Wild Rose

Lightning found herself waking up unexplainably in a new location. How she'd gotten there was beyond comprehension. What was more…Firion had disappeared.

She slowly sat up, still very confused and speechless at what could have happened. Surely she hadn't gotten off the train. She'd have remembered that. She didn't even recall falling asleep though. The last thing she remembered, she was sitting in her seat staring out the window. How could this have happened? And, when?

"What?" she asked, slowly rising to a sitting position.

She looked around from her spot on the ground and saw that she was at The Rift.

"How did I…" she wondered, looking around like she might find a clue.

Alas, it was futile. There was no explanation as to how she could have gotten here. All she knew was that somehow, she was.

She sighed as she shook her head in annoyance. She knew it was called the "Phantom Train", but this was just insane. How many mysteries could this world possibly bombard them with?

"Figures." she mumbled.

She slowly rose to her feet and double-checked for her gunblade – grateful to find it in its holster behind her.

She took another look around and then remembered something. Her eyes went wide at the realization.

"Firion!"

She quickly jogged a few steps forward as she looked around frantically. Where had he gone? How had he disappeared and when? And, most importantly…how long had he been gone?

Her thoughts and actions somewhat surprised her. Why was she so affected by Firion's disappearance? It wasn't like they were really close friends or anything. They were just two people with the same goal: to find the Wild Rose; nothing more than a mere twist of fate to that entangled and entwined them. To think there could be any other reasoning was just stupid.

"Where could he-"

She looked up as she spoke and saw him at the top of the floating structure – seemingly staring off into the sky.

She found herself breathing a sigh of relief as she made her way up to him.

When she finally got to the top, she slowly and quietly approached him. He was so quiet and still. Something was obviously on his mind, but she couldn't begin to figure out what. She began to realize how she must seem to all of her allies – always off doing her own thing and not caring or noticing anything or anyone else around her. She never meant to seem so uncaring. She just had goals and wouldn't allow for anything to sway her from fulfilling them.

Still, seeing Firion in the same light was rather uncomforting. He was always so calm, friendly, and outspoken. Ever since this whole thing with the rose started…he'd become an entirely different person – a person, she honestly wasn't exactly wanting to warm up to. Honestly…she'd preferred him the other way. At least he was real like that.

She walked up next to him and looked straight ahead as he did. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, only to hear a familiar voice right after.

"Firion."

He jumped a bit at the sound of her voice and quickly turned to look at her.

"Oh! Light!" he said, completely caught off-guard by her arrival.

"Excuse me. I wasn't aware you were there."

That had been more than obvious to her, but she said nothing. She was still lost on how they'd gotten here.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

His words greatly flustered her. He knew she had been asleep and just left her there? She was bit shocked by this - so much so that it angered her a little.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Firion realized he had slipped up once again - only majorly this time. His eyes got wide as well as he panicked.

"N-Nothing." he said, immediately getting quiet again.

Lightning sighed and shook her head. Things were only getting more confusing and crazy around here. And, she was getting sicker of it each time.

"This is just..." she mumbled.

She lifted her head back toward him and folded her arms.

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at her again in confusion.

"Something's on your mind. I can tell. It's kind of hard to miss a face like that. I would know." she said.

Firion realized he hadn't been hiding it as well as he'd hoped. But, he couldn't help it. Everything he was feeling; struggling to understand. It had made him come off so differently to others, he was well aware. Still, he'd thought maybe he'd have had time to sort it all out while Lightning slept. Unfortunately, as things would have it…he had only fooled himself, and now he had no idea how to get out of this position.

Without answering, he quietly turned his attention back to the sky, knowing that would only prove to Lightning that she was right. However, it was all he could think of. He didn't really want to explain. He didn't know how to, after all. He only hoped she'd catch on and let it go for now. Of course, that too, was just a foolish thought as she walked up next to him.

She turned her head toward him – her face again revealing an expression of true concern that he caught out of his peripheral vision.

"Is it the rose?" she asked.

Firion looked ahead again – his mind beginning to wander once more as he stared up at the endless sky.

"No."

He hung on his words, realizing that wasn't completely true.

"At least…not entirely." he mumbled, staring at the ground again.

Now, Lightning was really curious. The whole thing on the train had been a major turning point to her and more questions filled her head. What was going on in the mind of her friend? She didn't need any more mysteries and it was already enough the she was enigmatic. She didn't need to try and figure someone else out. Cosmos and Chaos had already taken on that role.

She kept her cool, however, while she continued talking – hoping maybe she'd catch some sort of clue.

"Well…what then?"

He was silent for a moment: acting as if he hadn't heard her speak – which was completely and utterly bogus and both of them knew it. Though she had truly been concerned and curious with her question, she had intended for an answer nonetheless. Unfortunately, now she wasn't even getting anywhere with Firion, as he just responded with a sigh - turning his head in the direction opposite of her

"Please. Excuse me."

He slowly walked off as she stood watching him.

"Firion?" she asked herself.

So many questions swirled in her head. All she'd wanted was to find the rose. She had never imagined it would turn into all of this. She hadn't asked for this. She hadn't asked to be called to this lonely world to be the pawn of unknown gods in a stupid game of chance. The last thing she'd needed afterward was all of this drama in-between. When was enough really enough? When would all of this end?

Then, this whole thing with Firion. What was going on there? Why was he so uncooperative lately when it came to her? This drastic change in her friend was the final straw. She couldn't take anymore of this. She wanted now, more than ever…to just be able make sense of things for once in her life. Was that really so much to ask?