Chapter 9: The Reunion.
Rinoa walked out Deling City Train Station.
She had came to Deling City to meet Strik. They had arranged to meet outside the Galbadian Hotel at seven o'clock in the evening.
She then caught the number eight bus to Deling City shopping center where the Galbadian Hotel was. She stepped off the bus, the hotel was on the other side of the road.
As the bus pulled away, Strik saw Rinoa. She smiled at him. He smiled back nervously. She crossed the road. He got more nervous as she walked closer to him until she was facing him. He looked at his younger sister, all grown up.
She had raven hair that flowed behind her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes looked at him sparkling. She was wearing a black v-neck short sleeved jumper with a pair of baggy jeans. She was wearing a sleeveless blue over cardigan. She was very pretty just like Julia.
Rinoa looked at Strik. He was a lot taller than her. About six foot and abit more. But then his hair would make him look taller. He had changed his hair from the photo Rinoa had. It was spiked up now apart from a lock that fell over his right eye. He had the same chocolate brown eyes as herself and the same raven coloured hair.
They bother had features that Julia had.
"Strik?" Rinoa asked a little nervous.
"Rinoa?" His eyes looked nervous.
She then smiled at him. He smiled back. She then threw her arms around him, "Hello."
He hugged her tighter to him. He accidently picked her up with being a lot taller than her. He was happy to have finally met his baby sister, except she was no longer his baby sister. She was a full grown young lady.
"I've missed you." He told her.
"Me too," she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Where's Julia?" Strik asked rinoa puzzled.
"Well she couldn't make it here but instead I will take you to where she is."
"Okay," Strik smiled at her.
"Rinoa why are we stood infront of a grave stone?" Strik asked confused.
"Read the name," she walked away.
He watched her walk away confused, he then understood why she walked away. He read the name on the grave stone.
'Julia Heartily
Beloved wife to General Joseph Caraway
and
Dear mother to
Strik and Rinoa Heartily.'
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Why hadn't anyone told him? Why didn't General Caraway write and tell him? Most of all why didn't Rinoa tell him in a letter? He now knew why she never replied to his questions about her in the letters.
Strik found Rinoa waiting by the gate. She was staring at the ground.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.
"I thought you should have seen for yourself. I didn't want to upset you so that's why I never told you in my letters."
"How did she die?" he said softly.
"In a car crash. She was on her way back from a showbiz show. The driver of the limo lost control of it, our father escaped with his life. But Julia nad the driver died on impact."
"How did it crash?
Like I said the the driver lost control and another car hit them straight on. The other driver of the car dies on impact aswell. Our father was the only survior."
"How old was you when this happened?"
"I was only five. I had just turned five.."
"So I was eight," he looked at the floor, "it happened a year after I was sent away."
"And you were never told?" rinoa asked.
"No. I had no idea. Well atleast he put my name on the grave stoneas her son."
"We're both on it," she looked at him staring at the ground, "why was you sent away anyway?"
"I was framed for something," he remained to stare at the ground.
"By who?"
"He was my best friend at the time."
"What did he do that was so bad?"
"He was a lot older than me. I was seven and he was twelve. We were at the mansion and we went into general caraway's office. We sneaked in, it was all Nuka's idea. That was his name. Nuka found some files on the desk and stook them. I didn't know what they were, but he did. He took them. Nuka took them home after drawn all over them. I thought it was just paper. But I found out that Nuka 's dad was helping the Esthar army and had been tiold to take this documents. So I blamed for not knowing this and then letting him have the files. So he sent me away shamed that I helped the Esthar army," he was gritting his teeth, his fists were clenched aswell.
"Do you know what they were about?"
"No idea except they would help the Esthar Army.
"Well I suppose all that maters now is we've found each other and we can be a family again."
Strik agreed with rino.
"Do you want to get something to eat? I know this nice café we could go to," Rinoa asked.
"Sure," Strik agreed.
"So what are doing now?" Strik asked Rinoa sipping some of coffee.
"Well I'm training to become a SeeD at Balamb Garden."
"SeeD? What are SeeD?" he raised an eye brow.
"SeeD are an elite mercenary force which were originally sent to defeat sorceress, but now that there are only two good sorceress in the world they are sent to help out in other situations. There are four gardens. Balamb, galbadia, Trabia and Esthar. My boyfriend Squall Leonhart is the headmaster at Balamb Garden, where I train. Squall and my friends help him run it. Most of them are Seeds…infact they are I'm the only one who isn't."
"So why do you want to be a SeeD?"
"Well all my friend are and after fighting Ultermercia I felt like one so I thought why don't I just become one. So that's why I'm training. My exam is at the end of this year."
"Do you think I could be a seeD? I don't have anything else plannedwith life, plus I'd see you more often."
"It really isn't up to me. I'd have to ask Squall. I want you to meet squall anyway. I want you to meet all my friends as they mean a lot to me."
"Rinoa, I wanna be a part of your life and I'll do anything. So I'll meet your friends."
"Well how about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Isn't that a little soon?"
"No it's perfect. Please Strik? Please?" Rinoa pleaded.
"Yes," Rinoa yelled and then hugged Strik for the second time.
Rinoa smiled all the way back on the train.
She had planned to have breakfast with the gang and ask them to meet her at six o'clock in the evening in the Quad. That's when she would introduce them to Strik.
So she was meeting Strik at five o'clock in Deling City and then travel with him to the garden.
She couldn't wait.
