Sorry this took me so long, but here it is, and a decent length too. I don't own Oban, or Final Fantasy.

When they entered the dining room, they saw Aerith sitting at the head of the table and Tifa sitting two seats down on the left. There were plates set out for all five girls; the two already there were eating.

Molly took the seat on Aerith's right while Marlene sat between Tifa and Aerith, Yuffie sat next to Molly. They ate in silence, Tifa occasionally glancing hard at Molly but was studiously quiet. After eating, Molly declined Yuffie's invitation of hanging out, and headed once more for the sea wall. It was becoming her favorite place for good reason. It was peaceful and away from the others.

She wasn't alone for long. Prince Aikka was walking, almost absentmindedly, when he saw her. She saw him and sprang to her feet.

"Prince Aikka! What a surprise!" She was indeed surprised by his presence there.

"Molly, how are you?" Aikka asked politely.

"I'm fine. Uh, would you like to talk? You did say today was a day for talking."

"I did indeed. I would be delighted to talk." They sat on the sea wall together. He looked at her, she looked at the sea. "What did you wish to discuss?"

"I just wanted to get to know you better. Like, what's your favorite color?"

Aikka blinked. "Blue. What's yours?"

"Red. Hm, I guess this isn't getting us anywhere, is it?"

"Maybe we should talk about what's important to us. You may go first."

"My dad. He's all I have left after Mom died. I took up racing to be like her. So I guess racing is also important to me. What about you? What's important to you?"

Aikka blinked and looked at the sea, his elvin ears lowered, a sad smile on his lips.

"Mine, too, is my family. I have both my parents, but my younger brother was killed because I was irresponsible. Since then I've tried only to do my responsibility as best I can."

"So, is that why you're marrying, for responsibility?"

"No. My parents agreed that marriage should be for love. But, my blood won't call to anyone, so I'm alone."

Now it was Molly's turn to blink. She looked at him with confusion written on her face.

"'Blood calls to someone' what does that mean?"

"It's how we find our soul mates. There's a strong, irresistible pull between us and our soul mates."

"But how can your blood know? On Earth, we get o know people, and if we love deeply enough then we marry. Though it doesn't always last."

"I don't think anyone really knows how two people's blood can all to one another, but it does. My parent's did, and they want mine to as well. That's why the five of you were brought here, in the hopes I would find her, or through one of you, hind her on one of your planets."

Molly was silent for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase her question without seeming rude. "And have you felt anything around any of us?"

"I'm not sure, but according to Aerith's prophecy I should find my bride among you. But my blood isn't calling anyone." Molly was still assimilating this information, she almost missed his question. "But enough of that. What's Earth like?"

"Huh, oh it's not as nice as here but it's still a nice place. In Japan, where I'm fro, there are beautiful parks, but a lot of people. It gets crowded a lot though."

"Do you have many close friends?"

Molly shook her head. "I'm always training for races in my free time, and at school, well, I'm at school studying. I've never really had time to make friends. What about you? Anyone you're especially close to?"

"No. Just like you have your racing, I have my duties as prince. And when I do have break from that, people are afraid of talking to me, because they are afraid they will offend me and I will order something to happen to them. Either that or they shower me with empty flattery to try and take advantage of me." He added quietly, almost to himself, "But you are not like that."

"Huh? What'd you say, after the flatters?"

"It doesn't matter. I really enjoy your company Molly."

She blushed. "Thank you. I enjoy yours as well."

Aerith and Marlene, who were watching from the upstairs window of Aerith's room in the palace, smiled at each other. Marlene smiled because, being a romantic at heart, enjoyed seeing young love. Aerith smiled because she liked Molly, and was glad she could be happy. Behind them, they could hear Yuffie trying to keep Tifa out of the room, to keep her from seeing 'her prince' with another girl.

"I think this might be the beginning of something beautiful. Marlene commented.

"Perhaps." Aerith replied. "Or perhaps not. We're simply going to have to wait. The prophecy will play itself out on it's own time. One of us will live it, the rest of us get to watch."

Marlene looked up at her with one eyebrow raised. The tow girls had formed a friendship in the short time on Nourasia, and yet Marlene was forever puzzled by the older girl. Yuffie, who had finally gotten Tifa to go back to her own room to put more make up, came in and looked at the scene.

"Things are certainly getting interesting. And so soon, too."

"Yep. But we still have to wait."

Molly looked up at the sky. "Man, we've been talking for half a day. Do you think the others are worried about us?"

"It's possible." Aikka stood up, offered his hand to Molly and helped her up. "We should head back."

"Right."

They started walking back to the palace; about halfway there Aikka asked: Molly, I was wondering, why to you go to the sea wall so much?"

"It's quiet there. I love the sea, I always have. Every summer my family would go to the beach."

Once they reached the palace, the guards opened the doors, Aikka let Molly go first, and they were admitted to the dining room, where the other girls, minus Tifa, all waited.

"Greetings, ladies. I trust you had a pleasant morning."

"Yes, Prince Aikka, very pleasant." Yuffie said smugly.

End of chapter. And for the record, I don't hate Tifa from Final Fantasy, I just made her stupid here because I can. Reviews are welcome.