Chapter One:
It was the summer after I graduated from Balamb Garden that I found myself waiting in the airport with Irvine. I had decided to go to school abroad in Galbadia using all of the scholarships I earned to pay for my tuition. And all of the gil that I saved up from my job at the restaurant was more than enough to pay for all of my living expenses. It was my uncle that paid for my one-way ticket out of the country though. It was a gift, he said, as a way to congratulate me for coming this far. Along with the ticket, he gave me a cell phone. It was to keep in touch with him, he had said, in case something happens. Of course I accepted his explanation literally, but I'd like to think it was because he was actually going to miss me.
"You know Irvine… if you keep asking the same questions, you're still going to get the same answers," I pointed out with a laugh.
"Like I care," Irvine shot back. "If I don't remind you, you're bound to forget."
"I will not!" I defended myself.
It was bright and early in the morning, but the airport was already busy. The Ragnarok was still getting prepared and an attendant was patiently waiting to begin accepting tickets. My uncle and I sat in the crowded room where everyone anxiously waited to get on. Some were impatient and frustrated with the slight delay, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Do you have everything?" Irvine asked again.
With a sigh, I replied, "Sir, yes sir, I have my airplane ticket, passport, driver's license, bank card, credit cards, insurance card, and the temporary citizen card, sir!"
"Come on Rinoa, I'm being serious," he said crossing his arms. "Ok, well, what about your suitcase?"
"I've checked it in."
"And your gil?"
"I've already deposited most of it into my new account, but I'm carrying some with me, just in case."
"Did you call the bank yet?"
"Yeah, the transfers went through. They faxed me the document last night."
"What about your apartment?"
"I called and they said I can get my keys once I finish up some paperwork."
"And the car company?"
"My car's ready for me to pick up."
"Did you call Galbadia Garden yet?"
"Everything's been arranged and paid for. I'll be starting as a freshman this fall."
"And how about that dog training job you applied for?"
"My resume was accepted and I can start my training next month."
Irvine paused for a moment, as though he was trying to remember if there was anything else. "Ok," he said with a slight nod of approval.
The gate was opened and the attendant announced that we could start boarding the Ragnarok. Everyone seemed to release a deep sigh of relief at the same time as they gathered their belongings and got in line. I grabbed my bag and stood up.
"I guess it's time," Irvine said quietly eyeing the passengers getting on to the plane.
"Yeah, I guess it is," I agreed.
"Do you have your cell with you?" he asked.
"Of course," I answered as-a-matter-of-factly, taking out my fully charged cell phone out from my bag.
"Ok, then call me when you get there and let me know how everything works out."
I laughed and shook my head. "I know."
Not knowing what else to say, I started walking away when I felt a tug on my arm.
"Rinoa," he began softly. His eyes looked downward as though hoping the words would come out of the floor. He looked back up at me and let out a sad laugh. "A moment ago, I had so much to say to you before you left, but now, I just don't know what to say. You know me; I was never good with this kind of thing."
"It's all right," I reassured him. "You can tell me later. We have plenty of time."
"I know," he replied. "But I have this feeling, like, the second you get on that plane I'm never going to see you again."
I cringed. "Come on, don't talk like that. We'll see each other again soon. I'll visit every chance I get, ok?"
He nodded.
It was then that I heard the attendant gave a final announcement and it was time for me to go. "I know we've never been close and that I've been such a burden on you for so many years, but I am so thankful to have you in my life. You've been like a father to me, and I just wanted you to know that. It's all right if you don't think of me as a daughter, but someday, I'll find a way to pay you back for everything you've done for me." I picked up my bags and looked at him one last time. To my confusion, he had a shocked expression on his face. It was the kind that one would get when they were hit with so many different emotions all at once that they weren't sure which to react with first. He didn't say anything, or rather, he couldn't say anything, so I said, "Well, I guess I'll see you when I see you. "
I hesitated for a moment, wanting to give my uncle a hug, but not knowing how. We were never close enough to be affectionate towards each other, and the thought of it was a bit too awkward for me to put into action. I was hoping he would say something. I guess a part of me hoped that he acknowledge me as family before I left, but he remained silent. It was a bit of a disappointment, but it was what I expected to happen. With that, I turned and walked away.
After giving the attendant my ticket, I walked through the gate towards the Ragnarok. As I walked through that narrow passageway, I couldn't help but think about what Irvine had said. Suddenly, his fear came crashing down on me, and I couldn't help but think, too, that the moment I get on this plane, I will never see my uncle again.
I had never been on a plane before. Though it was my first time, I spent about two days in the sky crossing land and sea in the Ragnarok. It was a bit scary at first, but once I got used to it, it was an amazing experience. To be so close to the sun, moon, and stars, so close I could almost reach out and touch them. To fly through clouds, was like being in a dream and unlocking the door to heaven. To be among birds as their flock grazed the sky made me quite envious that they could fly. And I could almost imagine how the gods smile down onto Gaia as we passed over many lands.
The further we traveled from Balamb, the more I could feel the burden of my past lift off my shoulders. Yet at the same time, I felt as though I would never be relieved of such discomfort. True, Galbadia would know nothing of my past, but I would know it. I could never forget where I came from, whether it was what had happened with my family or everything that followed after their deaths. But at least I would not be plagued with such misfortune and judged by things that were out of my control.
That thought provided some comfort, to say the least, but I still couldn't help but look at my faint reflection in the airplane window and still see a girl of no sense of identity and value. What did one become when they came from a past such as mine? Created a family to replace the one they never had? Made as many friends to replace the memories of old enemies? Or perhaps, did what I was doing, fine-tuning my abilities, strength, and knowledge to overcompensate for what I had lost? But what was that concept of lost when it was something never had? Perhaps I never had anything to have lost before. And I couldn't help but wonder if I had anything to gain by going to Galbadia. Perhaps I was wishing for a chance and praying for a miracle. All I knew was that I wanted to start over, or at least, continue what I had already started.
It might have been the landing that made me feel this way, but I couldn't ignore the churning of anxiety and the thought that the moment I step off this plane, my life would be changed forever.
We arrived at the airport early morning. Outside on the distant horizon, the sun began to rise and chase the remnants of night away. The air was cool and damp and reeked of excitement. I hugged my arms around me tighter as I felt an anxious chill run through my core. Because we came from the side of the world that would be night at this time, most of us were wide eyed and ready to go. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out the Ragnarok's door and felt a cool breeze run through my hair. I smiled. It was that kind of morning.
Walking down the stairs was all right; it was the planting my feet on solid ground part that took me off guard. I had been thousands of feet off the ground, and being so firmly pulled in by gravity was something I'd have to get used to again. I was also a bit tired and groggy from the two days spent confined in my seat by the window. I guessed that's what they called jetlag.
We were greeted by Galbadian attendants that led us into the airport where we can pick up our luggage and be on our way. Before I went to stand in line, I dug through my bag and pulled out my cell to make a call. I looked through my cell's address book where only one name was listed.
"Hello?" I heard a masculine voice on the other end of the line.
"Hi Irvine, it's me," I told him.
"Rinoa?" he said my name softly. "I guess this means you're in Galbadia now."
I half expected him to be happy to hear that I had arrived safely, but instead I sensed a hint of disappointment and sadness that made me uneasy. There was something in his voice that sounded of regret. Maybe he thought it was a mistake to send me to school abroad at Galbadia Garden and wanted me to return to Balamb.
"Yes, I am," I answered him. "We got here a little while ago. Everything was on schedule, so now all I have to do is pick up my luggage and call a taxi to drop me off at the apartment complex."
I waited for him to reply, but I was answered with silence.
"Hello? Are you still there?"
"Oh," he let out with gentle surprise. "Yeah, I'm here."
"Ok, good," I said. "I thought we got disconnected. Anyway, I guess I should get going, so I'll call you when I'm at the apartment, ok?"
Once again, there was no answer. Before I left Balamb, he was quick to mention anything I'd forgotten to take care of, almost like he wanted to keep me busy enough to stay. But now that I was in Galbadia, he had nothing to say. We were never close enough to have a decent conversation, but I couldn't help but think he was hiding something from me. Did I leave something behind in Balamb that made him act this way?
"Irvine," I started. "Is everything ok?"
"What?" he said with yet more surprise. "Oh yeah, everything's fine. I'll talk to you soon."
I was about to say my good-byes when Irvine cut me short. "Oh, and Rinoa?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
My brows furrowed in confusion. "Sorry? For what?" I asked. Did he pull a good-bye prank on me that I had yet to discover? No, he was too serious to do something like that. But the more I searched my mind, the less possibilities I could come up with. "There's nothing to be sorry for. You haven't done anything wrong."
"Oh," he said again. He seemed to say that a lot today. "Yeah, I guess you're right… never mind. It's nothing. Just have fun and… be safe."
I had been surrounded by brutal honesty and hypocrisy, but not too much with lying. But I could usually tell if someone were lying to me, and at the moment, it saddened me to know that Irvine was definitely hiding something from me. And whatever it was, I never questioned him, because I knew that he would tell me one day.
It didn't take too long until I reached the front desk where I was to pick up my luggage. I was greeted by a Galbadian attendant who asked for my name, passport, and airline ticket. Her eyes were glued to a computer screen as she typed in my information and told me to wait.
"They're coming in through the scanners," she informed me with a polite smile. "Please wait a moment, Miss."
I nodded and continued to wait, when suddenly I heard a beep coming from the computer. It caught the attention of the attendant who read the window that popped up on her screen and gasped.
"What is it? Is there something wrong with my luggage?" I asked in concern.
The attendant turned her shocked expression towards me and immediately replaced it with a calm one. "Not at all, Miss. Everything is fine." First Irvine, now her. Everyone seemed to be telling me things were fine when they obviously weren't. "The scanners are temporarily malfunctioning, I'll be right back."
At a quick turn of her heel, the attendant disappeared through the double doors and left me to wait. Lovely, they probably misplaced my luggage and were trying to relocate it. What if they did lose it? I wouldn't know what I would do. I had only brought one big suitcase and it pretty much had my whole life in it. My fingers started to tap on the counter top. What was taking them so long?
The attendant finally came back out through the double doors with the same fake expression on her face. "We're sorry for the delay, Miss. It seems we've mixed up your luggage with someone else's. We'd like you to go to the back and verify that they're yours."
"Go where?" I wanted her to say again. "Why can't you bring them out here and I can take a look at them?"
"Well," the attendant started to fidget. "There are so many, it could be a security hazard to bring them out at once, and since you only registered one suitcase, I'm sure you can find it faster this way."
"Sure…" I said. I had never been to an airport before this trip, so I wasn't familiar with their protocols. But there was something strangely suspicious about the attendant that I couldn't ignore. She pointed towards the corridor to my left and told me the security guard would allow me temporary clearance.
When the security guard opened the door for me, I walked in, only to hear the door slam shut and lock behind me. I swiftly turned around and ran to the door to try and open it, but it wouldn't budge. "What's going on?" I was sure security should be tight around airports, but I was only stepping in for a moment.
But whatever thoughts that had been rushing through my mind immediately blacked out when I felt something heavy slam into the back of my skull.