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 Fourteen: Returning Memories

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"Phina, come to me!" the man yelled. A swooping golden figure came from the sky. The little girl clung even tighter to them man's leg, her horn digging into his skin. She gazed up into the sky as a red, circle of light shot out from the cloud.

"Daddy, what's that?" the girl questioned her father. The man wasn't paying attention. His focus was centered on a golden bird in the air. It landed beside the man and he whispered in its ear. The girl was still looking at the clouds.

Suddenly, as the storm reached its peak, a red eye shot open. It blinked a few times before realizing where it was. The girl felt herself being pulled from her father's leg. He hoisted her up and set her on the golden bird's back. She was awed at the sheen coming from the feathers and was surprised at how soft they were. She had heard of the legendary golden phoenix before but she had never actually seen him. Her father was the only one in the village that could call on the most powerful eidolon of Madain Sari.

"Emily, go with Phina. Make a life for yourself. I don't know why you didn't leave with your mother and sister on the boat but-" the man's deep voice was cut off as she interrupted him.

"Daddy, I couldn't leave without you! What's going on? Why do I have to leave with Mommy? Why can't you go too?" Emily was almost screaming by now. Her father looked up at the sky then turned back to his daughter.

"Listen, I'm going to make this quick and then you are going to leave Madain Sari and find you sister and your mother. You will make a new life for yourselves. Do you understand me?" The man's voice left no room for argument. Emily simply nodded her head. "I am going to hold off the eye long enough for you to escape. This thing wants to destroy our village and I have to give you enough time to escape!"

"But Daddy-!" Emily's words were cut off as the phoenix took to the air at the man's bidding.

"No!" her words echoed through the sky as tears streamed down her face. The salt water flew from her face to join the rain that had started to fall. She watched as the eye glared down at the village and started to suck it into the sky. She tried to watch her father but soon she was no longer able to see him. After a while she finally lay down on the bird's back and cried herself to sleep.

A light breeze woke her up the next morning. They were speeding over an ocean. The sea sparkled but to Emily it brought no joy. She curled into a ball and let the tears that were so common last night come again.

~Please do not cry,~ a voice echoed through her head.

"Who's there?" Emily shivered at the feeling the voice gave her. It wasn't unpleasant just odd.

~It is I, Phina. Crying will only make the past hurt more. If it makes you feel any better I have a present for you.~

"No it doesn't make me feel better, and what would you know anyway? You're just a dumb phoenix! You don't know what it feels like to lose everything!" Emily's harsh words cut the air like a knife. As soon as they had left her mouth she instantly regretted them.

~Do not criticize me, child. I am a powerful eidolon and could rip you to shreds but since I am so kind I will still give you the present. It's under the feathers on my neck.~

Emily carefully crawled up to the phoenix's neck and brushed the feather back with her hand. Looking down she found a necklace with one of the phoenix's tail feathers in it. She picked it up and examined it closer. The necklace was beautiful. She slipped the chain over her neck and promised herself that she would never lose the precious gift.

~That is a special necklace given only to special people that have the ability to call on me. I do not come to just any summoner.~

"But my daddy didn't have a necklace and he could call on you," Emily stated.

~Your father had no need for the necklace. He was capable on his own. He also only called on me during times of need and always for the good of his people. I will never forget your father. He was something special and I believe that you will be, too.~

Emily smiled finally cheering up. She settled back down to sleep hoping to dream of better times.

She was awakened by a cold wind that was whistling past her ears. She sat up and found that the phoenix was having trouble flying. The sky was black with clouds and she couldn't tell whether it was day or night.

~Stay down Emily. I don't know what's wrong.~

Emily didn't listen. There was something very familiar about the clouds overhead. That's when she spotted it. The ominous red spot that had sealed the fate of her village. She almost screamed but clamped a hand over her mouth before it could reach the air outside her lips. The phoenix started to shake as the violent winds picked up. Emily griped tight the phoenix's feathers but she knew she couldn't hold on that way f or much longer.

Emily's sweating palms were slipping as the bird swayed to and fro. Trying to a find a better grip, she let go for an instant. The storm took this opportunity to make the phoenix sway hard to the left. Emily felt herself being lifted from the bird's back and flying into the air.

Screaming, she started falling at an alarming rate. The phoenix folded its wings and dove after the child. Emily felt herself being jerked upwards by the collar of her dress. She looked up and found herself hanging by the golden bird's claws. Emily sighed in relief as the phoenix started to descend.

~I think I should drop you off at the nearest town. That storm followed me~ the phoenix's voice echoed through her head. Emily nodded her head and hope the bird wouldn't drop her.

As they descended, Emily noticed that the lower they went the thicker the clouds got. Out of nowhere a tower emerged from the thick, gray fog. The phoenix barley managed to dodge it but more and more spires appeared. The golden bird was able to avoid these as well but Emily could tell the jerking around was straining the collar of her dress. She let out a breath when they had finally managed to get away from the towers but sucked it back in to a scream as a stonewall rose out of the mist.

The phoenix was surprised by the wall and wasn't able to dodge it. Emily smacked into the wall with a sickening crunch. Her forehead exploded in pain as she saw stars. She could taste the blood that streamed into her mouth from above. She could fell the cloth in the bird's talons rip as blackness closed around her. She was falling into darkness. The stars in her head had disappeared but were replaced by a murkiness that surrounded her mind. The last thing she remembered before falling unconscious was hitting the cobbled ground with a thud.

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Zidane sat in his room lying on his bed, thinking. Two nights ago he had kissed Phina and she hadn't said a word about it. He kept wondering if she had felt the same way he had. Things were so complicated right now. He wanted to know how she felt but he didn't want to ask her in case he was rejected. He was almost fine just thinking that she liked him, too. Almost. He still wanted to know so that his fantasies and daydreams could end or begin.

Phina had hardly even spoken to him in the last two days but he supposed it was because he was busy. Lately he had been under a lot of pressure from Steiner and everybody to find a new bodyguard for Garnet. Zidane wanted to leave soon but he was having trouble finding a suitable replacement.

He sighed and closed his eyes trying to wish all his problems away. A pounding on his door caused him to blot upright.

"Zidane!" Let me in!" came Garnet's frantic voice. He hurried to the door and unlocked it. Out in the hall Zidane found a hysterical Garnet on the verge of tears. "Zidane, Phina's been kidnapped by some evil man!"

"Whoa, hold on Garnet," Zidane tried to soothe her. "Now calm down and tell me what happened."\

"Phina's been kidnapped by some weird guy in the marketplace! We were just sitting there when these magical clouds came up. I think Phina thought the guy must have had something to do with it so she went over and tried to get him to stop but he got mad and said something and made her collapse. Then he just picked her up and vanished! Something's going on, Zidane. I can fell it in the air but I don't know what it is. We have to find Phina!" Garnet sputtered. She had been talking a mile a minute but Zidane got the message. He stared blankly at the floor for a minute before his eyes hardened. He would find Phina and this guy had done anything to harm her he would kill him.

Garnet saw all this in an instant and realized how much Zidane cared for Phina. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him out the door. They hurried down the stairs and found Steiner and Beatrix at the door with Vivi and Eiko.

"We told them what happened and they want to help," Eiko explained. "Amarant and Freya should be here soon." Zidane nodded and settled down to wait. The two warriors soon arrived with Quina following close behind.

"I go with," s/he stated. No one argued and the group set out to find their missing friend.

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Did the memories pull together or are you still confused? I'd like some more reviews even if it is criticism. Oh well, * sigh * if you don't want to you don't have to.