CHAPTER 7
Beautiful Mistakes
When they finally arrived back at Esthar, back to the safety of the presidential palace, hoards of people crowed around her. Doctors, soldiers, Uncle Zell, aunt Ellone and Izza, Grandpa Laguna, but nobody's presence affected Kriye as much as when she saw her mother.
Through the crowd of people Kriye ran to her mother. The two flung their arms around each other with so much emotion that it hurt inside and out. When they at last parted Kriye started to break down in hysterics, apologizing for everything that she did. For lying, for running away, for everything that drove guilt into Kriye's heart she apologized for. Her mom, however, wouldn't hear any of it. She simply took Kriye by the shoulders and said to her.
"Kriye our lives are made of hundreds of mistakes, but there for a purpose," she paused for a moment breaking into a great, warm smile. "They're there to learn from."
Kriye laughed inwardly. Coming from anyone else it would have sounded cliché, but coming from her mother the words value increased ten fold.
Once Kriye and her mother had their moment the crowd quickly encircled around Kriye once again. It was at this point that Kriye relayed everything that had happened to her.
The news wasn't exactly shocking; everyone in the room knew that these mysterious scientists were after her. The only shocking part was probably hearing about it from someone who experienced it first hand.
"Blood sampled were taken from me everyday," she told them the crowd. "They would also put me to sleep a lot. Shiva knows what they did to me then," Kriye watched as everyone shuddered.
"So do you know what they were doing with your blood sample?" Grandpa Laguna asked hesitantly. "Did they ever mention the other girls that they were experimenting on?"
"They would, they would say a girl's name from time to time, but none of it ever made a sense to me. All I know is there using my blood, and I have a hunch that it's not going to be used for any type of world peace."
Grandpa Laguna nodded his head knowingly.
"What is it Laguna?" asker her mother. "What are you not telling us?"
Kriye watched as her grandpa stared at everyone nervously, finally after a long sigh he spoke.
"Well after you kids first told me about the experiment I started to do my own research...I spoke with Dr. Odine."
Both Kriye and Rave gasped at the mention of Dr. Odine's name, it was the name of the mysterious man who helped them when they were searching for Ceila. The larger shock for them, however, was that Aunt Ellone, Uncle Zell and her own mother's reaction were exactly the same.
"What are you doing bringing him into this?!" Her mother shouted.
"He knows more about sorceresses then any of us could ever dream to obtain," Grandpa tried to reason "I trust he'll keep everything I told him confidential." Her mom rolled her eyes as Grandpa Laguna continued. "Anyways what he said was very informative."
"And what was that?" Aunt Ellone asked skeptically.
Grandpa looked at everyone, his eyes wide and nervous. "Dr. Odine believes that these men are trying to make an army of sorceresses."
Dead silence filled the room.
"I know it sounds crazy," Laguna continued "But I do believe what he says is correct, and now I think they have the means to do it."
There was a pause; only broken by her mother who said "Well what do we do about it?"
"I want you guys to do nothing about it," Laguna told her "I want you and Kriye to go back to Squall. Leave this problem to the Esthar military."
"Laguna," her mother protested, but as both she and Kriye knew, when he wanted to Grandpa Laguna could be just as, if not more, stubborn then her dad.
When Grandpa Laguna wouldn't hear any of it the matter became closed. Kriye and her mom were going back to Timber to be with her dad, but the blessing was that they weren't going to be going alone. Ceila, Davis and Rave would be joining her. For this Kriye was grateful.
Kriye didn't remember ever having a stronger need to see her father in her entire life. The whole ride to Timber was awful; the only thing that she could do to suppress the ache that was burning inside of her was try not to think of him. Which after a week of emotional rollercoaster's, it was a task easier said then done.
Timber wasn't nearly as chaotic as it was a few days ago, but considering the circumstances, that really wasn't saying much.
As Kriye and her friends walked through the city once again people were still ranting about Samson Green's assignation, and the election that still hadn't taken place.
Nobody seemed to care about one loan SeeD that risked his life for their cause. The news at the attempted assassination of Squall Leonhart seemed to have faded, and the town went back to its long list of pathetic problems. The whole thing made Kriye sick.
When they arrived at the hospital Ceila, Davis and Rave all went to the cafeteria while Kriye and her mom went to see her father.
The doctors told the two women that Squall was no longer in critical care, and that he was resting peacefully in one of the wards. Although the news was good, Kriye knew that no matter his condition her dad would not be in the best of moods.
Apprehensively Kriye and her mom walked to Squall's room, and slowly opened his door.
The look on Kriye's dad's face when they walked was exactly what she had expected. His scowl was what stuck out the most, in his steel eyes you could see the distain, anger, worry, and relief that he was feeling.
Neither Kriye nor her mother said anything as they entered the room. Squall Leonhart was normally one to hold in his emotion, but Kriye knew as soon as they walked in that this was one of those times that her father wasn't going to keep quiet.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" her dad yelled furiously. "I have the nurse tell me that my wife had just gone off, and then I have Laguna call me and say that he's recovered Kriye! Imagine his surprise, and mine when I ask 'what the hell are you talking about?'"
Both Kriye and Rinoa take a simultaneous step back as her dad continued.
"I've been fucking bed ridden, not only because of my shoulder, but out of bloody worry. And now here you two are!"
Kriye didn't know what to say. Although she was relieved to see him well enough to yell at her like that, his fit of rage left her utterly speechless. Thankfully her mother was made for these situations. Kriye watched as her mom took her husbands hand and in a soothing voice began to speak.
"Squall, love, I couldn't tell you. If I would have told you that Kriye was missing you would have ran out of this hospital in a heartbeat."
"Your damn right I would have."
"That's why I didn't tell you," her mother continued "If you would have left, that would have been more then I could possibly worry about. So making my own selfish mistake I didn't tell you, and I went to take care of it myself. You have every right to be upset, but at least please try to understand."
Kriye watched her father as he considered everything his wife had said. In the end Squall picked up Rinoa's hand and gently kissed it, and that was it. All was forgiven.
The three Leonharts spent the rest of their day together in that room. Kriye watched fascinated as her parents talked to each other. She never before paid attention to them as a couple before, they were always just mom and dad. Now she was watching them under a whole new light, and for the first time she realized just how right her parents were together.
Late that night Kriye sat in her chair wide awake. She was watching her mom as she laid on her dad's bed gently stroking his hair as he slept peacefully.
Kriye had so much respect for her mom, and she found that respect growing by the day. Watching her mother taking such loving care of her husband, Kriye decided to do something that she had never dared to do before. She decided to ask her mom about her past.
"Mom, what was it like?"
The sorceress looked away from her husband and turned her attention to Kriye. She looked up at her daughter with a wave of confusion. "What was what like?"
"Saving the world? I mean you were my age weren't you? What..." Kriye sighed trying to find the right words. "What did it feel like?"
"Well honestly at the time it didn't feel like anything," Her mom told her, Kriye could only stare as her mom went on "It was a very complicated time, especially for me. I was meeting new people, I was saving the world, I was discovering I was a sorceress, hell I was discovering myself and then there was your father." The older women let out a soft giggle "And let's just say that he didn't make things any easier."
"I can only imagine," said Kriye letting out her own laugh.
The two grew quiet for a moment before Kriye's mom asked her.
"Why all of sudden the curiosity, you were never interested in my past before?"
"Oh I don't know. Everything has kind of happened so fast. I know we weren't saving the world or anything, but it felt like we doing something special. I guess I just wanted to know if you were feeling what I'm feeling."
"And what are you feeling Kriye?"
It was such an honest question. 'What are you feeling?' It was so simple; still despite how much she tried Kriye couldn't come up with an honest answer.
"I don't know," she said after awhile "I guess I don't know a lot of things."
Her mother smiled knowingly "This wouldn't be about a Mr. Rave Almansy would it?"
Jumping from her seat Kriye shook her head vigorously. She had no idea what she felt for Rave, but she sure as hell wasn't going to discuss it with her mother.
"No, this has nothing to do with Rave! Why does my reason to talk with my mother have to be about a boy!?"
"It was only a question Kriye; calm down," her mom said calmly "you don't have to get so defensive."
Taking a deep breath Kriye sat back down in her seat "I'm sorry," Kriye told her mom, her voice was barely audible.
Her mom just smiled "It's alright. You have the right to be defensive about anything you want to be defensive about. You wouldn't be my daughter if you weren't."
Kriye smiled back. It had been a long time since she had talked to her mom. And now that she the opportunity Kriye wasn't ready yet to let go.
"Mom, what's it like to have sorceress powers?"
"You have the powers yourself. Can't you feel them flowing through your veins?"
"Sometimes, but not a lot," she told her mom honestly. "Why don't I have the powers? I mean shouldn't my magic abilities be a hundred times stronger then they are now? Honestly how do we even know that I actually am a sorceress?"
Kriye watched as her mother took a few seconds to consider her answer. With careful consideration she spoke.
"I'm not sure why your powers haven't shown. They might be just waiting for the right time, or they might never show at all. Truthfully I'm not sure, but I do know, and there's no doubt in my mind about this, that you Kriye Leonhart are a sorceress."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because, I can feel you just like I could feel sorceresses Adel and Ultimicia. It is a connection that I could never describe."
"Why can't I feel it?"
"Maybe you do, you just don't know it. I had my powers transferred into me when I was seventeen. You've had your powers since the day that you were born."
Kriye nodded, it made sense, sort of. Smiling at her mom Kriye got up from her seat and started to make her way towards the door when her mom called to her.
"I know being seventeen is never easy, especially for a sorceress, but Kriye for what it means, I am so proud of you."
Trying not to break into tears Kriye bit her lip and whispered the words. 'Thank you' to her mother. With that she left the room and started to make her way towards the cafeteria wiping her tears away as she went.
Little did she know that as soon as she shut the door behind, Rinoa wiped away her own set of tears.
* * *
After saving Kriye everyone spent the next week in Timber. Timber isn't nearly the city that Esthar is, but it does have a beauty of its own.
One day Rave and Kriye were walking along the streets of Timber together, the two were talking about nothing in particular. They had actually been doing that a lot lately, ever since they arrived back in Timber they talked and talked, but never did they really 'talk.' Neither of them ever dare bring up what was going on between them, even though with all honesty Rave wouldn't know where to even begin.
He knew at one point they would have to talk about what was going on, but until then Rave was perfectly content on leaving things the way they were.
So they were walking when suddenly Rave and Kriye came upon a sight that neither of them ever expected to see.
There on the side of the road was Ceila and Davis; the two were locked in a passionate embrace.
"Well that's interesting development," said Kriye obviously amused.
"When do you think it happened?" He asked her.
Kriye shrugged "I suppose it doesn't necessarily have to take a lot of time for things to happen, all you need is the moment."
Right then a moment happened between Rave and Kriye, but it was awkward. Rave for one was quite grateful when Ceila and Davis spotted them. The awkward moment was then shifted to the two lovers in the street.
"Well I don't think I've seen two people turn so red in my life," he said cheerfully as he and Kriye approached them, he took sure delight at how he was making the two blush.
"What are you two doing here?" Davis asked accusingly "I don't suppose you were off doing your own private business?"
Davis got cold looks from both him and Kriye.
"Or not," Davis tacked on, his voice barely above a whisper.
When another awkward moment had engulfed them Ceila took charge. With a wide grin spread across her face she turned to Rave and Davis and said.
"Why don't you two boys go off? I think me and Kriye have some 'girl talk' to do."
Davis gave the brunette an obviously look that said he wanted to continue on with what they were previously doing, but Ceila wasn't going to give in. She gave Davis a quick kiss and a wave before she walked away. Kriye waved weakly goodbye to him before running off to join her friend. Now it was just him, Davis and a whole lot of silence.
Rave still remembered his conversation with Davis that night in the hotel room, he had told him to tell Kriye how he felt. The only problem was he didn't know 'how' he felt. Sure there was something inside of him that felt something for Kriye, but he didn't know what that was.
The two young men, without saying a word to each other, started walking down the street. Normally Rave wouldn't have minded the silence, but having the silence come from Davis of all people was simply too eerie for him. So, despite himself, Rave started a conversation.
"So how long have you and Ceila...?" Rave left it at that, he didn't know how else to put it.
"Well it's hard to say," Davis told him "from the beginning I've always felt something, but I guess that feeling didn't become...physical until we got back to Timber."
Rave nodded. It was a truthful answer, the problem now was Rave didn't know what else to ask. The two of them once again began to travel in silence. Rave would have left it at that when suddenly a question occurred to him.
Trying to sound simply curious Rave asked Davis "Is it love?"
At first Davis didn't reply, he just continued to walk, and Rave was about to give up on the question when at last the young sailor spoke.
"Love is a term that's tossed around too easily," his spiky haired friend told him "It just doesn't have the meaning that I think it began with. I mean everyone uses it; friends, girlfriends, boyfriends...family," Davis' voice faded, as if in the middle of a memory that he just couldn't get out of. When he finally came to his voice was shaky, and sounded like it was on the edge of breaking down "People use it all the time, but rarely do they ever mean it. I guess what it comes down to is...I don't want to label what Ceila and I have with something so common as 'love'."
Davis suddenly fell down to his knees. His shoulders started to shake in what Rave thought was a sob, but he saw no tears roll down the young man's face.
Rave was baffled at how the subject of love could have such an effect on a person like Davis. Then as if Rave had been punched in the dark it came to him.
Kneeling down next to Davis, Rave put a hesitant hand on his shoulder, and with great apprehension he asked him.
"Davis, what happened to your family?"
The dark haired boy looked up at him, emotions running wild in his eyes.
"They were killed a long, long time ago." Davis said quietly.
"Killed?!" Rave gasped "By who, why?"
Davis laughed bitterly. They were killed by Galbadian sailors. When they wouldn't give up their ship the Galbadian bastards just killed them."
"Where were you?"
"Home...I was fucking at home. I told my parents that I wanted to stay with my friends for the week, they wanted me to come with, but I was so god damn stubborn. We had this big fight blah, blah, blah and in the end they let me stay. I remember seeing them off at the docks and my ma was all teary eyed, and that was it. No words, just nothing..."
Davis suddenly stood up. Wiping the tears that were forming in his eyes he started to relentlessly kick the side of the building while cursing up to the guardians. He went on like that for quite some time. And all Rave could do was just stand there not saying a word.
When Davis had calmed down he sprawled himself on the ground. With his back against the gravel, and his face looking up towards the heavens Davis started to speak again.
"I know it's dumb, but that's why I can't make myself believe in the concept of love. It can be taken away too easily. It may never come back. And rather or not the person meant it at the time, it doesn't always mean they are going to give it..." After a deep sigh Davis waved his hand in front of him "whatever I'm just being dumb."
"It's not dumb man," Rave told him, speaking for the first time in a while. "It's your reason and your reason alone. That in itself makes it not dumb."
Davis snorted, but Rave could tell he appreciate not being thought of as dumb.
The two started to make their way back to the hospital. They had grown quiet again as they walked the streets of Timber.
They had just reached the hospital doors when Davis spoke up again.
"To answer your question Rave, if what Ceila and I have is actually love I'll tell you this. What I feel for Ceila is stronger then anything I ever felt before. It's stronger then the pain of losing my parents, stronger then my loneliness that I've felt for so many years. It's just...indescribable."
Rave gave him a genuine smile "That's cool man. I'm happy for you."
The two men punched each other in a way that only men would see as affection.
They made their way to the cafeteria where they spotted at least a dozen people gather around a small radio, Kriye and Ceila were among them. Running to join the crowd Rave forced himself in a spot next to Kriye where he asked her.
"What's going on?"
Pointing her finger up toward her lip Kriye remained silent as the whole room focused their ears to listen.
{Mass destruction occurred in the city of Deling today. An unknown assailant with great destructive powers over took the city, destroying everything in its path. Along with the city many of the suburban areas and farms have also been stricken by this creature of horror. We'll keep you posted and the story progresses.}
Right then and there Rave felt for the first time that unbearable pain that Davis was talking about earlier.
He knew he had to get home.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Thanks to all who are reading. I hope everyone's taking care.
Always,
Leah
Beautiful Mistakes
When they finally arrived back at Esthar, back to the safety of the presidential palace, hoards of people crowed around her. Doctors, soldiers, Uncle Zell, aunt Ellone and Izza, Grandpa Laguna, but nobody's presence affected Kriye as much as when she saw her mother.
Through the crowd of people Kriye ran to her mother. The two flung their arms around each other with so much emotion that it hurt inside and out. When they at last parted Kriye started to break down in hysterics, apologizing for everything that she did. For lying, for running away, for everything that drove guilt into Kriye's heart she apologized for. Her mom, however, wouldn't hear any of it. She simply took Kriye by the shoulders and said to her.
"Kriye our lives are made of hundreds of mistakes, but there for a purpose," she paused for a moment breaking into a great, warm smile. "They're there to learn from."
Kriye laughed inwardly. Coming from anyone else it would have sounded cliché, but coming from her mother the words value increased ten fold.
Once Kriye and her mother had their moment the crowd quickly encircled around Kriye once again. It was at this point that Kriye relayed everything that had happened to her.
The news wasn't exactly shocking; everyone in the room knew that these mysterious scientists were after her. The only shocking part was probably hearing about it from someone who experienced it first hand.
"Blood sampled were taken from me everyday," she told them the crowd. "They would also put me to sleep a lot. Shiva knows what they did to me then," Kriye watched as everyone shuddered.
"So do you know what they were doing with your blood sample?" Grandpa Laguna asked hesitantly. "Did they ever mention the other girls that they were experimenting on?"
"They would, they would say a girl's name from time to time, but none of it ever made a sense to me. All I know is there using my blood, and I have a hunch that it's not going to be used for any type of world peace."
Grandpa Laguna nodded his head knowingly.
"What is it Laguna?" asker her mother. "What are you not telling us?"
Kriye watched as her grandpa stared at everyone nervously, finally after a long sigh he spoke.
"Well after you kids first told me about the experiment I started to do my own research...I spoke with Dr. Odine."
Both Kriye and Rave gasped at the mention of Dr. Odine's name, it was the name of the mysterious man who helped them when they were searching for Ceila. The larger shock for them, however, was that Aunt Ellone, Uncle Zell and her own mother's reaction were exactly the same.
"What are you doing bringing him into this?!" Her mother shouted.
"He knows more about sorceresses then any of us could ever dream to obtain," Grandpa tried to reason "I trust he'll keep everything I told him confidential." Her mom rolled her eyes as Grandpa Laguna continued. "Anyways what he said was very informative."
"And what was that?" Aunt Ellone asked skeptically.
Grandpa looked at everyone, his eyes wide and nervous. "Dr. Odine believes that these men are trying to make an army of sorceresses."
Dead silence filled the room.
"I know it sounds crazy," Laguna continued "But I do believe what he says is correct, and now I think they have the means to do it."
There was a pause; only broken by her mother who said "Well what do we do about it?"
"I want you guys to do nothing about it," Laguna told her "I want you and Kriye to go back to Squall. Leave this problem to the Esthar military."
"Laguna," her mother protested, but as both she and Kriye knew, when he wanted to Grandpa Laguna could be just as, if not more, stubborn then her dad.
When Grandpa Laguna wouldn't hear any of it the matter became closed. Kriye and her mom were going back to Timber to be with her dad, but the blessing was that they weren't going to be going alone. Ceila, Davis and Rave would be joining her. For this Kriye was grateful.
Kriye didn't remember ever having a stronger need to see her father in her entire life. The whole ride to Timber was awful; the only thing that she could do to suppress the ache that was burning inside of her was try not to think of him. Which after a week of emotional rollercoaster's, it was a task easier said then done.
Timber wasn't nearly as chaotic as it was a few days ago, but considering the circumstances, that really wasn't saying much.
As Kriye and her friends walked through the city once again people were still ranting about Samson Green's assignation, and the election that still hadn't taken place.
Nobody seemed to care about one loan SeeD that risked his life for their cause. The news at the attempted assassination of Squall Leonhart seemed to have faded, and the town went back to its long list of pathetic problems. The whole thing made Kriye sick.
When they arrived at the hospital Ceila, Davis and Rave all went to the cafeteria while Kriye and her mom went to see her father.
The doctors told the two women that Squall was no longer in critical care, and that he was resting peacefully in one of the wards. Although the news was good, Kriye knew that no matter his condition her dad would not be in the best of moods.
Apprehensively Kriye and her mom walked to Squall's room, and slowly opened his door.
The look on Kriye's dad's face when they walked was exactly what she had expected. His scowl was what stuck out the most, in his steel eyes you could see the distain, anger, worry, and relief that he was feeling.
Neither Kriye nor her mother said anything as they entered the room. Squall Leonhart was normally one to hold in his emotion, but Kriye knew as soon as they walked in that this was one of those times that her father wasn't going to keep quiet.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" her dad yelled furiously. "I have the nurse tell me that my wife had just gone off, and then I have Laguna call me and say that he's recovered Kriye! Imagine his surprise, and mine when I ask 'what the hell are you talking about?'"
Both Kriye and Rinoa take a simultaneous step back as her dad continued.
"I've been fucking bed ridden, not only because of my shoulder, but out of bloody worry. And now here you two are!"
Kriye didn't know what to say. Although she was relieved to see him well enough to yell at her like that, his fit of rage left her utterly speechless. Thankfully her mother was made for these situations. Kriye watched as her mom took her husbands hand and in a soothing voice began to speak.
"Squall, love, I couldn't tell you. If I would have told you that Kriye was missing you would have ran out of this hospital in a heartbeat."
"Your damn right I would have."
"That's why I didn't tell you," her mother continued "If you would have left, that would have been more then I could possibly worry about. So making my own selfish mistake I didn't tell you, and I went to take care of it myself. You have every right to be upset, but at least please try to understand."
Kriye watched her father as he considered everything his wife had said. In the end Squall picked up Rinoa's hand and gently kissed it, and that was it. All was forgiven.
The three Leonharts spent the rest of their day together in that room. Kriye watched fascinated as her parents talked to each other. She never before paid attention to them as a couple before, they were always just mom and dad. Now she was watching them under a whole new light, and for the first time she realized just how right her parents were together.
Late that night Kriye sat in her chair wide awake. She was watching her mom as she laid on her dad's bed gently stroking his hair as he slept peacefully.
Kriye had so much respect for her mom, and she found that respect growing by the day. Watching her mother taking such loving care of her husband, Kriye decided to do something that she had never dared to do before. She decided to ask her mom about her past.
"Mom, what was it like?"
The sorceress looked away from her husband and turned her attention to Kriye. She looked up at her daughter with a wave of confusion. "What was what like?"
"Saving the world? I mean you were my age weren't you? What..." Kriye sighed trying to find the right words. "What did it feel like?"
"Well honestly at the time it didn't feel like anything," Her mom told her, Kriye could only stare as her mom went on "It was a very complicated time, especially for me. I was meeting new people, I was saving the world, I was discovering I was a sorceress, hell I was discovering myself and then there was your father." The older women let out a soft giggle "And let's just say that he didn't make things any easier."
"I can only imagine," said Kriye letting out her own laugh.
The two grew quiet for a moment before Kriye's mom asked her.
"Why all of sudden the curiosity, you were never interested in my past before?"
"Oh I don't know. Everything has kind of happened so fast. I know we weren't saving the world or anything, but it felt like we doing something special. I guess I just wanted to know if you were feeling what I'm feeling."
"And what are you feeling Kriye?"
It was such an honest question. 'What are you feeling?' It was so simple; still despite how much she tried Kriye couldn't come up with an honest answer.
"I don't know," she said after awhile "I guess I don't know a lot of things."
Her mother smiled knowingly "This wouldn't be about a Mr. Rave Almansy would it?"
Jumping from her seat Kriye shook her head vigorously. She had no idea what she felt for Rave, but she sure as hell wasn't going to discuss it with her mother.
"No, this has nothing to do with Rave! Why does my reason to talk with my mother have to be about a boy!?"
"It was only a question Kriye; calm down," her mom said calmly "you don't have to get so defensive."
Taking a deep breath Kriye sat back down in her seat "I'm sorry," Kriye told her mom, her voice was barely audible.
Her mom just smiled "It's alright. You have the right to be defensive about anything you want to be defensive about. You wouldn't be my daughter if you weren't."
Kriye smiled back. It had been a long time since she had talked to her mom. And now that she the opportunity Kriye wasn't ready yet to let go.
"Mom, what's it like to have sorceress powers?"
"You have the powers yourself. Can't you feel them flowing through your veins?"
"Sometimes, but not a lot," she told her mom honestly. "Why don't I have the powers? I mean shouldn't my magic abilities be a hundred times stronger then they are now? Honestly how do we even know that I actually am a sorceress?"
Kriye watched as her mother took a few seconds to consider her answer. With careful consideration she spoke.
"I'm not sure why your powers haven't shown. They might be just waiting for the right time, or they might never show at all. Truthfully I'm not sure, but I do know, and there's no doubt in my mind about this, that you Kriye Leonhart are a sorceress."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because, I can feel you just like I could feel sorceresses Adel and Ultimicia. It is a connection that I could never describe."
"Why can't I feel it?"
"Maybe you do, you just don't know it. I had my powers transferred into me when I was seventeen. You've had your powers since the day that you were born."
Kriye nodded, it made sense, sort of. Smiling at her mom Kriye got up from her seat and started to make her way towards the door when her mom called to her.
"I know being seventeen is never easy, especially for a sorceress, but Kriye for what it means, I am so proud of you."
Trying not to break into tears Kriye bit her lip and whispered the words. 'Thank you' to her mother. With that she left the room and started to make her way towards the cafeteria wiping her tears away as she went.
Little did she know that as soon as she shut the door behind, Rinoa wiped away her own set of tears.
* * *
After saving Kriye everyone spent the next week in Timber. Timber isn't nearly the city that Esthar is, but it does have a beauty of its own.
One day Rave and Kriye were walking along the streets of Timber together, the two were talking about nothing in particular. They had actually been doing that a lot lately, ever since they arrived back in Timber they talked and talked, but never did they really 'talk.' Neither of them ever dare bring up what was going on between them, even though with all honesty Rave wouldn't know where to even begin.
He knew at one point they would have to talk about what was going on, but until then Rave was perfectly content on leaving things the way they were.
So they were walking when suddenly Rave and Kriye came upon a sight that neither of them ever expected to see.
There on the side of the road was Ceila and Davis; the two were locked in a passionate embrace.
"Well that's interesting development," said Kriye obviously amused.
"When do you think it happened?" He asked her.
Kriye shrugged "I suppose it doesn't necessarily have to take a lot of time for things to happen, all you need is the moment."
Right then a moment happened between Rave and Kriye, but it was awkward. Rave for one was quite grateful when Ceila and Davis spotted them. The awkward moment was then shifted to the two lovers in the street.
"Well I don't think I've seen two people turn so red in my life," he said cheerfully as he and Kriye approached them, he took sure delight at how he was making the two blush.
"What are you two doing here?" Davis asked accusingly "I don't suppose you were off doing your own private business?"
Davis got cold looks from both him and Kriye.
"Or not," Davis tacked on, his voice barely above a whisper.
When another awkward moment had engulfed them Ceila took charge. With a wide grin spread across her face she turned to Rave and Davis and said.
"Why don't you two boys go off? I think me and Kriye have some 'girl talk' to do."
Davis gave the brunette an obviously look that said he wanted to continue on with what they were previously doing, but Ceila wasn't going to give in. She gave Davis a quick kiss and a wave before she walked away. Kriye waved weakly goodbye to him before running off to join her friend. Now it was just him, Davis and a whole lot of silence.
Rave still remembered his conversation with Davis that night in the hotel room, he had told him to tell Kriye how he felt. The only problem was he didn't know 'how' he felt. Sure there was something inside of him that felt something for Kriye, but he didn't know what that was.
The two young men, without saying a word to each other, started walking down the street. Normally Rave wouldn't have minded the silence, but having the silence come from Davis of all people was simply too eerie for him. So, despite himself, Rave started a conversation.
"So how long have you and Ceila...?" Rave left it at that, he didn't know how else to put it.
"Well it's hard to say," Davis told him "from the beginning I've always felt something, but I guess that feeling didn't become...physical until we got back to Timber."
Rave nodded. It was a truthful answer, the problem now was Rave didn't know what else to ask. The two of them once again began to travel in silence. Rave would have left it at that when suddenly a question occurred to him.
Trying to sound simply curious Rave asked Davis "Is it love?"
At first Davis didn't reply, he just continued to walk, and Rave was about to give up on the question when at last the young sailor spoke.
"Love is a term that's tossed around too easily," his spiky haired friend told him "It just doesn't have the meaning that I think it began with. I mean everyone uses it; friends, girlfriends, boyfriends...family," Davis' voice faded, as if in the middle of a memory that he just couldn't get out of. When he finally came to his voice was shaky, and sounded like it was on the edge of breaking down "People use it all the time, but rarely do they ever mean it. I guess what it comes down to is...I don't want to label what Ceila and I have with something so common as 'love'."
Davis suddenly fell down to his knees. His shoulders started to shake in what Rave thought was a sob, but he saw no tears roll down the young man's face.
Rave was baffled at how the subject of love could have such an effect on a person like Davis. Then as if Rave had been punched in the dark it came to him.
Kneeling down next to Davis, Rave put a hesitant hand on his shoulder, and with great apprehension he asked him.
"Davis, what happened to your family?"
The dark haired boy looked up at him, emotions running wild in his eyes.
"They were killed a long, long time ago." Davis said quietly.
"Killed?!" Rave gasped "By who, why?"
Davis laughed bitterly. They were killed by Galbadian sailors. When they wouldn't give up their ship the Galbadian bastards just killed them."
"Where were you?"
"Home...I was fucking at home. I told my parents that I wanted to stay with my friends for the week, they wanted me to come with, but I was so god damn stubborn. We had this big fight blah, blah, blah and in the end they let me stay. I remember seeing them off at the docks and my ma was all teary eyed, and that was it. No words, just nothing..."
Davis suddenly stood up. Wiping the tears that were forming in his eyes he started to relentlessly kick the side of the building while cursing up to the guardians. He went on like that for quite some time. And all Rave could do was just stand there not saying a word.
When Davis had calmed down he sprawled himself on the ground. With his back against the gravel, and his face looking up towards the heavens Davis started to speak again.
"I know it's dumb, but that's why I can't make myself believe in the concept of love. It can be taken away too easily. It may never come back. And rather or not the person meant it at the time, it doesn't always mean they are going to give it..." After a deep sigh Davis waved his hand in front of him "whatever I'm just being dumb."
"It's not dumb man," Rave told him, speaking for the first time in a while. "It's your reason and your reason alone. That in itself makes it not dumb."
Davis snorted, but Rave could tell he appreciate not being thought of as dumb.
The two started to make their way back to the hospital. They had grown quiet again as they walked the streets of Timber.
They had just reached the hospital doors when Davis spoke up again.
"To answer your question Rave, if what Ceila and I have is actually love I'll tell you this. What I feel for Ceila is stronger then anything I ever felt before. It's stronger then the pain of losing my parents, stronger then my loneliness that I've felt for so many years. It's just...indescribable."
Rave gave him a genuine smile "That's cool man. I'm happy for you."
The two men punched each other in a way that only men would see as affection.
They made their way to the cafeteria where they spotted at least a dozen people gather around a small radio, Kriye and Ceila were among them. Running to join the crowd Rave forced himself in a spot next to Kriye where he asked her.
"What's going on?"
Pointing her finger up toward her lip Kriye remained silent as the whole room focused their ears to listen.
{Mass destruction occurred in the city of Deling today. An unknown assailant with great destructive powers over took the city, destroying everything in its path. Along with the city many of the suburban areas and farms have also been stricken by this creature of horror. We'll keep you posted and the story progresses.}
Right then and there Rave felt for the first time that unbearable pain that Davis was talking about earlier.
He knew he had to get home.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Thanks to all who are reading. I hope everyone's taking care.
Always,
Leah