A/N: Hmm, well, there was a "slight" gap in updates and writing, but its hard to write when one's muse has flown out the door in search of brighter horizons. At leas now I've managed to stumble out of my stupor, and forget how complicated life can become. Now that that random and completely unhelpful explanation is through with I will continue with the story.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE!

Cloaked in Memories

The light smoothly beamed in through the window, and the stark white infirmary was caught up in the seemingly bright and harmless sun of the moment. Excitement coarsed through the veins of the people present, Dr. Kadowaki, Nida, and two SeeDs who had been both engaging and observing a highly difficult triple triad match. The tense atmosphere of the game was all lost to the scream, a scream emanating from a seemingly lifeless girl.

The four looked at the girl, sitting up in the bed, her eyes darting nervously from person to person. She appeared to be taking in too much, the sight of these four strangers, the inability to remember how she got there and why the characters before her were running about like headless mice taking notes on her and the machines that's were attached to her. Attached to her! She panicked and ripped the needles from her left arm out, and watched as blood began to drip from the minuscule holes.

The girl fainted.

---

"My oh my," Dr. Kadowaki was pacing about her office for about the hunderth time since she had sedated the girl in the other room. A weary looking new SeeD sat by the door, perspiration beading down his face, a bi product of the frantic race to contain the girls, ahem, eager spirit.

When they saw that the girl had fainted they had simply slipped her a sedative, thinking all would go well. However, as it appears to happen most times in real life, that failed and the girl had re awoken and thrashed about again. Post second reawakening the girl was strapped to the bed and happily sleeping a drugged sleep adjacent to the worried doctor and her intern as he seemed to be working out to be.

Both the doctor and Nida sighed, and then looked at one another with a bit of wonder.

"HELP! Someone, please, help me!," a loud and raspy feminine voice called from the other room. The shock was still present in the undertones, but it had appeared to have subsided considerably since her first screaming fit.

Nida started to stand, but the doctor simply looked at him and caused him to sit back down. "This, I believe, is between a doctor and a patient. And in a couple of years when you come back here with a degree and my retirement papers, you can talk to all the mysterious comatose patients you want," she winked, "But until then this may be confidential, or at least for awhile."

Nida looked up at her in awe, but knew better then to argue with her. Me, a doctor! And as if medicine had been doled out, Nida's pride was once again instilled and he strode confidently from the infirmary, but came to a thought outside the door and turned only to have the door slammed in his face.

---

"Hello," Dr Kadowaki walked into the patients room, "I'm Dr. Kadowaki, please calm down, I know you're confused but you're safe. Your with a sane doctor and one of the most powerful military sources in the world, and we will cause you no harm."

The girl was still wide eyed, staring with that deer caught in the headlights look. Her hair was a mess from the thrashing and, if it was possible, she seemed paler in fright then before at deaths doorstep. "But…but! Where AM I?" she prodded, shock and defeat in her eyes as she tried to break free of the restraints with one last heave.

"You're in Balamb Garden, dear. And we're going to help you. Now just tell me your name and where you come from," she had a note pad in front of her now and a pen, and was looking up in anticipation of the girl's response.

"I'm Minera…"she paused, and appeared thoughtful without contorting her face into one of the expressions commonly associated with reflection.

"Minera what?," Dr. Kadowaki replied calmly.

"Minera Anoric…I think. I know that's my first name, but the surname…well I'm not sure but I think that's right," she looked at the doctor, more calm then before. "Could you please undo the restraints, I find it hard to trust you when I'm trapped more then anything."

"You have to promise not to run off, we're just trying to help you, remember that," Minera nodded and Dr. Kadowaki paced over and undid the buckles, allowing Minera to sit up in the bed. "Now, Minera, where are you from? Do you remember?"

She looked upward, this time her reflection captured in the idiotic attempt to connect with her mind, she returned her gaze to observing eye of Dr. Kadowaki, "No."

---

"Bonjour mes amies," Selphie bounced into the training center, ignoring the battles occurring left and right of her. She smiled and half bowed when she reached Squall and Zell. Of course, all of these actions were completely uncalled for, but she was, indeed, Selphie.

"…Hi," Squall, covered in grat…juice…answered less then half-heartily, barely lifting an eye from the inspection of his gunblade.

"Hey Selph. What's up," Zell was punching the air in his usual celebratory, anger, preparing, oh, well, it was probably his all encompassing Zell pose. He hooked a right and then relaxed his arms and looked at Selphie with a smile.

"Not much, been workin' hard on garden festival. Squallie! You said you'd help me out! Remember?" Squall grumbled a meek 'whatever' and kneeled down to wipe his gunblade clean.

"I bet it will be great with you planning it," Zell grinned goofily back at Selphie who had been looking at Squall. A smile then returned to her face and they stood there grinning like idiots.

After about a minute Selphie looked a little shocked, and then she spoke, "I forgot what I came here for! The mystery girl woke up! Nida just told me. She's been awake for hours, maybe even days now, and only Nida and two SeeDs other then the doctor knew! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?"

"Wow, I don't know if I ever thought she would wake up. Just seemed like she might slip away and away with her the hope of ever finding out what happened," Zell spoke excitedly and solemnly at the same time. It was easy to admit that the thought was rather morbid, and it was quite hard to believe that Zell was being so profound.

"That's it! They know what happened to her! She was walking in the woods, they don't know where, and she was attacked by a t-rex unarmed. She didn't know what to do, so she got really beat up and eventually just played dead and then she saw the garden. So she got here and she's been here ever since," she breathed in to catch up on her interrupted interaction with her lungs.

"So where is she from? And why was she in the woods? Which woods?" Zell probed.

"She doesn't know!" Selphie's hands flew up in exasperation.

"What do you mean she doesn't know," Squall joined in to the conversation he had been listening to the whole time, and looked up at Selphie with little expression.

"Just what I said, she doesn't know. She has amnesia, temporary. That's why she remembers the attack, and nothing else, not even her last name!" Selphie explained animatedly.

"Hmm…" Squall appeared to be thinking, but he was in fact simply cleaning his sword and had felt that he was being over informed on someones personal life. He ignored the probing stares for a response, and wiped the remaining side of her blade clean.

"AND! Zell, this is the best part! She's going to be a student in the garden until everything gets straightened out," Selphie with such energy it was a wonder she didn't explode, or implode, or perhaps both simultaneously.

---

"So, Dr. Kadowaki, you advise me to take this girl, Minera Anoric, as a student at this institution," Cid question for about the third time, still not quite grasping the "why" behind it all. After all, they had just spend several hundred Gil keeping her alive, and now to take her on as a student and house her, it all seemed rather convenient. It all seemed rather planned.

"I know you Cid, and that look on your face. You're getting paranoid over a hurt little girl, and that's just not healthy. I can assure you that no one would go as far as she did to get in here. The front gates are all but wide open with our current gateman," she reassured the man.

"Well…well…all right, I guess it couldn't hurt. And she did survive a t-rex attack unarmed and managed to walk," he pushed up his glasses and continued to reassure himself in his thoughts. Yes, yes, the decision is the right one. She is just a child.

"Thank you Cid," Dr. Kadowaki smiled. Mission: successful. "Would you like to see your newest student?"

"Sure, always customary to at least see the new students isn't it," he strode towards the patient door, and walked inside.

When he walked in he was struck with a sudden sense of recognition, for the figure on the bed looked like someone. He couldn't really recall who, but it was obvious that it was too vague so he gave up. The girl did look rather angelic, in that fiery she devil siren sort of way. He sighed, and decided not to wake her, she had many long days to come.

"Sleep well Minera, you're going to have a busy couple of months," he spoke before exiting the room.

---

Seifer had heard now. It seemed as though the whole garden had heard it.

The mystery girl was no longer a passive object, but a living, talking bundle of un-knowledge in a way. She had no clue where she was from, why she was in the woods, or how, in fact, she was living anytime prior to her arrival her at the ever hospitable Balamb Garden.

Seifer wrapped his strong hand around the warm cup of coffee he had been staring blankly into with thought for the last few moments. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip, savoring the thick, bitter flavour of the brewed drink.

It would only be a matter of time now, before the rumor mills restocked and started up again, always moving forward we were. He tried to savour his last few moments of being alone, taking long sips of his drink and partaking in some deep thought.

Talking monkeys, that's all that we are. Monkeys with opinions. Just talking monkeys. Someone had said that once. A long time ago, someone with a bitter wisdom beyond their age.

"Talking monkeys……………"

---

"And you, Selphie, will be showing Minera around Balamb for awhile, if that's alright with you," Dr. Kadowaki was talking to SeeD Tilmit in her office. A few days had passed since Minera had woken up, and the buzz around the garden was reaching chain saw decibels.

"OF COURSE!" Selphie jumped up and hugged the doctor, "This will be the best time ever! Ever, ever ever…!"

And with that, Dr. Kadowaki regretted her rash reasoning.

---