'Well I'm not so sure now if I found Orion or if he found me.' Jayson started, his eyes closing as he started to recount the memory.
I was fourteen then, been at Garden for two years and was progressing at a reasonable rate, trading my sword for a gun-blade and taking up martial arts on top, although I never came across Zell, he was in the ordinary rather than supplementary classes. I was still a shadow, unable to get close to anyone, almost flinching at others' touches if there ever was any.
All the energy I had pent up inside was expelled in the Training Centre or the forests of Balamb. My first forays into using my own magic lead to the barbeque of numerous Caterchipillars as I unwittingly used a Firaga spell that went out of control. After that I became more careful, only using magic we were taught in class so I still don't know what lurks inside me.
Due to the few GFs that cadets are permitted to use I spent a lot of time without a GF junctioned to me which served to keep my memories intact and enabled them to plague my dreams.
It was during one of my lonesome strolls that I came across Orion. I was up on the plateau of the cliffs behind Garden where I figured I'd have more peace, no other students or monsters to interrupt my contemplations. However I received a visit in the form of a flurry of feathers as Orion came crashing down before me, his wings outstretched and hissing through his beak. At first I thought he was attacking me and so raised my Revolver ready to strike, and then noticed the blood. There was a shrill cry in the sky and a gust of wind swept my hair from my face as I looked up to the dragon.
'Junction me...' the weak voice called in my head, making me look down at Orion as he was collapsed on his knees, looking beseechingly with his eagle eyes.
I didn't take much time in deciding, the idea of having my own GF, a companion, a stabilising voice in my head, seemed a good one. Besides I didn't want him to die or die myself, the dragon above looked a lot more dangerous than anything I'd faced before.
I quickly nodded consent, Orion fading and taking up place in my mind, the warmth growing briefly and then wasting away as Orion became part of my own cold mind.
I blinked as the transition came to an end and a shrill cry brought my attention back to the danger above. The dragon was an emerald green, its scales glistening in the sunlight as its two pairs of leathery wings flapped in a slow rhythm keeping it hovering as its dark eyes looked down at me in contempt. Its muscular legs dangled beneath it, the knees bending in time with the wings' movement, claws stained with scarlet blood.
With Orion safe inside me, I took up a defensive stance and waited for the dragon to swoop. It dropped suddenly from the sky, claws flexed ready to grasp, and I jumped to the side, running my blade across its chest as its wings knocked me back.
The blade simply scraped against the scales, metal sparks flying, clouds of dust pluming around my feet as I slid backwards.
Its wings flapped once more, the gust of air throwing dust my way as it folded its wings onto its back and struck out with one of its front legs. Blinded by the dust I was lucky to catch its claws against my blade forcing it back.
'What the hell is this?' I asked my new little mental lodger.
'Emerald dragon.' Came the reply.
'Right and any ideas how I kill it?' I asked scathingly as another swipe came my way, blinking furiously to regain my sight.
'Go for the joints in its limbs.' Was the answer I got and so that's what I did.
I slid under its next swipe on my knees, ending up under its chest as it reared up to look down at me, its long neck bending down and jaws snapping.
I slashed at its armpit, this time the blade sliding between the thick scales and cutting into flesh. The dragon roared, staggering back on its back legs, wings flapping to keep balance as I rose, swinging at the base of the wings shearing them off, dark red blood gushing from the wound.
This time the dragon shrieked, toppling to one side as it lost its balance, falling down on its side, crumpling the wings on that side with sickening crack of bone.
It flailed its neck weakly at me, snapping angrily with a gnashing of teeth as I stood panting.
'You up for ending this?' I asked simply, lowering my gun-blade as the dragon tried to struggle to its feet.
I felt him grin inside my mind and so summoned him, watched him soar into the sky on blood stained wings and dropped down on the whining dragon's body, his talons slamming into its scales, piercing them and then tore out the dragon's throat with his beak, flesh hanging from the hooked end as he shrieked in delight.
The dragon slumped and started to dematerialise into blackness, and he turned towards me, his eyes gleaming.
'Looks like we'll get along.' I said smiling. 'So what do you call yourself?' I asked.
'Orion.' The reply reverberated inside my head.
'Jayson' I replied and held out my hand to which he rose a talon and I shook it.
Following this he returned to my mind and made himself at home, he hasn't left me since then apart from when I lent him to you.
'So how long did it take for you to bond?' Meia asked intrigued.
'A couple of months... I mean I was still reclusive, even if he was in there able to read my thoughts there were some things I kept hidden from him and still do. He only found out about Adel being my mother the same time as you...' Jayson replied sitting beside Meia on the bed.
'Why did you hide that from him?' Meia asked puzzled, sliding her arm round his.
'GFs are particular about who uses them. If I remember correctly it was the Great Sorceress Hyne who called most of them here in the first place and they were abused in cases by later Sorceress' so they're wary of anyone with Sorceress blood in them.' Jayson explained.
'Wouldn't he be able to sense it in you anyway? I mean you have your own para-magic... surely he'd realise what that meant?' Meia added, nuzzling his shoulder.
Jayson sighed softly his body tingling as her nose and lips brushed his neck, making the hairs on his nape stand up excitedly. 'If he did then he never mentioned it, I never showed any inclination of mistreating him, though he may of complained at the lack of his use at times. I guess I just feared if he knew where I'd come from he'd leave me and after getting close to him I didn't exactly want to lose my best friend.' Jayson said softly.
'Awww...' Orion said sarcastically in his head.
Jayson's shoulders shook as he snorted with a sharp burst of laughter.
'What?' Meia asked pulling away in surprise looking at him.
'Nothing... just Orion.' Jayson replied pulling her back in to him.
'Is that why you fear getting close to people in the first place? That when you get close they'll see something evil in you and leave?' Meia asked her jaw rubbing against his upper arm as she spoke.
'I guess... though if Orion did leave I might regain the memories he took away... if there are any...' Jayson said slowly, running his hand up and down her back.
'Hey!' Orion exclaimed slightly hurting.
'I was kidding!' Jayson replied soothingly in his thoughts.
'Well they say prolonged use of GFs does that, look at what happened to Squall and the others...' Meia murmured softly, her eyes closing as the motion of Jayson's hand relaxed her.
'Yeah but I remember as far back as my birth and there aren't any glaring gaps in any of my memories.' Jayson said slowly.
'Then don't worry about it.' Meia told him and turned to look at him, her eyes opening again as she turned his face to hers, getting closer and closer so they were level and she then kissed him, tenderly at first and then getting more passionate.
Jayson slid his hands under her top and slowly up her back, caressing her back and spine with his fingers. He had opened up to her, shared his darkest secrets with her and she hadn't run, she had embraced him and now he knew he could let himself go a little.
'Think you could give us a little privacy?' he told Orion with jumbled thoughts as Meia's tongue sliding between his lips mixed up their clarity.
'I'm gone.' Orion said, the sensation of his grin looming large in his mental habitat before he faded away and left the two of them to it.
Meia's own hands reciprocated the movements of Jayson's, sliding up the toned muscle of his abdomen and along his smooth chest, pushing the fabric of his shirt up with it. As their kisses became more passionate, their touches became more frantic and hungry, Jayson pushing Meia down gently onto the bed, clothes taken off exposing more flesh for them to excite and explore, all barriers between them gone and now they were ready and needed what was to come.