Chapter 5: Rinoa Heartily

Strik looked at the photo of the young woman on the computer monitor.

She had raven coloured straight hair and the familiar brown eyes chocolate brown coloured eyes. Her features were very similar to the photo he had in his coat pocket of Julia.

He read the beginning of the article under the photo.

'Rinoa Heartily the daughter of Galbadian Army's General Caraway and

The late singer, Julia Heartily. Rinoa who once was a member of Timber

Resistance is now training and studying to become a SeeD at Balamb

Garden. A year ago she fought along side Squall Leonhart, Quitis

Trepe, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, and Irvine Kinneas to defeat the

Evil Sorceress Ultermercia from the future. She and her boyfriend,

Squall Leonhart, who now runs all the Gardens have been working

Really hard to get all gardens up and running and to train more SeeDs. '

Strik had all he wanted to know. He remembered Rinoa now. She was three years years younger than him. General Caraway always preferred her to him, but he didn't care because Julia made up for that. That was until he was taken away.

He closed his eyes, he remembered it as if it was yesterday.

Him, Julia and Rinoa were playing in the back yard of the mansion. It was a warm Sunday afternoon in summer. Julia had the weekend off so she could see Rinoa and him. He was so happy.

"Julia, can I have a word please?" his father asked his mother.

"Wait here, ok?" she kissed both of them on their foreheads. She then got up and followed her husband.

"Mom," Strik complained wiping his forehead.

She turned round and smiled. That was the last time he saw her smile. He watched his mother and father talk. His mother started waving her arms around. They were fighting. Two other men walked into the room. Julia then raised her hands to her face. She was crying. Strik wondered why she was crying? Who were the two other men?

He then saw his mother run out the kitchen to his sister and him.

Rinoa saw her mom, "What is it mommy?" she asked.

Julia picked up Strik. She was crying hysterically.

"You're not taking him Joseph!" she was shouting at his father, "Your not! He's done nothing wrong!"

His father and the two other men walked slowly to them.

"Julia, it's for the best! Believe me!" his was telling her.

Strik started to cry. He asked his mom, "Mom. What is it?"

She ignored him and repeated screaming at her husband.

Strik knew Rinoa was crying he could hear her. He wanted to comfort her to help her stop. But she was probably crying because he and Julia were crying.

His mother was then held back by the two men, and General Caraway took Strik from her.

"No!" she screamed repeatedly hysterically.

"It's for the best," his father said coldly.

She kept screaming, trying to break loose from the two men holding her back.

"Mom! Mommy!" Strik started screaming back to his mom trying to wriggle free from his father's clutches.

He saw his mother break free and run after him. The two men were running behind her to get her.

"Strik!" she screamed running.

Then his father passed him to the two other men. He tried to wriggle free.

"Mom!" he screamed crying.

The men then put him into the back of the car.

Julia came running as fast as she could. General Caraway stopped her. He grabbed her by the waist. He held her back. She tried to break free but he was stronger.

"Strik! I tried to stop him! I love you! Don't forget me!" Julia cried at her son before he was forced in the car.

"I love you mom!" He screamed back.

The door then was closed.

"No!" Julia repeatedly screamed.

The car started to drive away. Strik looked outside the back window.

Julia broke free from Caraway's hold. She then ran after the card crying, screaming repeatedly at him. She fell to her knee's when the car pulled out of the street.

"Mom, I will find you," he whispered.

Julia felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's for the best," a voice said.

"How would you know," she got up and walked over to her daughter.

"Mommy, where's Strik gone?" Julia picked her up. She looked at her daughter and the went into the house.

Strik opened his eyes. A tear dropped from his eye. He wiped it away.

He kept his promise that he would find Julia. Now he knew where Rinoa was, he was one step nearer to fulfilling his promise.

He then searched for the address of Balamb Garden. He was going to get his family back. And Rinoa was the beginning.