterday night. When they were having their dinner. Irvine
and Selphie. We don't know why, but we suspect Tari…." Zell gave Squall a sign for
silence, Squall looking somewhat surprised at his interruption.
"I have to tell you and you alone about what it is with Tari. After we check on the girls."
Zell said, and let the others lead the way into the Infirmary before he turned and spotted a
figure on the second floor railing.
It was Tari.
And she was grinning at him.
A/N: Okay…That was done. Sorry to leave ya hanging but I got Gundam Wing and
Zelda and Rayearth fanfiction to work on too! Ja! Tsutae Kouken