Selphie Kinneas

"Journey To The Past"

Chapter Ten- The Journey Begins

Rin sat straight, what should she do? She stepped out of bed and exited her chamber. Her head still felt quite light headed, still she went to Squall's room. Squall himself wasn't yet asleep. He sat awake on a black leather seat fiddling with photos.

"Squall…?" She spoke quietly. Squall immediately turned to her.

"Rin?" He said shocked. He came to her and swept her into his arm. Rin simply stood there recalling the pictures she'd seen of Nirvana. The images couldn't leave her mind.

"I need to talk to you Squall. It's important." She said in a hushed tone. Squall stepped aside and looked at her gravely.

"What?" He interrogated gravely.

"Can you… explain these to me?" Rin stretched her arm that held the pack of pictures. Squall looked at the photos dazed.

"I thought I burned those." He hissed under his breath.

"Ellone gave them to me. She told me Nirvana died because of muggers, and you were about to propose to her too. Why didn't you ever tell me Squall?" Rin pondered into Squall's pupils pleadingly. Squall turned from eye contact and stubbornly replied.

"Nirvana died… there's no reason to bring her back up. She's buried in the Balamb town cemetery and I brought flowers to her a few times. I thought I could forget about her, then you. You kind of look like her. But," He laughed softly, "You're so different. You're so much fun to be with, to talk with. I can't believe I fell for Nirvana when I ended up with someone as great as you. It's true, I wanted to propose to Nirvana. I didn't buy a ring, I tend to forget that, don't I? But… I guess after she died I knew for a fact I wanted to be engaged with her.

"Wasn't too sure before. But, I just wish I had asked for the one reason. If I asked she'd never been on the streets to go to the train station. She would still be alive, and probably married now if I just asked, I bet she'd said yes, but maybe she would've said no. Either way I feel deep down I could have prevented her death. Now she lies six feet under leaving me with all this guilt."

Squall looked back to Rin's direction. He had a half frown across his tiresome façade. His eyes were darting, as if it had a target. "I just wish I could known where'd she be now if I didn't make my mistake."

Rin gulped, she silently begged that she never mentioned the topic. What a fool she'd been, eager and touched by envy by the facial appearance of Nirvana. Death didn't part love though, how could she tell Squall cared for her more? Duh! He actually proposed to me.

"Get some sleep Rin, the doc says you need it." He waved tiredly and turned to his bed. Rin glanced around the walls draped with dark posters with a large lion, some lions were made of silver, and others were black as ebony. Another side of the wall had glamorous gunblades polished and hanging peacefully on each individual hook.

"Goodnight Squall."

ooooo

A few days later

Rin stood at the breakfast dinette as Raine hugged her kindly. "Oh darling, I wish you two would stay a bit longer. Where are you two headed anyways? Can't be anywhere near by the looks of that luggage!" She eyed the piled suitcases in the rear of the room.

"Ma, we may not come back until a month, you do know that right?" Squall asked, now aggravated from the numerous counts of farewells and goodbyes.

"May Hyne grant you a safe journey." Raine ignored Squall's irritable comment, kissed Rin lightly on the forehead and neighbored her husband. Ellone refused to come and say another goodbye to either of the two. She abhorred departures more than anyone. She had given her goodbyes earlier.

The three people they hadn't said farewell too were Irvine, Zell, and Selphie. Irvine offered them a ride to the train station. They could say adieu there. Irvine came promptly ten minutest before the any trains were to leave that morning. Squall still hadn't enlightened Rin where he planned to start, and it didn't help her very much that her tickets had only a date on them. After they arrived to the busy platforms Selphie dragged Rin away to say her departure speech and Irvine, Zell, and Squall loaded the several suitcases onto a trolley.

"Man… I still can't believe it." Irvine sighed as he placed the last bag onto the pile. Squall turned to the cowboy and gave him an aggravated stare. "Well hey! Don't blame me, I've been around before Nir-" Irvine was interrupted by a rude shove from Zell.

"What's he trying to say… me and Ellone are an imaginable couple, you with another living creature no." Zell said sincerely.

Squall scowled at the two, "People can learn to change when things pop up in front of them." He began to push the trolley away.

"Aw c'mon man! We're kidding! Yeah! Well have a good trip!" Irvine called after him.

Selphie and Rin embraced to conclude their parting. Squall came by and Selphie cheerfully hugged him too. "Good luck the both of ya!" Selphie rushed away to join Zell and Irvine. Rin slowly gazed Selphie disappeared through the crowds. Squall laid an arm around Rin as they head to the ticket office.

Squall handed the male inside his two blank tickets. "To Trabia please." He ordered. Rin blinked in bewilderment, how is it Squall came upon deciding to go to Trabia? The man inside stamped in large letters NARYAL onto the white slits of hard paper and returned them to Squall.

"Come on Rin, we got to hurry." He said as he dragged the trolley speedily through the bustling crowds of people. Then again, she never mentioned a starting point with Squall. How could she expect him to come unprepared? They arrived to their platform and gave their luggage to a worker of the train. The conductor spotted Squall and smiled heartily.

"Mr. Loire, what an honor for you to have come abroad our train. Please, follow me we have special areas for guest such as yourself." He looked to Rin, "And of course your lovely companion. This way please." He turned into the narrow hall. Rin linger at the doorway rather nervously.

"Rin? Come on. Let's go." Squall urged holing out his hand. Rin looked back, then forward again. "Rin… let's start our trip. Our journey." She gazed immediately at Squall, yes a journey. This was the start of a journey. She entered the train with further a due.

Disclaimer: "Journey To The Past"/ Liz Callaway (From the 20th Century film "Anastasia")

Heart, don't fail me now

Courage, don't desert me

Don't turn back

Now that we're here

The conductor led them to a comfortable elegant compartment. It had a fire hearth and two satin cover beds with a maroon leather sitting chaise. The conductor left the two to their privacy.

Squall threw the small bags of personal belongings that he held on his shoulders and grew cozy in a minute's wait. Rin threw herself by him. "Why Trabia?" She asked rather abruptly.

"I met you in Trabia… haven't you lived there since you lost your memory?" He inquired. Rin looked to the roofing of the train.

"Well you have a point. Where will we go from there?"

"What's with all the questions all of the sudden. Just leave all that to me. Okay? Just trust me." He said in a comforting tone.

People always say

Life is full of choices"

No one ever mentions, fear

Or how the world can seem so vast

"How can I not trust you?" Rin laughed as she sat up straight and peered down into Squall's inexplicable eyes. Rin hopped off the bed. The train hadn't begun just quite yet. The conductor had come on with announcements, but why listen to them? The train howled outside and slowly started to move.

Squall gazed through a window that was placed by the hearth. The portrait of the city moved before his vision and soon the landscape of Esther's barren terrain was seen. Questions filled his too, points of the matter. What if… he couldn't find Rin's past? What if… she decided they wouldn't ever stay together? What if… her family's dead?

"Squall!" Rin rang through his ear canal. He blinked several times and met faces with the brunette who hung over her his head.

"Yeah, what is it?" He asked.

"I think you should go to sleep, Squall. You look REALLY tired."

"Heh, that's funny. I can't fall asleep at night what makes you think I can in the broad daylight? Get used to sleepy faces Rin, we're on our journey. Remember?"

On a journey, to the past!

Rin closed her eyes. Just to imagine soon, not sure how soon, she'll have others to call her daughter. Someone to call mother and father, blood relations she'd never known. She must've known them once, but how long ago? Would they remember her? Yes, they should. She'd home… the home she'd dreamt of for years.

"Why don't you go to sleep Rin?" Squall interrupted her thoughts. She turned to him and shrugged.

"Why should I? I'm not sleepy or anything. But! How about you answer a question for me!"

"Uh… okay shoot."

Rin looked ambitiously at Squall. "What'd you think they'd look like?" Squall raised an eyebrow trying to pinpoint the 'they'. He realized a moment later and shook his head.

"I don't know… maybe you'll look like your mother. And have a little sister."

Somewhere down this road,

I know someone's waiting

Years of dreams

Just can't be wrong!

Arms will open wide

I'll be safe and wanted

Finally home

Where I belong!

A sister!" It hadn't crossed her mind she may have more than just a mother and father waiting for her. Siblings, cousins, just the thought of it made her hiccup butterflies. "You know, even better than that, I'll have another family to add!"

Squall looked upwards, you'll always have that family, whether you find your real one or not. "TELL ME!" Rin squealed. Squall gave a blank stare. "Tell me, about what you found in Esther." She repeated. There wasn't much of an answer but Squall slowly explained his pitiful results.

"There were nearly 134 citizens named Rin, neither of them have traveled to Trabia within the last eleven or so years. The name Heartilty narrowed it down, but still the only ones who went to Trabia only recently went. Like the latest was two years ago, They couldn't have been around for your accident."

Miserable answers, but these were the only replies he could say. Rin absorbed it in like a sponge and grew back to her age and laid by Squall. "Thank you so much."

Well starting now

I'm learning fast!

On this journey, to the past!

"For what?" He asked sarcastically. Rin scrunched her nose and went laid against her own bed. The thought of her family's size still flashed around her head.

What would their residence look like? Perhaps they were poor and lived in a slum. Or maybe average and lived in a well kept neighborhood. NO WAIT! Maybe they were rich and lived in large mansions. Like that would happen. If they were so rich they would look for me. Suddenly the bloodshot question appeared… could it be possible they left in Trabia, because they didn't want her?

"NOOOOO!" Rin cried. Squall, who actually seemed somewhat close to slumber, awoke with a start.

"What!" He shouted in surprise. Rin guiltily looked at him.

"What if they don't want me? What if they are trying to disown me!!!" She wept.

That is the sickest thought ever. Squall thought to himself. "Aw, nothing like that would happen."

Home, love, family

There was once a time I must've had them too

Home, love, family

I will never be complete until I find you!

The hours passed and dinner arrived. Being in first class they enjoyed a table set handsomely for two. Rin looked out the window that now showed the open waves of the Trabian Ocean. She breathed heavily as a sickness in her stomach grew. Excitement continued to overcome her and concentrating on any seemed difficult.

"Insomniac is a bad thing, but I think you should eat, that may be worse." Squall joked as he eyed the full plate that lay before her. Rin quavered for a moment.

"I just don't know what's going to happen. It'll make me happy, but how? I don't see what lies beyond the first turn, and I'm just scared it might be something I don't want."

"Rin, we'll be in this together. From the beginning to the end."

One step at a time

One hope than another

Who knows where this road may go?

Back to who I was

On to find my future

Things my heart still needs to know

Yes! Let this be a sign

Let this road be mine

Together… yes. Rin suddenly dropped her attention to Squall. What made him so supportive? What did it matter either way? But in the past day 'what' had crossed either minds too many times. Leave the troublesome questions. Squall's right, they'll be together. On their journey, to find her past, they'll be side-by-side.

Let it lead me to my past

And bring me home

At last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I Am really sorry about the wait. Really!