Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy IX characters but my characters are my own creations and I do own the rights to them.



Chapter Nine: Moonlight Thoughts

Night fell and Phina was in her room sitting on the window seat looking out at the night sky. The breeze from the opened window moved the curtains and her undone hair. She wore a thin white nightgown made of lace and cotton. Her green eyes were dim and looking at some far away place.

She was thinking again. She did it often now that she didn't have to worry about where her next meal was coming from. She was really happy here. Her life was good and she had friends. A single almost undetectable tear slid down her cheek leaving a shining wet trail behind.

~Emma, why couldn't you be here with me~ she thought sadly. Images flashed through her head at a rapid pace but she knew each one by heart. One was a girl sitting on a street corner. Another, an older girl sitting next to a younger one. A small house with the two girls laughing. A small Christmas tree with only two presents under the boughs. A shadowed alley with a dark man. A glittering knife clutched in an experienced hand. A girl with dark hair, lying in a pool of blood. A blue ribbon blowing in the wind.

Phina violently shook her head to clear it. She didn't want to think about the past. She clutched the ribbon she always wore to her chest and leaned back against the wall. Slowly she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to sleep.

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The wind howled and the ocean's waves leapt, hungrily snapping at the air. She was still screaming as the woman pulled her away and down to the docks. The hand that held her was sweating and stating to slip. With one good wrench, she pulled free and raced back up the stone steps. The woman called after her, crying her name but she didn't chase her down.

Coming to the top she looked around trying to find the man. The sky was a dark, boiling mass with a glowing spot centered over the middle of the village. People gazed up at the sky wondering what mysteries it held. She ran among the shocked people trying to find the man. She suddenly spotted him standing at the front of the crowd with a look of fear on his face.

She ran up to him and tugged on his pant leg. He looked down and on seeing the little girl by his side, his eyes grew wide. He looked around frantically and then threw his hands in the air. He yelled out something and she was picked up into the air with a golden flash and a shriek. Tears streamed down her face and flew off into the sky as the man disappeared below.

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Zidane was walking down the hall to his room. He was thinking about the mysterious woman he had brought to the castle two weeks ago. She puzzeled him greatly. She was strong, fast, and skilled in her fighting techniques. He had seen it himself and he'd even gotten a second opinion from both Steiner and Beatrix. They both agreed that Phina was not normal.

Then there was Vivi and Eiko. He had talked to them earlier tonight. When Eiko had told Phina she was pretty good, that was a huge understatement. She was great! Phina was able to learn every spell that Eiko had taught her within a few minutes. Also being able to do both white magic and black magic was something that was almost unheard of. Eiko was starting her on the harder spells but Phina was just soaking them up like a sponge. It almost seemed as if she already knew them.

Zidane wasn't sure what to think about her. For all he knew she was out to destroy the world. He couldn't be sure because he didn't know anything about her, except for the fact that she definitely didn't fall under the category of being normal. She always avoided his or other people's questions on her past. Zidane closed his eyes and shook his head. He just had to trust his heart, which told him every night how he felt about her.

Slowly he continued down the hall when a shriek filled his sensitive ears. The sound was coming from behind him in Phina's room. He dashed down the corridor pulling his dagger out of his sleeve. He threw the door to the room open and charged inside hoping to catch the attacker unawares.

Zidane stopped in his tracks as he found the room in perfect condition. The only problem was Phina. She was curled in a tight ball on the window seat. Tears coursed down her face from tightly closed eyelids. Her red hair was a tangled mess and her nightgown was clutched in her hands. Every once in a while she would make a small sound. Sometimes the sound would tear from her throat in a scream.

At the pitiful sight of the young woman, Zidan gathered Phina in his arms and laid her on the bed trying to quiet her. He tucked her in and started to make soothing noises. Upon hearing the noises, she sat up violently, sweat flying from her face as her eyes snapped open.

"It's okay," Zidane said softly, stroking her back. Short gasps exploded from Phina's throat as she tried to breathe through her sobs. After a few minutes Phina was finally able to calm down. Her breathing slowed to a regular pace but tears still streaked her face.

"We need to talk," Zidane said when she was breathing normally. "I hate to see you like this but there's nothing I can do to help unless you start to talk to me about what's making you so upset." Zidane sat on the bed making himself comfortable. He wasn't leaving until she talked to him.

Phina knew she couldn't avoid the questions forever but she couldn't just tell him that what was troubling her was something she couldn't even remember. She knew he wanted to hear about her past because that's what he thought was wrong. She decided to tell him about the past that she could remember. Taking a deep breath she started into her story.

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Another cliffhanger! (evil laugh in the background) Interesting dreams and mysterious pasts combine to create one crazed author. Yes, I know it's weird and I know you hate me for the cliffhanger but next chapter soon. I mean very soon. I mean I have all the way to chapter 15 written. I just need to load it so hang in there.