Wild Rose

As soon as they unboarded the train, Lightning and Firion immediately began searching for their friend Laguna had claimed had the rose. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.

"Where could he be?" Firion asked.

Lightning didn't know what to say. They had only just gotten the news. Of course it wouldn't have been so easy as that to locate – especially with Laguna's "directions".

"Who knows? It was Laguna, after all. Sometimes I just don't think he's got it all there." she said, folding her arms.

Firion felt like sighing again, but even he knew it was too soon to give up hope again. She was right – as usual. After everything that had occurred, of course they should have expected one more challenge before finally accomplishing what they'd set out to do. After all, they all knew how things worked in this realm by now.

Firion kept a straight face and held on to that little bit of hope that said they weren't too far from finding what they wanted. True or not, he had to have something to keep him moving on in what could be the final part of their quest – as far as the rose went anyway.

"I don't want to think too much right now. I just want to find it." he said, with a determined look on his face.

He looked at Lightning intently – hiding any traces of the pain he felt from the moment on the train. It had hit him so hard that all he could do to cope with it was keep moving forward – something he'd learned from Lightning. Due to how close they supposedly were to finding the rose…it really wasn't all that hard to do.

"Let's go." he said.

Lightning nodded as they continued moving forward.

Before two steps were taken, however, someone ran up to them – his happy face undecided as a joy or a burden of sorts for Firion.

"Hey you guys!" Bartz said, waving his arm as he approached them.

"Bartz!" Firion said, surprised to see him.

He was wearing that usual wide smile on his face as he stopped in front of them. It was a little odd to find Bartz in a place such as this, but then again…he was always wandering around. Lightning found it interesting how he never managed to get lost when Laguna, whom pretty much behaved the same way, couldn't even remember where Sanctuary was on a one-way path. Nevertheless, they used this opportunity to try and gain more information.

"Bartz, have you seen Cecil anywhere?" Lightning asked, with a hopeful tone.

She was hoping so much that he'd say "yes". That maybe, by some miracle, Laguna's "good news" had truly been good for once. She wanted to know for sure that they were actually, finally on the right path.

Unfortunately…she knew it was too good to be true as Bartz gave the expected reply, shattering that hope just like that.

"Nope. Sorry." he said.

Their faces dropped at the news, although Bartz remained practically unaware despite that it happened right in front of him. Oblivious to their hardship all this time and how long they'd been searching, Bartz decided to continue on his way. He didn't know why they needed to find Cecil, but he, too, had someone to find.

"Anyway, I've got to go find Zidane. See ya'!"

He raced off, waving back at them as he was out of sight in moments.

Lightning looked ahead as he ran off, still not ready to give up just yet despite how much she felt Laguna may have misled them. It would have been partially her fault anyway if he had due to her actually listening to him. She'd known better, but through sheer desire, she'd taken a chance and gone where he'd said. Now, however…she wondered what had ever come over her.

"…Right."

Still, she too, kept a straight face – hiding her disappointment like Firion as she started moving forward again. How much longer would this search last before they finally found the rose? It couldn't be gone. There was no way. Someone had to have it – and that someone, they'd hoped…was Cecil. They just had to find him to know for sure.

As they started moving, Firion just silently stared at Lightning while he walked. He still couldn't forget what she'd said on the train. Did it truly not matter what he was thinking anymore after that whole time of trying to get him to tell her? One thing of good news about the rose, from Laguna, and it had seemed like he didn't even matter anymore. Up until that moment, all she had really appeared to be concerned with for a time…was him.

It was at this moment he realized something else now.

"I don't believe this. I'm jealous of the rose now?" he asked himself.

"What?" Lightning asked, turning around to look at him.

Firion's head shot up to meet hers. He was completely embarrassed. He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud.

"Um…nothing. It's nothing at all." he said, panicking a little.

Lightning looked at him for a moment with a strange face – one he'd never seen before. It made him rather uncomfortable – like she thought he was going crazy or something. Then again, he had to consider the facts…he'd just been caught talking to himself for once. It really didn't surprise him too much that it had gotten him such a look.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little…"

He thought about his words for a moment. He had to choose the next ones carefully or he may have some explaining to do…again.

"…I want to be certain that we're on the right path. I just don't know just yet. I hate that."

He looked at the ground. He wasn't exactly depressed over this anymore, just…confused. He didn't know what to think. So close yet so far from the rose – their road seemed never-ending. He needed certainty more than anything right now – one that wouldn't let him down. The first one already had and he couldn't bear for it to happen again.

Lightning sighed as she looked away from him, releasing the tension of the moment he'd felt on him as he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"I know. I feel the same way." she said.

Firion looked towards her as she spoke and turned to face him again.

"We can't be sure of anything, but we can still hope. Maybe it's not enough. Maybe it's all we need. Either way though...we can't stop now. If we were to and then I found out exactly how close we'd gotten to the rose…"

She cupped her hand over her heart as she spoke her next words – her head tipped downward and eyes closed.

"…I could never forgive myself. I could never forget it and it would pull at me forever. I can't bear that."

She and Firion looked at each other closely in silence for a moment and Firion nodded. If it was truly that important to Lightning…they had to find it. The way she seemed to feel about the rose was the exact same way he felt about her. Seeing her any other way than happy, would tear him apart. He couldn't stand for that just as she couldn't stand not to find the rose.

He took a deep breath as he walked ahead of Lightning – the latter watching him as he stepped ahead of her.

"…Then we must find Cecil soon." he said, staring ahead.

He looked back at Lightning, not really showing her his whole face. He had to hide his heartache somehow. If she saw it: caught any sign of it at all…he couldn't even begin to explain. If the train hadn't been the right moment…this certainly wasn't.

"…Let's go." he said, his voice rather low.

He started walking forward as Lightning watched him for a moment. Something about him seemed different somehow – that much she knew for sure. However, what exactly it was…she couldn't even begin to figure out. He was still an enigma to her much to her chagrin, but she only blamed herself really. She had been the one whom told Firion he'd tell her when he was ready. No matter how curious she was now, she'd just have to try and wait until that moment…unaware that it had already passed – and she had been the one to allow it to.

*Author's Note* - I am NOT trying to depict Lightning as unlikeable. One – she's pretty much just like this, and two – it's just a story. I'm sorry to anyone whom might be offended by my portrayal of her. I actually kind of like her myself!