"There it is." Tempest looked down at the tiny little village Zan was pointing to.
"That's it?" Ivy looked down. "Geeze, tiny is an understatment."
"It may be small but it's a nice place." Zio shrugged.
"So she's down there?" Tempest asked as Bahamut swooped lower.
"Yeah, that's where we'll find Aunt Elle." Zan nodded.
The dragon landed a little way away from the town so as not to scare the residents. They all slid off the dragons back.
"Bahamut you're dismissed." Tempest commanded and he disappeared.
Tempest took a deep breath and began walking towards the little village.
"Hey wait up!" Ivy ran after her. "You do know that we're here for you right?"
"Yeah." Zio nodded. "We can help you through this."
Tempest didn't answer. She could see the uneasy looks on their faces, Ellone would be able to help her, and she was going to see something that she didn't want to. What awful memories lay buried so deep inside her mind, with an old fear of them keeping her from remembering? She shivered a little, but she had to know, she had to find out.
"Are you okay?" Zan put his hand on her shoulder, probably noting her shiver.
"Yeah...fine." she said as they entered the tiny village. Little children ran through the square playing and laughing with elderly people keeping an eye on them. Others wandered down the one road through the town going about their daily business.
"That's her house over there." Zan pointed across the square.
Without a word Tempest made her way over to the building that looked very much like a bar of somesort. A little bell dinged as she pushed the door open and strode in.
"Hold on, I'll be with you in a minute." a voice from the back room called.
Tempest studied the little room with it's scattered tables and chairs. Zio, Zan and Ivy stood behind her. A woman carrying a tray of glasses came out of the back, a wide smile on her face. She stopped short and stared at them in silence for a long moment. Tempest thought hard, searching her mind for any memories of this woman but none came.
"Tempest?" She finally managed to gasp.
"Yes, it's me." Tempest said, suddenly for some unknown reason tears began to well up in her eyes.
Ellone left her tray on the counter and rushed over sweeping the girl up in her arms. "Oh I've missed you! I knew you were alive, I knew it!" She let go of her for a moment and took a long look at her. "Hyne you look just like your mother." her smile turned a little sad. "But tell me, what's happened while you were gone? Where were you?"
"I was wandering...I don't really know where I was. That's why we came to you. I can't seem to remember anything...Zan and the others think that you can help me." Tempest said hopefully, she felt a knot twist in her stomach. What if she couldn't help? What would she do then?
Ellone studied her for a long moment. "I've been able to send other people into the pasts of others...I've never tried to send someone into their own past."
Tempest's heart wrenched, she couldn't help after all. Ellone must have been able to see the anguish on her face.
"Don't worry love." she hugged her again. "I'll try. Come on upstairs and I'll try. Zio, will you put the closed sign in the window?"
Zio quickly obeyed while the other trooped upstairs. "Lay down over there." Ellone set a chair beside the bed as Tempest stretched out on it. "Alright I'll try."
Tempest felt a buzzing noise and suddenly things went dark.
Tempest and Zio ran after the Zan and some other boys through the training center. "Hey guys wait up!"
They took off running faster.
"Hey guys that's not fair! I'm gonna tell on you for leaving us behind!" Zio wailed.
They stopped finally. "What do you guys want?" one of Zan's friends asked crossly.
"We want to train with you guys." Little Tempest drew herself up as tall as she could. "We're gonna be SeeDs some day to."
"You? You want to be a SeeD?" Zan laughed. "You'd never make it as a SeeD, you're to whimpy. Now knock it off and go away so we can train."
Anger and hurt flowed throught Tempest as the boys walked off.
"Don't listen to him." Zio said comfortingly. "You'll make a great SeeD someday."
"No she won't." a little voice behind them sneered.
Tempest spun around. "You're not supposed to BE in here! You're to little go away." she snapped at the little blonde haired blue eyed girl standing behind her. Hate and anger flowed through Tempest just looking at her.
"I can go where ever I want. And if you can come in here so can I cuz I'm better than you." The little girl stared back at them defiantly. She was always like that, always trying to put Tempest down because she knew better than anyone else that everyone liked Tempest more.No one could accept Gale because of how she came about, well...almost no one.
"Gale, I hope you get eaten by a T-Rex R." Zio snarled. "Come on Tempest let's go."
"No, that's not what we needed to find. I'll try again." Ellone's voice floated through an empty darkness.
So that was Gale...
A five year old Tempest clutched her mothers hand as she walked away from the Caraway mansion. "Come on, it's time to go. I told you it'll always be the same, he'll never have time for anything but his work. He doesn't care about anyone or anything other than that." Rinoa sounded on the verge of tears.
"Is daddy gonna be okay?" Tempest whispered.
Rinoa visibly tried to compose herself for the sake of her daughter, "Yes honney. Daddy's going to be fine. Don't worry, we'll find him without grandpa's help. Come on now it's getting late." Rinoa led Tempest up to the inn they were staying at, she pulled out the key to her room as she went up the stairs but stopped when she saw that the door was already open. Motioning for Tempest to stay quiet she peeked around the door, there didn't seem to be anyone inside so she went on in.
"The maid must have left the door open." She laughed nervously looking around the room. Tempest stepped inside after her as Rinoa made her way over to the light. Suddenly from the dark corner behind the bed a man stepped out of the shadows, he strode over and shut the door behind Tempest.
"You!" Rinoa gasped, she made a grab for Tempest but the man pushed her aside. He gently pushed Tempest into the next room.
"Why don't you play in here for awhile?" he said softly, the door closed and the lock clicked.
"I don wanna be in here! It's dark! I don wanna be by myself!" the little girl whimpered tugging at the door handle that would not turn. Suddenly there was some crashing and shouting from the other room. "Mommy?" the little girl whimpered again.
The screaming continued, "Hey you let me out! Let me out! Stop hurting my mommy! Hey!" Little Tempest pounded on the door tears streaming down her face. "Let me out!" Finding that it was futile, no one was going to let her out she curled up in the corner of the dark room her hands over her ears trying to block out the screaming in the other room. Suddenly all sound outside the door stopped except for Rinoa's sobbing, Tempest kept tugging at the door sniffling, suddenly it swung open a dark forboding figure stood in the way.
"My daddy is the best SeeD in the world! He'll come after you for hurting my mommy!" Tempest choked out through her tears.
The man knelt in front of her smiling his bright blue eyes piercing into her. "Yes, I know he'll come after me, in fact I wanna make sure of it. So you're going to have to come with me."
Tempest drew back from him. "No!"
Suddenly bright flashlights blazed into the room.
"This is the Galbadian army! Step back from the girl right now!"
With a grimace the man turned ran and jumped out the window.
"I'm sorry Tempest, you didn't need to remember that." Ellone's voice floated across the nothingness.
"No, it's alright." Tempest's voice sounded cold and emotionless. "I came here to remember."
"I'll try again."
Zan sat down beside the bed and watched over Tempest, Zio and Ivy had left to find something to eat. Tempest looked as if she was sleeping peacefully, Ellone sat beside her looking as though she was in a trance. Suddenly a tremor went through Tempest, a few tears slid down her cheeks. Zan gently wiped them away, who knows what she was remembering right now? They'd all known there were horrible things in her past, like Gale's father. He watched her, she looked so helpless right now. He wished that he could take all the pain of those horrible memories away so she wouldn't suffer anymore. He gently laid his hand over hers.
"You'll be okay." he whispered.
"Zan?" Zio tiptoed up the stairs. He glanced at her then went back to watching Tempest. "You've changed." she went over and stood beside him. "She's going to remember alot now, maybe even the way you used to treat her."
"I know...but I'll make up for that."
"Be careful Zan."
"You know you're going to get in major trouble right?" Zio warned as Tempest climbed into the back of the truck.
"Only if I get caught." Tempest smiled.
"Which you will. Please Tempest don't go, you could get hurt." Ivy pleaded.
"Don't be such a worrywart. Besides, this is the only way I'm gonna prove myself."
"You're thirteen! You're gonna have plenty of time to prove yourself later." Zio protested.
"Someone's coming!" Ivy gasped.
"Get out of here!" Tempest dove behind the cargo stored in the truck as Zio and Ivy ran away. A little blonde head popped up as Gale hoisted herself into the back of the truck."You?!" Tempest growled. "Get out of here!"
"Why?" Gale demanded.
"You're only eight years old you're going to get yourself killed."
"So you're worried about me?" Gale's eyes lit up hopefully.
"No." Tempest said firmly. "I don't want you tagging along after me, if you get killed I get blamed for setting a bad example."
Suddenly Gale dove behind one of the boxes as a SeeD shut the back door of the supply truck. There was a slight rumble as the car started up.
"Hyne take it all." Tempest swore.
"Looks like you're stuck with me now." Gale said smugly.
"No I'm not. As soon as I get to the battle field I'm ditching you and denying that I knew you came along" Tempest said crossly.
"Then if I get killed with my dying breath I'll tell the SeeDs that you made me come along."
"Like they'd believe I'd want anything to do with you." Tempest snapped with that she turned around and refused to look at her. She couldn't stand looking at her for very long, her bright blue eyes were to...similar. Gale didn't say anything the rest of the trip. Tempest tensed as she heard rumbling sounds outside the vehicle, they had entered the war zone.
AN: Well I have to end it there for now, Please review! Pretty Please?
"That's it?" Ivy looked down. "Geeze, tiny is an understatment."
"It may be small but it's a nice place." Zio shrugged.
"So she's down there?" Tempest asked as Bahamut swooped lower.
"Yeah, that's where we'll find Aunt Elle." Zan nodded.
The dragon landed a little way away from the town so as not to scare the residents. They all slid off the dragons back.
"Bahamut you're dismissed." Tempest commanded and he disappeared.
Tempest took a deep breath and began walking towards the little village.
"Hey wait up!" Ivy ran after her. "You do know that we're here for you right?"
"Yeah." Zio nodded. "We can help you through this."
Tempest didn't answer. She could see the uneasy looks on their faces, Ellone would be able to help her, and she was going to see something that she didn't want to. What awful memories lay buried so deep inside her mind, with an old fear of them keeping her from remembering? She shivered a little, but she had to know, she had to find out.
"Are you okay?" Zan put his hand on her shoulder, probably noting her shiver.
"Yeah...fine." she said as they entered the tiny village. Little children ran through the square playing and laughing with elderly people keeping an eye on them. Others wandered down the one road through the town going about their daily business.
"That's her house over there." Zan pointed across the square.
Without a word Tempest made her way over to the building that looked very much like a bar of somesort. A little bell dinged as she pushed the door open and strode in.
"Hold on, I'll be with you in a minute." a voice from the back room called.
Tempest studied the little room with it's scattered tables and chairs. Zio, Zan and Ivy stood behind her. A woman carrying a tray of glasses came out of the back, a wide smile on her face. She stopped short and stared at them in silence for a long moment. Tempest thought hard, searching her mind for any memories of this woman but none came.
"Tempest?" She finally managed to gasp.
"Yes, it's me." Tempest said, suddenly for some unknown reason tears began to well up in her eyes.
Ellone left her tray on the counter and rushed over sweeping the girl up in her arms. "Oh I've missed you! I knew you were alive, I knew it!" She let go of her for a moment and took a long look at her. "Hyne you look just like your mother." her smile turned a little sad. "But tell me, what's happened while you were gone? Where were you?"
"I was wandering...I don't really know where I was. That's why we came to you. I can't seem to remember anything...Zan and the others think that you can help me." Tempest said hopefully, she felt a knot twist in her stomach. What if she couldn't help? What would she do then?
Ellone studied her for a long moment. "I've been able to send other people into the pasts of others...I've never tried to send someone into their own past."
Tempest's heart wrenched, she couldn't help after all. Ellone must have been able to see the anguish on her face.
"Don't worry love." she hugged her again. "I'll try. Come on upstairs and I'll try. Zio, will you put the closed sign in the window?"
Zio quickly obeyed while the other trooped upstairs. "Lay down over there." Ellone set a chair beside the bed as Tempest stretched out on it. "Alright I'll try."
Tempest felt a buzzing noise and suddenly things went dark.
Tempest and Zio ran after the Zan and some other boys through the training center. "Hey guys wait up!"
They took off running faster.
"Hey guys that's not fair! I'm gonna tell on you for leaving us behind!" Zio wailed.
They stopped finally. "What do you guys want?" one of Zan's friends asked crossly.
"We want to train with you guys." Little Tempest drew herself up as tall as she could. "We're gonna be SeeDs some day to."
"You? You want to be a SeeD?" Zan laughed. "You'd never make it as a SeeD, you're to whimpy. Now knock it off and go away so we can train."
Anger and hurt flowed throught Tempest as the boys walked off.
"Don't listen to him." Zio said comfortingly. "You'll make a great SeeD someday."
"No she won't." a little voice behind them sneered.
Tempest spun around. "You're not supposed to BE in here! You're to little go away." she snapped at the little blonde haired blue eyed girl standing behind her. Hate and anger flowed through Tempest just looking at her.
"I can go where ever I want. And if you can come in here so can I cuz I'm better than you." The little girl stared back at them defiantly. She was always like that, always trying to put Tempest down because she knew better than anyone else that everyone liked Tempest more.No one could accept Gale because of how she came about, well...almost no one.
"Gale, I hope you get eaten by a T-Rex R." Zio snarled. "Come on Tempest let's go."
"No, that's not what we needed to find. I'll try again." Ellone's voice floated through an empty darkness.
So that was Gale...
A five year old Tempest clutched her mothers hand as she walked away from the Caraway mansion. "Come on, it's time to go. I told you it'll always be the same, he'll never have time for anything but his work. He doesn't care about anyone or anything other than that." Rinoa sounded on the verge of tears.
"Is daddy gonna be okay?" Tempest whispered.
Rinoa visibly tried to compose herself for the sake of her daughter, "Yes honney. Daddy's going to be fine. Don't worry, we'll find him without grandpa's help. Come on now it's getting late." Rinoa led Tempest up to the inn they were staying at, she pulled out the key to her room as she went up the stairs but stopped when she saw that the door was already open. Motioning for Tempest to stay quiet she peeked around the door, there didn't seem to be anyone inside so she went on in.
"The maid must have left the door open." She laughed nervously looking around the room. Tempest stepped inside after her as Rinoa made her way over to the light. Suddenly from the dark corner behind the bed a man stepped out of the shadows, he strode over and shut the door behind Tempest.
"You!" Rinoa gasped, she made a grab for Tempest but the man pushed her aside. He gently pushed Tempest into the next room.
"Why don't you play in here for awhile?" he said softly, the door closed and the lock clicked.
"I don wanna be in here! It's dark! I don wanna be by myself!" the little girl whimpered tugging at the door handle that would not turn. Suddenly there was some crashing and shouting from the other room. "Mommy?" the little girl whimpered again.
The screaming continued, "Hey you let me out! Let me out! Stop hurting my mommy! Hey!" Little Tempest pounded on the door tears streaming down her face. "Let me out!" Finding that it was futile, no one was going to let her out she curled up in the corner of the dark room her hands over her ears trying to block out the screaming in the other room. Suddenly all sound outside the door stopped except for Rinoa's sobbing, Tempest kept tugging at the door sniffling, suddenly it swung open a dark forboding figure stood in the way.
"My daddy is the best SeeD in the world! He'll come after you for hurting my mommy!" Tempest choked out through her tears.
The man knelt in front of her smiling his bright blue eyes piercing into her. "Yes, I know he'll come after me, in fact I wanna make sure of it. So you're going to have to come with me."
Tempest drew back from him. "No!"
Suddenly bright flashlights blazed into the room.
"This is the Galbadian army! Step back from the girl right now!"
With a grimace the man turned ran and jumped out the window.
"I'm sorry Tempest, you didn't need to remember that." Ellone's voice floated across the nothingness.
"No, it's alright." Tempest's voice sounded cold and emotionless. "I came here to remember."
"I'll try again."
Zan sat down beside the bed and watched over Tempest, Zio and Ivy had left to find something to eat. Tempest looked as if she was sleeping peacefully, Ellone sat beside her looking as though she was in a trance. Suddenly a tremor went through Tempest, a few tears slid down her cheeks. Zan gently wiped them away, who knows what she was remembering right now? They'd all known there were horrible things in her past, like Gale's father. He watched her, she looked so helpless right now. He wished that he could take all the pain of those horrible memories away so she wouldn't suffer anymore. He gently laid his hand over hers.
"You'll be okay." he whispered.
"Zan?" Zio tiptoed up the stairs. He glanced at her then went back to watching Tempest. "You've changed." she went over and stood beside him. "She's going to remember alot now, maybe even the way you used to treat her."
"I know...but I'll make up for that."
"Be careful Zan."
"You know you're going to get in major trouble right?" Zio warned as Tempest climbed into the back of the truck.
"Only if I get caught." Tempest smiled.
"Which you will. Please Tempest don't go, you could get hurt." Ivy pleaded.
"Don't be such a worrywart. Besides, this is the only way I'm gonna prove myself."
"You're thirteen! You're gonna have plenty of time to prove yourself later." Zio protested.
"Someone's coming!" Ivy gasped.
"Get out of here!" Tempest dove behind the cargo stored in the truck as Zio and Ivy ran away. A little blonde head popped up as Gale hoisted herself into the back of the truck."You?!" Tempest growled. "Get out of here!"
"Why?" Gale demanded.
"You're only eight years old you're going to get yourself killed."
"So you're worried about me?" Gale's eyes lit up hopefully.
"No." Tempest said firmly. "I don't want you tagging along after me, if you get killed I get blamed for setting a bad example."
Suddenly Gale dove behind one of the boxes as a SeeD shut the back door of the supply truck. There was a slight rumble as the car started up.
"Hyne take it all." Tempest swore.
"Looks like you're stuck with me now." Gale said smugly.
"No I'm not. As soon as I get to the battle field I'm ditching you and denying that I knew you came along" Tempest said crossly.
"Then if I get killed with my dying breath I'll tell the SeeDs that you made me come along."
"Like they'd believe I'd want anything to do with you." Tempest snapped with that she turned around and refused to look at her. She couldn't stand looking at her for very long, her bright blue eyes were to...similar. Gale didn't say anything the rest of the trip. Tempest tensed as she heard rumbling sounds outside the vehicle, they had entered the war zone.
AN: Well I have to end it there for now, Please review! Pretty Please?