Zidane inched closer and closer to Cecil, hoping Cecil would see him before he had to say anything. He never even noticed. His full attention remained politely on Cosmos, even though he had a troubled frown on his face. Zidane waited another second, then looked up at him and whispered, "So . . . that's Rosa, huh?" The noise startled him. He tensed and looked down at Zidane, looking him up and down with his eyebrows furrowed as though he couldn't quite remember who or where he was for a second. "Hey! Hello, hi!" Zidane said, waving slightly. "So, Rosa?" He could't wait for Cecil's answer. His tail flicked back and forth, faster and faster and out of his control with his rising anticipation. "So? What did you think? Did you have a good first interaction? Do you know how pretty she is? Well, I'm sure you know, but do you know?"

Cecil blinked, bombarded by the questions. He started answering the first one. "Oh! U-um, yes." Pride showed through his new smile as he returned his gaze to Cosmos. "Yes, that is her."

"And so . . . "

"So what?"

"I don't know, just . . . what do you think? Are you happy she's here? Sad? Both? Did you miss her? Did she remember that you guys are married? Did you guys have a good first interaction? I remember you telling us about her. How beautiful she was, and stuff. And all of a sudden, I was walking with the others, and the tip of my tail started twitching. Right here!" He grabbed it from the air behind him, anticipating its next flick, and pointed right to the end. "It's kind of like my sixth sense. I can tell where pretty girls are. And all of a sudden, it was just on fire! So I knew somebody pretty was gonna be here. And then I met her, and found out that she the sexy woman you never shut up about! And, just . . . damn! She's beautiful!" He couldn't think of the words to describe her. She looked like a goddess.

"Yes, she is, isn't she?" Cecil followed his gaze to met eyes, and she blushed and looked down, idly playing with the ribbon tied to her staff. He stared at her for a moment, then looked back down to Zidane.

"I don't often get jealous, but . . . Man." He couldn't think of anything more to say. He shook his head, throwing his hands on his hips while his tail slumped in the water of Sanctuary in defeat. He hissed a breath out through his teeth. "Lucky bastard," he muttered.

"I - I beg your pardon?!" he asked.

Zidane trudged back to Bartz's side.

Cold metal on her skin.

Shivering.

Grey tinted room.

Black armor, gold accents.

Kain. Blue armor, red accents.

Rope burn.

Kidnapped.

Rosa returned to the present, but even as Cosmos addressed them, the memory still hadn't completely faded from her senses. She continued to receive quick, sporadic flashes of unconnected details. The warriors around her and her surroundings faded in and out, back and forth between the metal room and the water of Sanctuary. She couldn't root herself there with them, and when they quieted down and gathered around Cosmos, Rosa felt cornered and threatened. Unsure of their surroundings or who was really there with her. As quickly as she could, she ducked and dodged and slid to the back of the group, staying far away from both Cecil and Kain. Knowing she was drawing attention to herself but unable to care at the moment.

"Introductions are first in order . . . summoned two new warriors . . . in your campaign against Chaos."

Rosa shook her head, blinked hard, and luckily, the residual sparks stopped right in time. She took a quick glance at Sanctuary, at all the warriors around her, at Cosmos up on her throne, and knew she was back for good.

"Quick with knives, a talented archer, and an extremely good mage. Rosa Joanna Farrell," Cosmos said, gesturing towards her. Every one of the warriors in front of her swiveled and turned to look at her. Rosa made sure to meet eyes with every one of them. She wasn't sure why - to assert herself? Or maybe to ensure she was really there. Either way, she glanced at each warrior in turn. Some were stern, some were happy, some wore no expression. None seemed angry or distrustful, which made her feel a bit more at ease. She smiled, nodding her thanks at Cosmos. "Rosa is one of the most powerful White Mages that I have ever encountered. No doubt she will be instrumental in keeping us healed and healthy during our battles. And Bartz Klauser, who is a . . . jack of all trades?" She said it like a question, and looked at Bartz to confirm.

He nodded quickly. "Yeah, that's what I'd call myself! Hi, everybody!"

"You will most likely find him watching you spar for the first few days he is here. He can copy your skills and weapons and replicate them."

"Wow. Bartz is a Mimic? He'll be a powerful ally," Rosa thought to herself.

"You all will have the chance to introduce yourselves, and some of you already have. I trust you will make them feel welcome, and I trust you all will help them gain their bearings and learn all they can about this world and how we work to end this war. In the meantime, listen close, all of you. Those of you who have been fighting this war for a while know that Chaos' forces have been quiet for some time. I fear they are plotting extensively, and I fear something large is about to transpire . . ."

As soon as the attention left her, Rosa let her focus wander. She couldn't take her mind off of the flashes in her memory, knowing they had something to do with Kain. She wondered if he had been on Chaos' side at any point. Any rational person would think that he was working with the armored man in her dream. And the way he smiled at her was unsettling. Like he knew something she didn't. Like he was going to prove her wrong about something. She resolved right then and there to leave the instant Cosmos was finished speaking. She had to get away from Kain, and from the memory flashes, and from Cecil and his hopeful expectations.

Things were moving too fast. Too much information had come at her with too little context, and she had been interrupted too many times by Cecil and the other warriors. Almost none of her questions had been answered, and though she knew the basics, that they were fighting for Cosmos and against Chaos to keep the world from plunging into darkness, she was still missing many of the intricate pieces: how long had the war lasted so far? What was Cosmos's role, besides calling the warriors and overseeing them? What were their odds? How many on Chaos's side were they meant to fight? How powerful was Chaos, and how did he get so powerful? "There's some information I'm missing. There're some crucial details I have yet to receive. Otherwise, this world makes no sense. These people make no sense. This war makes no sense."

It could be her lost memory. That was a huge variable that needed filled in to solve the equation. She blamed all of her confusion on it, hoping it would be all she needed. Cosmos told her earlier that battle was a way to bring some recollection back. How did it happen? A little sparring, then it all came back? Or was it a much slower process, one memory at a time like she experienced already? If so, how long would it take before she remembered everything? She didn't want to think about it anymore.

She returned from her thoughts and gazed at all of her surroundings, only to see Cecil staring at her. Had she been staring back? Her cheeks colored in embarrassment; she looked down quickly and absently fingered the ribbon tied to the bottom of her staff. He was still looking at her. The weight of his gaze on her face forced her to look the other way, only to meet eyes with a purple dragon. Kain. The fear she felt in her memory twisted in her gut, but she forced herself to stay strong and hold her gaze with him. His lips pulled up into a slight smile, though, with his eyes covered, it was impossible to tell if it held any meaning. She shivered with a sudden chill that shot down her back, and returned her attention to Cosmos.

" . . . must always be aware of your surroundings. Look after each other, and support each other. You never know what those on the side of Chaos have in store for you, but if you protect each other, trust in each other, no obstacle will impede your way to your goal. Thank you all, and you may be on your way."

The crowd dispersed as everyone clustered in individual groups. Almost instantly, both Kain and Cecil closed in on her. No way. She was leaving. Rosa spun on her heels and strode away from the group, anxious to be rid of the prying eyes, away from the attention, the unanswered questions. Her image of Kain left her shaken, and she was desperate to have some time to herself to think things through.