Jade sat on one of the three chairs in the back of Quistis's store the other two were occupied by of course Quistis herself who sat solemn faced across from Jade, and Rikku who had to keep getting up and pacing the room. Jade was beginning to feel as if the shop was her home, having been here for a month and a week, or maybe two weeks, it was hard to keep track of time in Traverse Town. The days and nights in this strange new world were the exact same, Day and night had no difference between them the only way to tell the time was by watch but even then you could never be sure if it was AM or PM your watch could be off by several hours and you'd never know. That got very annoying very quickly, everyone on Traverse Town was on a different schedule, unless you made it so, no two watched were on the same time, and since everyone went by the time displayed only on their watch it became dreadfully confusing. But that was something you needed to become accustomed to. You needed to get ready several hours early and wait several hours past the assigned meeting time before you were sure whether or not your companion was to show or not. As annoying as this was Jade had managed to become used to it. Quistis had set the both Rikku's and her own watch to mach the store clock. That way at least they would be on the same time schedule. But Jade could only wish the awkward silence that had overcome her and her companions was caused only by Quistis being upset at something as simple as being tardy. True enough Quistis had little tolerance for tardiness, but Jade was in here for something much more serious. Jade's eyes tore from her instructor to her companion; Rikku had never liked silence, especially the awkward blanket that was smothering the group at this moment. You could always tell when she was nervous, like now for instance, Rikku was walking around the room. For brief periods she's remain still but only to suffer a burst of energy moments later. When she was sitting she'd shake her foot or rock back and forth unable to hold still. Eventually when Rikku could sit still no longer she'd get up and wander aimlessly around. At last the silence had reached its peak and if it was not broken Jade was sure it would crush them all into Oblivion. "Instructor Trappe! Rikku! You need to believe me I saw him really!" Jade shouted unable to contain herself any longer. There was a crashing sound; Jade knew at once Rikku had bumped into something. The slightly jumpy teen had not been expecting Jade's sudden outburst and it must have scared her to death. Quistis looked up her gaze, which had previously been on the floor, was now directed on her young pupil. Jade bit her lip, why was she just sitting in silence. She knew what she saw, and Rikku herself had seen something odd happening. So why was Quistis acting like it was some kind of felony to say what Jade knew for a fact she had seen. "I saw him I really did, and he dealt me a nasty blow to the shoulder as well." Jade added trying to lighten the mood. Jade rubbed her right shoulder which was still rather sore, Quistis had not healed it completely and Jade had no idea how to cast a healing spell.
"You might have been tired, you've been training hard and non stop. A nice break might do you some good." Quistis suggested. Jade stared at her blonde haired instructor in disbelief. Quistis's eyes flashed at once to the ground, unable to make contact with the disbelieving stare of her student.
"I don't believe this!" Jade said angrily. Quistis looked up sharply, Jade calmed at once not wanting to get on Quistis's bad side after everything Quistis and Rikku had done for her. Giving her a home, food, shelter, they didn't have to but they did. Jade sighed. "Please Instructor, I know what I saw-" Quistis held up a silencing hand and at once Jade closed her mouth.
"You know what you thought you saw, Jade. The mind can play trick on you quite easily when you're tired. You have been wanting to see him and now you thought you have. It's not that I think your crazy I just think you jumped to conclusions too quickly." Quistis pushed herself up to her feet looking down at Jade with almost motherly concern. Jade felt a sudden pang of home sickness, missing her mother, her friends, her home… she shook her head trying to clear it.
"Maybe your right." Jade said her eyes falling to the floor in a mix of confusion and embarrassment. Quistis had a point, ever since arrival Jade had been longing to find Sora. A childish fantasy that only seemed to be causing her confusion, plus whoever was fighting her she let escape because she had been so convinced that he was Sora.
"Don't beat yourself up about it; it happens to the best of us." Quistis said putting a comforting hand on Jade's shoulder. "I was once so tired I was convinced a Shadow Heartless was Zell." Jade smiled slightly at the mental picture of her Instructor lecturing a Shadow. Quistis looked out of the window the rain was a steady, light drizzle. "The weather is nice today." Quistis said changing the subject much to Jade's relief. "I think you and Rikku should go outside, take a walk do something besides lay around the shop and let your muscles deteriorate." Quistis had gone into "Normal Mode" and there was no disagreeing with her when she was like this. Normal Mode was the nickname Rikku and Jade had giving to the times when Quistis lost her professional air and was actually acting her age, which they figured to be about eighteen or nineteen. "That wasn't a suggestion girl's it was an order!" Quistis said cheerfully. The sudden release of tension had obviously driven their instructor mad so Rikku and Jade followed orders and went outside. Jade didn't bother pulling up the hood of her raincoat the light drizzle felt good on her face, the cool winds danced around her playfully. Traverse Town was not at all like it had been the day Jade arrived. Back then it seemed more prison like then an actual town.
"Well Instructor Trappe seems to be in a good mood." Rikku giggled her light blonde hair was pulled back into a wild ponytail. Just when Jade was beginning to think Rikku would wear her hair normally for once, she was proved wrong. Riku had used her favorite hairstyle today, or at least Jade assumed it was her favorite because she used it the most. Her wild hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the most unruly strands were kept out of her eyes by a pair of goggles which Rikku used as a headband.
"Is it just me or does Instructor Trappe have the weirdest mood swings of anyone currently in existence?" Jade asked with a grin. Rikku laughed nodding as the two walked down the deserted streets of the Town. Though Traverse Town was not completely deserted, Quistis, Rikku, and Jade were the only people crazy enough to leave the sanctuary of a building and actually go out into the streets. "Hey Race you down the street!" Jade called running off. Rikku blinked in surprise.
"Hey no fair you got a head start!" she yelled laughing as she ran after Jade. Jade stuck her tongue out at her companion not slowing down in the least. She was acting so competitive she reminded herself of… Sean. Jade shook her head, no time to worry about that now; all she should be thinking about was beating Rikku. "Cheater!" Rikku laughed. Jade turned her head around to shout something back but she wasn't watching where she was going and crashed into someone heading very quickly in the opposite direction. Jade and the other person were both completely knocked over. Jade fell to the ground with a thud.
"I am SO sorry!" she said quickly. She rubbed her head which had made direct contact with the soaking pavement below her. Jade pulled herself to her feet rubbing her right shoulder which had already been injured once that month and was now throbbing once again. Offering her hand to the person she had collided with, she glanced back at Rikku who had skidded to a halt avoiding tripping over her. But the blonde seemed to be in some kind of trance looking directly behind Jade. Jade dismissed this and made another attempt to apologize for running into the person. "Look I wasn't looking where I was going and I-" She cut off.
"It's fine really, I was looking for you anyway." replied the boy taking Jade's hand. Jade blinked stunned. Shaking her head she pulled the boy to his feet. The boy shook his head raindrops clinging to his spiky brown hair. His ocean blue eyes were concentrated on Jade who sudden felt like a complete moron. She had been staring open mouthed at this boy for who knows how long. "I believe this belongs to you?" The boy asked holding up a black necklace with a shimmering emerald on the end.
"Y….Yeah." Jade said finally regaining the ability to speak. She carefully took the necklace from him, still unsure about what she was seeing. Hadn't Quistis said he wasn't real? Why was he here now? In front of Rikku? Jade just stared at him.
"Ok I'm starting to feel kind of like an idiot right now." The boy said shifting nervously under Jade's probing gaze. The boy finally spoke again obviously unnerved. He was not keen on being stared at. "I'm Sora."
