The Fear Within

Foremost Introduction

His eyes looked around him, seeing the other children play, play from which he was always excluded on the basis of "Our teams are full," or ", well, we're sort of like a club..."

He didn't know why they didn't like him, just that they didn't. It wasn't fair, he thought, he really wasn't any different from them, not deep down.

He tucked his legs up into his chest, leaning against the wall of the courtyard and watching them play. They would at least let him do that, and so he did. He imagined he was playing with them, if only for a little while. Of course he knew it wasn't really the same thing at all. Cecil was still alone, and that was that.

"Who do you think you are?"

At first, he didn't really know who was talking, but when he looked up a saw a boy with blonde hair who was a bit bigger than him staring down at him.

"What are you talking about?" He tilted his head to one side, pushing himself up off the ground and staring the boy in the eyes unashamed.

"You think you're special just because the King took you in! You never talk to the other kids! All you do is stare at us like you think you're better than us! Well, we're the same, now! I'm just like you!" the blonde boy was accusing him of something he didn't do.

Cecil, jaw clenching in anger, retorted. "What did you say about me?!"

They stared one another down for a long time, Cecil's green eyes locking with the defiant amber eyes of the other boy. Cecil would not back down. He was wrong. Cecil was just lonely, that's why he watched them play.

"It's just like I thought. No wonder no one likes you."

Cecil took an aggressive step forward, his fists clenching ", Say that again."

"I said…"

"Kain, stop it!"

It was a girl who called off the fight, her long golden hair whipping about her face as she ran forward. She looked very sad, hurt, as if something were wrong with her; Cecil wondered what it was.

"You shouldn't start fights, Kain!" she grabbed his hand with both of hers.

"This guy just sits and stares everyday, Rosa," Kain growled. "That's all he does. Then, he hides behind the King like some lost little puppy. It's like he's trying to rule us!"

"Kain…" Rosa began, but Cecil interrupted her.

"That's not it! I don't do that! I just want to play, but no one will let me!" he was still so angry, and he could feel tears falling down his face; he turned away- this Kain boy would just pick on him for that, too.

"What's going on here?" the shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see Cid staring down at him. "Is the Highwind boy giving you problems, Cecil?"

Cecil shook his head vehemently.

"It looks like he is to me, jumping to conclusions like that," Cid mumbled.

The big man turned to Kain, his bearded face looking scarier that Cecil had ever seen it before. "I don't care if you did just loose your parents; that's no reason to take it out on Cecil here! What has he ever done to you?"

"All he does is watch us! He doesn't ever talk to anyone! And he looks weird! And he was raised by the King, so he thinks he's special!" Kain objected yet again, though it sounded like his arguments were getting weaker.

Cid snorted. "He may be a bit defensive and argumentative, but did you ever ask him? Huh, Kain? He may not talk to anyone because he can tell they don't like him, or maybe he's shy. As for the thinking he's special part… Cecil is the most humble little boy I know. He doesn't have a selfish bone is his body. Something you could stand to learn from. Live up to your Highwind name, boy!"

He turned to that Rosa girl, eyes gentle. "Of course, I'm not mad at you, sweetie. I came here just in time to see you try to stop them from fighting."

"I'm sorry," Kain muttered to Cecil.

"Cid said your Mother and Father just died, right?" Cecil looked out from behind Cid's legs. "Then that means we have something in common! I'm an orphan, too."