Kidasama woke up early the following day.
"I need to go somewhere quite, I need to think" she thought to herself. She stepped outside wearing only a white robe and walked to the old vineyard.
"god! This brings back memories" she whispered to herself. She walked to the old oak tree where she saw a sight that made her choke
"Oh my god!" Kidasama caressed the tree trunk where hers and Aerith's names were engraved: "Aerith & Kida-Best friends forever!"
Kida gave a light chuckle "forever huh? Jesus, we were so naive back then..."
"Naive yes, but still very happy right?!" A soft voice interrupted. Kidasama turned around and saw her 'big sister' standing wrapped in a robe with two mugs of cocoa.
"Here, its winter you know, you'll catch a chill" she handed her one of the mugs
"I just needed some time alone to think"
"About what? You know you don't have to keep everything locked up all the time Kida"
"Aerith I know!" Kida exclaimed "Look Sephiroth told me something that really disturbed me last night, I need to think about a few things before I can continue..."
"Continue...what?"
Kida gave a loud sigh, she was fed up with all the questions, she needed to get used to the fact that she was no longer a soldier. Whereas before no one would dare question her, now all anyone ever did was ask her questions.
"Healing...so I can continue healing Aerith" Kida replied sadly
Aerith said nothing, she walked over to the old oak tree and placed her hand on top of Kida's.
"Ok..."
("huh ok?! Is that all she's going to say? No who, what, why?!") Kida's look of bewilderment made Aerith laugh
"Hehe! Ok, do what you must, I trust that at the end of it all you'll be just fine!"
For the first time ever, Kidasama showed some sort of genuine affection. She slowly placed her arms around Aerith giving her a bone cracking hug and whispered "Thank you..."
After they both finished their hot drinks, Aerith took Kida's mug
"I'm going back in, it's freezing!"
"I've been in worst climates" Kida casually replied
"I bet you have!" Aerith cockily replied "We're going to this really cool temple today Kida, it was made by my people. I'm going with Cloud and the gang, if you like you can come, or you can stay here were its quiet and meditate, it's up to you"
"Thank you, I think I'll stay here though, Aerith be careful ok!"
"Of course silly! Hey wouldn't it be cool if we were like prehistoric friends too" She chuckled
Kida grinned at Aerith's immaturity "I guess..." she replied
Aerith gave her one of her signature smiles before heading back into the house
"I'll see you later- we're flying in sid's ship so we'll be back in a few days!" she shouted back to Kida. Kida waved in return and proceeded to sit lotus position- crossed legged under the oak tree.
"Ok Kida reeeeelax!" she thought to herself inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling deeply out her mouth. "think, think, think! My earliest memories..."
Kida thought back to her early, early childhood when she lived with her Matron, older brother Tenchi and Younger sister Maya...
"Matron?" the little Kida peeped, she was no more than 3 years old
"What is it?" Her matron spat back
"Where's my mommy? Tenchi said that she had to go away to somewhere special, were did she go?"
"Your mommy's dead you little wench! Her and your daddy! They were slaughtered by a band of pirates near the Cosmo Canyons, they were foolish explorers who nosed around too much and died horribly because of it, and you know what that means you little brat don't you! Keep your nose out of everyone's business. That includes; mine, the slums, my guests and especially the Shinra!"
Kida was angry at how her Matron treated her "What a bitch!" she refocused "she was lying I can see it in her eyes"
"No! YOU DON'T MEAN THAT, YOU'RE SO MEAN!" Kidasama ran out crying. Tenchi her older brother caught her as she came running around the corner.
"Hey! Hey slow down angel! What's the matter?" Tenchi softly questioned. He was no older than 7 but he acted like he was Kida's and Maya dad, always protective and quick to comfort them when they were upset.
"It...It's Matron, she said my mommy and daddy were killed by pirates horribly!" she wept
Tenchi lifted her up and sat her on the stoop outside.
"How many times do I have to tell you, don't listen to what that evil Matron says, she full of icky spiders and badness, nothing she says is nice!"
Kida gave a shocked face "Really! Spiders! Ewww that's gross!" she giggled. Tenchi began wiping away her tears
"That's much better, you truly look like an angel when you smile" he tapped her nose "C'mon where's Maya, let's go for a walk to the market, I found a penny on the road, enough to get us some treats!"
"Really! Cool! She's in her cot, I'll go get her"
"Whoa! Slow down your still only small yourself, I'll tell you what, why don't you get all of our shoes and coats together and I'll go and get Maya"
"Ok!"...
"Oh Tenchi, you always cared for us, If only I could see you again, I would tell how grateful I was to have you, you were truly my brother- thank you" Kida thought to herself. She carried on thinking back to her past, it was hard for her to remember much but it seemed the longer she had been away from the Daichi Xiam, the more she could recall. Her next memory was of a short argument she heard one night between Tenchi and their Matron:
"It's him! I know it was him!" Tenchi shouted
"Shut your mouth boy if you know what's good for you!" Tenchi was now 9, he had seen the anonymous man leaving money by their front door in the early hours of the morning
"That guy was the same guy that dropped her off here! He's paying you to look after her and you don't even use it on her, instead you spend it all on yourself! Have you not seen her! She malnourished and weak because you hardly feed her, you hardly feed any of us! I HATE YOU!!" he screamed at the top of his voice
His scream was approached by a loud thud, that was Matron's fist striking his head, Kida holding the now 3 year old Maya jumped as she saw Tenchi lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs
"Don't you dare talk to your Matron that way boy do you hear me!" she shouted back, she then proceeded to continually kick the boy on his torso, making him shudder at every blow. Kida began to cry as she watched her big brother being beaten in front of her. She quickly hid Maya in her cot and ran down the stairs as fast as she could
"STOP! STOP IT NOW! YOUR HURTING HIM!" she threw her body over his, he let out a slight whimper as he tried to push her off him, but he was too weak. Matron grabbed Kida by her long pitch black hair and raised her off the ground
"That money is MINE! Do you understand girl! If you as so much think it belongs to you, you'll end up like your precious Tenchi!"she spat, throwing Kida against the wall, she quickly walked out the house.
Kidasama was in pain but she needed to reach her big brother
"Tenchi!...Tenchi! Are you ok big brother?!" she whimpered
"I'm fine angel don't worry...Listen, one day we're going to get out of here, if it the last thing I do we will leave, all of us; me, you and little Maya. Tenchi sat up "Where is she Kida?"
"In her cot, I made sure I covered her ears when Matron hit you"
Tenchi smiled "Help me up please" the now 5 year old Kida used all her might to lift her older brother, as he stood up he quickly grabbed Kida by her shoulders
"Kidasama listen to me, I know for a fact that your parents were not killed by pirates, remember that! You were unfortunately sent here by a man that has the same markings as you on his face, but he had silvery hair- I don't know what that means, but I think he knows who or where your real family are"
Kida smiled, "It doesn't matter Tenchi, you and Maya are my real family!",Tenchi looked at his angel and smiled back.
"C'mon let's get cleaned up for bed"...
"A man with the same markings as me?" Kida thought to herself, "he must know something about me then, and silvery hair?" She touched her hair "I have silvery hair now too! That's it I have to go back to my old home, I have to speak to Matron"
She stood up an eerie chill fell down her spine "Back to hell" she thought to herself...