Phoenix stretched her slender arms up high.
It had been two weeks since she was released fro mthe Infirmary and she was
glad. After the first week in bed, it was driving Phoenix insane. She wanted
to go outside, explore the Garden, and get the hell back home. But nooo, Dr.
Kadowaki insisted that she stay until full recovery. So, all she could do was
agree and look out the window, thinking about her sister, little brother, and
all the childhood friends she left behind in battle. And the frustrating thing
about all this was that she couldn't remember a damn thing on what happened
to her to be injured so badly. All she could remember was falling, falling deep
into the void of emptiness...
Phoenix shook her head at the thought,
continuing to walk but at a much faster pace. It wasn't your fault, it isn't
your falut, it's that freakin' hell of a sorceress's fault for getting you into
this mess...
Something caught her eye and she turned
her head.
"Training Center?" she asked
herself and then paused. The people around her, both SeeD and cadets alike,
looked at the sheathed sword around her hip and began whispering to one another,
still staring. She frowned slightly and they disperesed in different directions.
Phoenix gave a small sigh and headed towards the entrance of the center.
"Why do they keep on staring at me
like that?" she murmured softly to herself. "It's as if I did something
wrong..."
Dr. Kadowaki sat at her desk, examining
the results of the blood tests. She had been asked by Cid and Edea to take a
blood sample from their unexpected visitor and compare them to the DNA of everybody
in the Garden. Kadowaki had asked why; Phoenix seemed to be a very amiable young
girl, although a bit distant at times and didn't seem to be a threat to anyone.
"It's just that there's something
odd about her," Edea had answered. "Yes, you're right, she doesn't
seem to be a threat, but she looks so much like Rinoa. Don't you remember? When
Squall and Zell had found her, they had mistaken her as Rinoa but she was right
here talking to me the time they found her washed ashore. I just want to make
sure..."
Dr. Kadowaki had almost finished through
the list of comparison DNA and was about to toss the whole thing after not finding
anything whatsoever until she passed Rinoa's and Squall's DNA. The two were
right next to each other, one on top of the other. Coincidence, but that wasn't
why Kadowaki had stopped. After taking another look at Phoenix's sample and
back at Rinoa's and Squall's, she discovered something awfully strange.
"Oh Hyne..."
She reached for the phone and quickly began
to dial the Headmaster's office.
Phoenix took down a T-Rexaur with ease.
She gazed down at its mutilated carcass in frustration. Geez, and those guys
at the front said that THIS dino was the toughest monster to beat? I'd take
Behemoth than this thing any day. She saw something shimmering out of its
body and bent down to pick it up. It was a screw. Not to mention that I didn't
even have to use my magic to kill it...
"You fight pretty well for beating
a T-Rexaur with only your weapon," a voice said from behind.
Phoenix freaked out a bit, still not used
to being not the only person around. And she still didn't trust anybody except
for Dr. Kadowaki. She turned around, her blue katana still in her hand, to her
addressor.
It was Squall, leaning against a railing,
his arms folded across his chest, similar sapphire eyes looking at her straight
in the eye, and the Lionheart at his waist in the same position as Phoenix's
sheath was. She looked away from him for a moment to sheath her katana away,
its blue ember fading as it slid into the sheath.
"Well, I practiced a lot without using
my magic ever since I learned how to hold a sword," she said quietly and
looking back up at him to return the gaze.
She had learned from Dr. Kadowaki that
Squall was one of the men who found her washed ashore, the Commander of Balamb
Garden, and had the same last name as she did. The doctor also said to her that
Squall had a cold and intimidating attitude that made others respect him yet
be feared by him as well, but for some odd reason, Phoenix didn't feel intimidated
nor feared. She felt as if she met him before...known him longer than she should
have.
Squall only arched an eyebrow at her response,
his eyes clearly seen to be thinking. Their staredown was interrupted by yet
another voice.
"Hey, Squall, did you find her yet?"
Rinoa's voice called out as she ran in.
Phoenix had to blink a few times in bewilderment.
Luna? No, it isn't her; she doesn't wear blue.
Rinoa greeted Squall with a big hug and
kiss on the cheek. Phoenix couldn't help but be amused by Squall's reaction,
who was trying not to grin or blush. Her thoughts were interrupted again when
Rinoa turned around and called her name.
"Phoenix, isn't it? You've been in
here since this morning, so would you like to join us for lunch?"
Rinoa's invitation was so warm and inviting
that it flustered Phoenix a bit out of her shell that she so well kept closed.
"Um...sure."
She felt a bit out of place. Maybe a bit
TOO out of place that Phoenix forgot to stop the spinning of the straw in her
cup of hot chocolate. Zell, of course, was stuffing his face full of hot dogs
and talking nonstop at the same time. Selphie sat on Irvine's lap, the two grinning
like goofballs and barely touching their food as they gazed lovingly into each
other's eyes. Quistis and Rinoa were deep in conversation about Quistis' return
as an Instructor. And Squall was, well, Squall was Squall. Sure, he said something
once in a while, but most of the time he observed. And he didn't seem the type
to talk openly, so Phoenix just tuned into Rinoa and Quistis' conversation.
"Hey Phoenix!" Zell's voice snapped
her out of her daydreaming.
Phoenix turned her head to look at Zell
who had finished his lunch now and his tray was squeaky clean. He grinned his
usual way of gretting people.
"You're new here, right? Why don't
you tell us something about yourself? You've been so quiet that I could've mistaken
you for a female version of Squall." He ignored the dirty look that Squall
gave him and continued on. "So, do ya have any family or anything?"
She didn't know where to start and paused
for a moment. Then she realized that Squall was staring at the spinning straw
in her cup of hot chocolate and immediately put her hand over the cup to make
it stop. "Um...well..."
But before Phoenix could answer, the PA
system announced Cid's voice. "Would Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Irvine,
Selphie, and Phoenix come to the Headmaster's office? This is urgent. Thank
you."
"I wonder what that was all about?"
Quistis asked to nobody in particular.
Zell grinned again. "Maybe he's got
a mission booked for us. It's been a while."
"But why would Phoenix be called up
as well?" Rinoa asked, concerned.
"It's probably 'cuz she can kick some
serious ass," Zell suggested and then looked at Phoenix. "I saw you
at the Training Center. You were so fast, I wouldn't even see you if it weren't
for those streaks in your hair."
Phoenix took that as a compliment. "Thanks."
"Look, why don't we just take a looksee
and go upstairs?" Irvine drifted back to the subject. "Cid's voice
seemed desparate."
The feeling of cold metal against her throat
was nothing new to Phoenix. Even if it was one of the people who befriended
her, she wasn't scared. Actually she was pretty much used to that as she stared
back at eyes a simliar shade to hers that were now flaming in anger and being
held back by Zell.
"Matron, Headmaster, just what the
HELL is going on?" Squall shouted. His outburst of emotion was very rare
but known well among his friends. "Are you saying that Phoenix is related
to BOTH Rinoa and me? How can that be possible?"
Edea didn't say anything, but Cid got up
from his seat. "Squall, maybe Phoenix can explain. We got a call from Esthar
and all parts of the world about strange occurences happening in the cities
and surrounding areas. Even the monsters are different. They are all asking
us and Galbadia for help."
Silence. Then Phoenix broke it, looking
down at the floor.
"How in Hyne's name am I supposed
to know what's going on?" she asked softly. Everybody turned in her direction.
"I mean, I just got here. First thing I'm with my friends fighting Ultimecia
and the next thing I find myself here. Personally, I didn't even KNOW that Garden
still existed."
"Wait a second," Quistis spoke
up, trying to figure things out. "What do you mean by that you and your
friends were fighting Ultimecia? She's still alive? And what do you mean that
Garden still existed?"
Phoenix looked up from the floor, a puzzled
look on her face. "What do you mean by 'still alive'? Of course she's still
alive. Been alive ever since I could remember." She refused to answer the
second part of the question.
"Hold on a sec, Phoenix," Irvine
intervened. "Are you fighting SORCERESS Ultimecia?"
"...Yeah, why?"
A very frightening look came to his face.
"It's because WE killed her two years ago."
AUTHOR'S NOTE (once again): Okay, okay,
very STRANGE, isn't it? You'll get to understand what's going on later on...that
is if you still want me to continue. R/R plz!