Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Snow Drift ❯ In the memories ( Chapter 24 )

Awake. Imari sits at the kitchen table pen in hand, pad of paper set on the table. He's practically working his bottom lip into a bloody massacre trying to figure out what that sentence that continuely runs through his head: Say my name. Whose name, though? He has two: Imari Karver and Irvine Kinneas. He tried it out, saying the names one after the other, he even went as far as to ask Squall Irvine's middle name- if he had one, which he does, James. But nothing worked. Not even saying them backwards. So then why? Why does he continue to hear this sentence? Tapping a pen to the pad of paper he lays his head down on his forearm; sadness seeming to make a permanent home in his expressions.

He heard the yawn before registering that someone else is in the room with him. Sitting up he turns a bit in his seat, to see Squall standing by the couch, hand coming up to rest on his hip. Smiling he can hear himself tell the man that he looks handsome when he's delirious and desheveled, but Squall wouldn't believe that it came from him, he will chalk it up to something Irvine says and move on. Squall can never understand his crush on him, as weird as it is, that kiss before... it really stirred something inside of him and it hasn't been able to calm down since his coming to live with the Leonharts.

"What are you doing?" He asks walking closer to the table to take a seat. Seeing that the notebook paper has nothing but his and Irvine's names written in random orders he cocks a brow then looks at the male to ask with a little more intention. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure something out." He reaches out a hand touching Squall's tousled hair; smiling when his hand is nuzzled into.

"How to spell your name? I think you've covered it." He grins cheekily.

"Ha ha." He smiles. "I keep hearing this sentence over and over again... like a dull whisper. Say my name. It says."

"...Say your name? Have you tried it? Maybe its not something you have to write down." He looks the male over.

"Yes, I've tried it- numorous times! But still I get no relief."

"Maybe someone else has to say it." Squall takes the man's hand into his own, looking him straight in the eyes. "Imari Karver."

Waiting, the two glance about the room as if waiting for something to happen, when normalcy remains Imari shakes his head.

"I can still hear it."

"Irvine Kinneas." Again they wait and nothing. So Squall then says. "Irvine James Kinneas."

Nothing.

"See what I mean."

"Maybe you have to be in a certain place- maybe the place where you had the accident."

"Winter Island?"

"Possibly, or the place where you fell from the cliffs."

"Its worth a shot."

"We'll go tomorrow then, but after the picnic. The girls and Kait are really looking forward to it, we can get down to business later."

"About Kait, he seems to have changed since I first came here. He seems a bit put off by me."

"How do you mean?"

"When you're at work and we're alone, its like he'll act as though I'm not in the room and he barely speaks to me now." Imari looks down at his hand still in Squall's. "You don't think that he's upset by my staying here- it is your guys house. I'm just a guest."

"He may not be used to having you around all the time but he'll get there. To a kid two months is a long time, and to have a guest staying with you is out of the ordinary. He'll get used to you being here, I promise."

"I hope so."

"Trust me. Just talk to him about it, kid terms so he understands."

"Okay."

With an affirmed nod, Squall stands; taking Imari's chin into his finger tips he pulls the man in to a chaste kiss. "For Irvine." He then pats the man on the shoulder and heads into the hall.

Imari watched him go, knowing that his night torture would soon be underway again as he climbs into bed next to Squall, holds him close only to daydream about being loved by him while the male sleeps away in his arms. Squall said that he couldn't help wanting to be close to his lover and refused to sleep with his son any longer, Imari couldn't turn him away and so after the fourth day in the home Squall began to sleep with him. A lot of things have changed since he'd first came to live with the family. The gang treated him nicer- minus Seifer who acts like he won't be pleased with his being around until he can give him a good solid punch in the face, which isn't going to happen if Imari can help it. Then there's Kait, who was once his best young friend, he's now acting as though Imari is an intruder or that he likes the man but he's making the child uncomfortable because he's still in his home instead of seeing him briefly and leaving as he used to do. Then there's that sentence that's been bothering him ever since he got here and had been beaten by that flash back of a battle scene. He never noticed it before, it seemed only to sound like a low buzzing in his ears but after returning from the hospital it seems to scream now in its hushed tone not to mention Pal has just been acting plain bizzare, attacking people or being over affectionate. Maybe its all in his head or maybe...

The next day

Its nice seeing everyone dressed down and not as official as they act when he visits the military school with Kait; his full time babysitting job. Everyone relaxed and having fun; Zell teaching Kait some kicking and punching technics, the girls braiding each others hair chatting away, Seifer having a smoke, laying on his back head turned watching his boyfriend, he and Squall stading out in the field together and getting along better than he thought they would in the beginning.

"Casting magic is simple," Says Squall. "you just have to speak the words and focus on the effects coursing through you so that you can cast them out. Its a pain at first but it gets to be nothing after a while."

"You sure about that?" Imari asks, looking out to the wide open field before them. "I don't wanna flip out like last time."

"You won't, I promise." Holding Imari's arm up. "Irvine always does this to cast magic." He moves the man's limb around for him. "It should work alright if you do that."

When his arm was released he repeats the movement on his own. "Simple enough. What spell should I cast?"

"Something harmless, try Regan."

"Regan? What does that do?"

"Its like using a potion over and over- keeps your stamina going during a battle and your less likely to faint if the enemy frequently strikes you." He explained it absently. Pulling Imari down a bit he whispers the spell into his ear.

Taking a deep breath Imari chants the words quietly.

Off to the side the girls watch with interest. Seifer and Zell are playing Kait, doing hand stands and flipping.

Squall cocks his head then says softly. "Don't forget the movement."

Imari nods. Starting the spell over, he can feel something crackling in his gut. 'Guide it out with your movement.' He does the action and sure enough the spell is cast. Opening his eyes he watches a blue light flow around him. "Ahaha! I did it!"

Selphie screeched with glee. "Good job, Imari!" She waves.

"Thanks." He feels suddenly shy.

"It doesn't hurt or anything?" Asks Squall.

"Its kind of itchy."

Chuckling, he pats him on the shoulder. "It'll wear off, time spells usually do." He turns his head when the large bird comes to land on his shoulder. "Hey."

Imari watches Pal for a moment, his dual colored eyes almost fixated on his best friend. Being around the bird lately had been so weird. Its as if its talking to him, and not like a man would speak to an animal but like Pal is really talking to him. 'Say my name'. Last nights troubles resurface now. Is it Pal's name? How can he know its name if he named it? Its just an animal, plain and normal. ...But he has to wonder about that since even animals must name their babies something, its just not possible for animals to be as intellegent as they are and not name their babies. Its almost like the first time he'd seen the bird... he was his friend sure, but Pal- the name, it just sort of came to him he honestly thought that he'd put thought into it but thinking back- which was always such a wonderful feeling, he named the bird from a small whisper he'd heard in his ear.

'What are you trying to tell me? What is your name?' He wonders.

"Lunch time!" Called the spunky brunette.

"Can I have jelly?" Kait's voice sounds after.

Concentration broken Imari shakes his head. Grabbing Squall's arm as he starts to retreat he leans down to whisper to him. "I think I know what's going on."

"What do you mean?"

"With me and Irvine."

"Yeah, he lost his memory and you were born." He said it very shrug-of-the-shoulders. "It'll come back. You only need to continue having familiar things introduced to you. We said we'd go south after the picnic"

"No, but maybe there's more to it."

"Daddy come sit by me!" Calls his the young boy.

"I'm coming." Pulling his arm free he says to Imari. "It will come to you. Just don't worry about it."

Squall walks away; Pal still on his shoulder looking as though it were actually smiling and not very kindly.

Lunch was a great spread: potato salad with celery and crab meat, deviled eggs, fried chicken, and a pile of sandwiches some meat some jelly for Kait an whomever else may like one and a large container of instant tea- lemon flavored. They're sitting on a large picnic blanket with smiling suns splattered all over it, the napkins were no better decorated with little boys or girls doing summer activities. Kait got a kick out of them so Selphie feels that she did her job. They talked together and yet over each other about nothing special. Seifer wants another match with Squall, Kait spoke of how he can stand on his head now, Zell is taking cooking classes because he wants to get an apartment with Seifer- which the taller blond didn't have a clue about, which turned their picnic into a small celebration for the two. Kait thought that that meant Seifer and Zell were going to live with them like Imari is but the ex-knight quickly wiped that image from the boys mind with a sound: bleh!

Selphie asked Zell if she could take cooking classes with him and he said sure. Rinoa spoke about being asked to lead the yoga class next week and she can't wait; lately they've been doing routines that she isn't very fond of so now its her turn to really enjoy herself. Quistis said she had no new news but work has been growing lately and she'd like to take a nice long vacation possibly to Dollet or Winhill.

"You could stay at my place." Imari offers.

"Thank you, Imari. I might do that."

Seifer rolls his eyes. He really can't stand the man or that flea bitten bird of his.

Kait listens to the adults talking; passing food to Jojo once in a while.

Selphie notices the jewelry in Imari's ears then looks to Zell. "You did a really good job with those earrings, Zell. It looks like you got them from a jewelry store."

"Second life, right?" Preens the male.

Selphie laughed. "Yeah. What kind of stone is that?"

"Wind stone, from Shumi. I picked one up when I went to visit around the third of this month."

"Oh."

Seifer has had enough. "Enough! How can you sit and talk to this imposter as though you don't want him gone!?"

"Seifer." Warned Quistis.

"No. I'm sick of it." Snaps the male. "Its been damn near three months and you're all acting as though nothing will change and you're fine with it."

"We don't wanna over stimulate Imari, so calm down." Rinoa tries her best.

But Seifer shakes his head. "Let's go Kaarver," He mocks the man's name out. "you and me."

Standing, Imari says. "Fine. You seem like you won't be satisfied with me until you've gotten in a good swing or two so let's get it over with."

"Imari, you don't have to fight him- this is just how Seifer ac-..."

"Shut up, Leonhart!" He cuts. "I don't need you explaining to people who I am."

The two men walk a distance away, not wanting the battle to spread out and hit someone on accident.

"Squall, stop them!" Shrieks Selphie dramatically.

"What for? Imari was right, Seifer won't be satisfied until he gives him a few blows to the head, may as well let him do it."

"Who knows, Imari might get in a few swings." Chimes Zell getting comfortable for the fight.

"Men are sick," Declared Quistis. "I give up." Her hands go into the air.

The wind blew gently picking up almost for atmosphere; it was like something out of a movie. But their actions weren't; Imari just put up his fist waiting for the encounter and Seifer moved in on the male before he could finish the act of raising his fist. Fist raised, in one quick swing he's side stepped and ends up sprawled out on the ground. Hearing Squall snicker only fanned the flames of his anger as he sprang back up and tried for the man again, but again, Imari stepped out of the way.

"Maybe you should stop trying so hard to hit me, then you might actually do it." Says the brunet to the bully.

"Shut up!"

Imari only laughed, taunting Seifer further. The blond charged forward raising his fist, only to be evaded again and again.

"The Shumi tribe taught me that fighting isn't ever necessary if the adversary runs himself ragged." Comments the man.

Seifer, poised to punch, changes his posture by sliding in the grass; one hand on the ground to brace him from going between his opponents legs, his own long legs scissor out knocking Imari to the ground.

"Now I've got you." Crawling over him, Seifer pours his fist down on the hated male like they were a meteor shower. Hyne it felt good when each hit came into contact with the man's face.

"Stop them!" Quistis stands to go do so herself.

It wasn't until Imari's lip split open that the man had had enough; the air shifted and Seifer's rapid punched slowed considerably to allow the beaten man to grab the blond's fist, one in each hand, Imari then jerks the male forward so that they're face to face.

Seifer's eyes went wide with a mometary panic. "What the fuck are you-..?" He mutters before his facial muscles tighten and freeze the stunned angry expression in place.

The others watch now with more curiousity than before. What are those two doing?

"You'd better not be making-out over there!" Calls Zell knowing how amped up a battle makes his blood crazed lover.

"I don't think that's what they're doing..." Squall takes one step forward.

Everyone can feel it, the shift of magic in the air. But who is it coming from. Seifer isn't stupid enough to cast a fire spell that close to someone- well, he is, but he wouldn't do it to a friend no matter who occupies his body. Before they could get any closer Seifer shoves up from the ground and Imari is on him like a school of piranha attacking a helpless fish- why isn't Seifer fighting back? Maybe its not that he won't but that he can't! The male might have come up from the ground but he isn't moving at all.

"A Stop spell?" Zell is the first to say. "Does Imari even know how to cast one of those?"

"I've seen him act like this once before," Says Squall. "in June we were cleaning the house and Imari was moving around like he was on crack or something. It was Haste, but what I don't understand is how he cast it on himself."

"Maybe the magic in him is seeping out again." Selphie offers.

"No. I asked his team after that first time if they knew what magics he had on and they were the basics minus what was junctioned into his gun."

"Then how-...?" Quistis, as well as the others, are silenced as a spell breezes passed them.

Dispel coiled around Seifer's frozen, battered body unfreezing him. The ex-knight lands on his back, legs in the air kicking the rushing male in the stomach, tossing him over his body.

"Seif' you alright!" Calls his boyfriend.

"I am, but Imari won't be." Mutters the man pulling out a dagger. Stalking over to the male, who's taken a nasty landing and is now nursing a pained shoulder looks up in time to see Seifer moving in on him, raising the dagger over his head he brings it down swiftly.

Pal was in the man's face instantly, flapping and squawking, clawing at his face with its talons. Seifer, swinging the weapon wildly, steps back away from the male hoping the animal will back off, but in all his trying to defend himself he took a slice into the bird. Pal cried out landing in the grass in a heap.

"Fucking animal- I hate animals!"

"That's enough Seifer." Snaps Squall at Imari's side. "You've done enough, you win."

"I won't win until that asshole is out of our lives." He looks over to Zell who has joined him at his side.

"Parties over." Declares Rinoa exasperated.

"How come they're fighting?" Asks Kait.

"Because men are idiots." The dark haired woman starts to clean up their picnic.

"Oh."

Lifting Imari's green shirt from his chest he sees a long slice healing from the Regan he had cast earlier. Its weird, though, because he can't remember seeing Seifer land any cuts on him, it was Pal that got...

'It couldn't be...' Thinks the male.

Imari moves away from Squall to tend to his injured pet.

'What Imari was trying to tell me before... Did he mean that its Pal? ...The G.F. at the battle, could it be that bird?'

The elements seemed to wanna wash away the tarnish put on the beautiful day as the cloud opened up a sudden rain shower with a roll of thunder lacking lightning. They all went their seperate ways but Squall decided to head to Garden to do some research at the library which gave Imari the perfect chance to speak with Kait about his staying with them.

Bringing the child a cup of juice, he takes a seat beside him on his bed looking down at the DVD player he set up so the boy can watch a video. After ten minutes of silence he asks quietly. "Do you hate me, Kai? Have I done something wrong to make you angry at me?"

Hearing his name shortened the boy looks over at the man. "No. I'm not mad, I'm curiuts."

"Curiuts?"

Feeling misunderstood he tries again. "I'm wondering."

"Oh, curious. What are you curious about?"

"If you like my daddy and if you like me, then how come you're staying?"

Imari said nothing as he tried to make sense of the sentence. "You're afraid that I can't like both of you together?"

Kait shakes his head.

"You're afraid that I won't go home?"

Again the boy shakes his head. "I saw, one time, you kissed my daddy and it made me feel funny." Admitting that seemed hard for him as Jojo suddenly found itself stapled to the boy's chest.

"Ooooh, I see. You're curious about how you and your father will get along with me around?"

He nods but then shakes his head.

"Trust me Kait, your daddy does not love me like he loves you, none of the others do either." Imari swallowed hard as that creeping feeling started rising in him again.

"But you were kissing like Seifer and Zell kiss, not like daddy kisses me."

"Mm. I don't know if your dad told you or not but he and Irvine are like Seifer and Zell; if Irvine... if I didn't have that accident then you would have grown up with the two of them instead of it just being Squall."

"But what if I don't want two daddy's cause I like my daddy?" He starts to softly cry; more tears than sounds.

That broke Imari's heart. Pulling the kid into his arms he hugs him. "As long as I'm around that isn't going to happen for a very long time."

"But daddy already said that he likes you here."

Imari laughed. "He likes that I cook, clean, and play with you. But he doesn't mean that he likes me personally. Here," He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket. "blow your nose on this."

Taking the cloth he blows his nose comes out for a breath then blows again before handing it back and running a hand across his face. "But what about when you remember Irvine? Will he like you then?"

"He loves him, that's a fact but... Kait, Irvine loves you too- just as much as your daddy. Squall told me that he was the one who found you up in a tree, all alone, and he loved you instantly. He named you Kait, and your daddy named you Orphin but Irvine had to leave for a mission where he got very hurt and couldn't remember where he lived or who he was. Everyone thought that he was asleep forever but he was only lost" Kait's big blue eyes blink thoughtfully as he hears the story he's only somewhat heard from his father. "one day, then another and another, Irvine was seen by a young boy- that's you- and you liked him, at first you were curious but then you called him friend..."

"Are you the friend?"

"I am. And you like me don't you?"

Kait nods.

"And you'll like Irvine too. When you were a little baby, he would feed you, and change your diapers, and love you like his own child but he had to go to work, just like how your dad goes to work and the others too."

"You think that Irvine will like me now? He doesn't know me and I don't know him."

"He'll like you, I bet he'll remember you too."

"I hope so but, where will you go?"

"Where Irvine is."

"Where is he?"

"Its cold there, very cold... so, I'll go home, to Shumi village."

"To live with the yellow mens?"

"Yeah, to live with the yellow mens." Laying his cheek atop his head he point to the screen. "Let's watch the movie, okay?"

"Okay."

He doesn't want the boy seeing him cry.

...

Computer screen glowing in his face. Squall looks over the old history information that's been uploaded into the computer hoping that he'll find what he's looking for but so far all that's coming up are the usual Guardian Forces: Quezcotl, Shiva, Ifrit, Siren and so on. He needs to see deeper, though, further back at ancient times. There's got to be a reason that bird was with Irvine. Its got to be a G.F. The talking that Imari is hearing could be either coming from Irvine or from the Guardian. Typing in a date he sees that no information can be found. Trying another and another the screen opened up in the 1800's. Scrolling down the information he reads:

"In ancient times magic was forbidden and anyone involved in using such a thing was immediately killed or forced into slavery to use in the great war taking place. An empire seeking power searched the lands discovering a group of magic users that were not human but creature. They called them Espers. Espers?" He repeats. "The creatures were highly intelligant and could even speak and understand human mannerisms." Clicking on a link below he searches through the names and types of creatures. "Shiva of ice, a beautiful woman" Looking over the picture of an ice cold woman with light green hair he can't help but compare it to his own Shiva. There's also an Ifrit, with some similarities to their own. But the rest, a lightning wizard named Ramuh, and feline named Stray. "There are so many..."

That's when he came across a name that caught his attention quickly. Looking over the list of abilities he shakes his head in a frightened disbelief. "Time magic, it uses time magic... that's how Imari can do all those things." He looked for information about body possession but there is none. Pressing 'print' he takes a copy of the information with him to the dorms. The others have to know about this incase a fight is brought on. If this is an ancient creature that's taken over his lovers body who knows what may have altered over time, it could be stronger than ever with evolution over the years and they have to be ready.

...

"Imari?" Kait says looking up at the man.

"Hmm?"

"What do you keep saying?"

"What do you mean?" He looses his grip on the child so that he can look at him.

Kait points to his head. "I hear you saying some stuff, up here."

'It would make sense, some kids are very sensative to a lot of other-worldly things, maybe he can hear what I can't hear.' Standing he then crouches at the side of the bed, hand on the edge. "You have to tell me, what is it saying?" He asks sweetly.

"It just keeps saying Palidor."

Imari's eyes are wide right before they roll up to the back of his head, an intense cluster of shakes visibly rattled through him and before he could stop himself he tilts backwards hitting the floor in a hard thud.

Looking over the side of the bed, panic forming in his voice, Kait says. "Imari? ...Imari, what's wrong?" Climbing off the bed, he shakes the man but he doesn't move.

...

"And you're sure about this?" Quistis asks while jumping into the car. "That bird is an ancient creature and its possessed Irvine's body? How is that possible? Unless a contract is broken" The car door closes. "a guardian force should exist within the body but not as the body."

"But this creature isn't like anything we've ever seen. The picture, you saw it, it looks exactly like that bird Imari has been living with minus the size. We have to get to him quickly."

Rinoa, buckling her seatbelt, says. "Especially since he's alone with Kait. You don't know what could happen."

"Kait should be fine." Squall says. "Imari said that he kept hearing some voice asking for him to say its name... there's a chance it was Irvine." He recalled hearing the bird 'kaw' that one night. It sounded as if it'd been trying to say his name. Was there a switch made? Or did the bird simply replace Irvine as the host of his body and store him in a recess within his mind?

Seifer and Zell; though, its raining, follow on the man's motorcycle as they head for town.

...

Kait rushed into the living room picking up the phone. He knows his father's number so he can reach him anytime he'd like, and now is one of those times. He listens to the rings and before he knows it...

"Hello?"

"Daddy, Imari's not feeling good. He fell and he won't get up." The boy has been crying, but he knows to stay calm in an emergancy- Quistis and Rinoa practiced with him with his toys on how to act in an emergancy situation. He's to state the problem clear and direct. "And I'm scared."

"Shi-... What do you mean, what happened? Tell me from the start." He kept his voice calm so that he wouldn't freak the kid out.

"We were watching Alice in Wonderland and then we talked about Irvine and then I heard somebody whisper and I thought it was Imari, and then he asked what I heard but when I told him he fell down."

Squall can hear the tears in the male's throat. "Its ok, don't cry."

"Is he gonna be ok? I didn't mean to do it."

"You didn't do anything, and I'll be there shortly," He put his foot down on the pedal. "Call Mrs. Dincht and tell her to come and get you, go to the house downstairs and wait for her."

"Okay."

"Good boy, and you're doing a good job."

He only received a sniffle as a response.

"I'm hanging up now, remember what I told you, head to the house downstairs and call Mrs. Dincht to come get you."

"Okay. Bye." He hangs up.

"What's happening?" Quistis wonders out loud.

"Kait said the name of the Esper and Imari collapsed. I think he's been lying there since that, and Kait thinks he might be dead."

Selphie made a hard gasp.

"I doubt he is, but that doesn't make it any less severe."

The car pulled up just in time to see Mrs. Dincht leave the neighbors home with Kait, who'd missed him since he wasn't out of the car before the woman got them into hers. The six dash up the stairs into the upper apartment wasting no time heading into Kait's room where Imari lay on the floor unconscious.

"I'll call an ambulance." Selphie has her cell phone in hand instantly dialing the number.

Squall is at his lovers side, ear pressed to his chest. "His vitals sound good, and he is breathing... Irvine... Irvine?" He shakes him. "Wake up?" He shakes him again.

Shocked and a little scared the others brace their weapons suddenly; catching Squall's attention, he turns his head to see a grotesque man-bird walk into the room from the hall. Its the colors of the Palidor, but its the size of Irvine. The face... the face even looks like the mans! His eyes are human, but he has feathers sticking out from his cheeks and his hair is a mass of lavender plummage, the beak is beyond startling, and his arms seem to be attached to the wings. It took one look over all of them and let out a low KAW.

"Is that Pal?" Zell asked, terror in his tone.

The wound from Seifer's dagger is bleeding gently at the shoulder making it no mistake of being the creature.

"It knows Time spells, we have to get out!" Squall shouts.

Zell bashes into the creature with his shoulder, knocking it against the wall. "Run, now!"

They didn't need anymore coaxing as the group fled the room and the home. If they're going to battle this body stealing monster it has to be in an open area where they can have the advantage and not cause any damage to the home. Sure enough Palidor follows them out of the house like a bat out of hell, wings flexed in a hunch since the hall keeps it from fully expanding them, as it chases the soldiers to the battlefield.

"We have to get this thing out of the town, make sure it can see you!" Quistis instructs.

A loud shriek filled the air as the Esper flew into the sky like a bird of prey ready to dive. The rain is making it a slippery mess beneath their hurried pace but they have to get far enough away so the town isn't effected by the battle. You can bet that they wished like Hell for it not to be as dark as it is right now, but they made it out of town and into the field.

"Do you see it?" Zell looks from left to right up in the sky.

"Don't tell me we lost it?" Selphie spins a circle as she looks into the area.

All of them jumped to attention when Quistis let out a pained yell. Palidor zipped past her clipping her side with his long, sharp bill and it seemed to be turning around for another snip.

"Let's finish this thing quickly, so we can get Irvine back." Squall commands.

A shimmer of golden yellow light dances around his body as Aura has been cast by him. He started to do his Lion heart attack but was cut off by Palidor slamming its feet down on his shoulders hard enough to break his collar bone. Brought to one knee, he collects himself and readies for another attack, he needs something quicker and his Renzokukens Rough Divide seems right for the job but as he prepares the strike he watches the bird dodge an attack fired at him by Zell, who's using his martial arts to keep the creature ground level long enough for someone to take it down, and he wonders if maybe Irvine and the bird are one right now? Irvine was possessed but there was no way of knowing which way it went. If they hurt Palidor... if they kill it... will Irvine die as well?

Unleashing his Lightning Hazard attack the sky lights up with all sorts of streaks and colors as the bolts entrap the bird paralyzing it without electrocuting it. Zell is encased in Berserk energy and pounds away at the frozen Esper that will soon be freed from his Limit Break.

"Selphie! You're up!" Calls the blond as his strength returns to normal.

Swinging her chuckle like a fan out at her sides, Selphie whirls it over her head before slamming it into the ground unleashing her Metal Bomber attack. The mase at the end of her chuckle shoots out its spikes like the quills of a porcupine. The bird let out a loud shriek of pain as the pins stick into its body before exploding in contact.

Seifer could not properly use Bonfire in the rain because his fuel would be wattered down, so once the mini-psycho's explosions died down, he attacked it with Bloodfest using all of his energy in swinging Hyperions Blood around and around, landing some cuts and receiving some of his own.

Palidor had had enough and flew up into the sky out of their reach. Its eyes glowed bright white as it looks down upon the group. Screeching down at them sound waves blast the party down into the mud and wet grass. Wings flapping hard, blades of wind slice through the rainy weather tearing into them cutting them here and there. Rinoa was at her limit and using her weapon Twisted Jester, its attack Leech Life expands through the air with invisible, magic seeking, vines that snapped around the bird's ankle. It cried out as the energy is drained from it; its lost strength sending it plummeting from the sky.

"Is it going unconscious?" Rinoa wonders.

Squall gets up from the ground dashing over to the falling creature, sliding on his back reaching out to catch the creature and just as the large bird lands in his lap and arms; just as this happens the two of them vanish.

"This is not good." Selphie gets up only to slump back on the ground from a bad cut on her leg. "Where'd they go?"

The had all expected Shiva to show up but she did not and Squall and the Esper are gone.

"Where am I?" He looks around in the thick blinding white of the mysterious location. "Irvine?! Irvine!?"

"He's no longer here... ...Why do you want him back?" Asks the unconcious bird telepathically.

"Because I love him." He said plain and simple. "We all love him."

"But you forgot about him once you thought that he was dead. ...I got to live as a human lives, love as a human loves... in my world no such thing is allowed when you are an Esper and mankind has shunned you."

"I don't know how you got here, but you're no longer in your world."

"I am aware of that!" The monster hissed. "Here I was shown that monsters and people can co-exist but as a means of their fighting tools. I've lived here, hidden for years and years watching the world evolve until one night while I slept a group of men stole me from my cave. I was locked inside of a gem called Magicite from where the people in my time used me for good and evil. I saw your friend..." The bird sputtered and coughed before speaking again. "He was on top of the hill speaking some words to me, and before I knew it I was being pulled to him- into him! I paniced and used my Warp to send him away but his spell to bring me in interferred and we somehow ended up in a very cold place... I was in his body and he was in mine. Your friend, Irvine, believed that he had died during his mission so he remained in that state of mind while I took control of his broken body not knowing where I was or what would happen to me. My body, somehow, managed to remain as a tiny bird that I found when I woke up."

"Is that what happened? The combination of magic errupted into a body displacement?"

"Yes."

"Then what happened to Irvine? Where is he now?"

"He was beginning to figure it out when he heard you all speaking, it got to the point where I had tried to tell him but I couldn't give up being human and being able to be loved instead of used. Your son was so kind to me... and after a time you all became that way. I thought Irvine would be a thing of the past, but he started to speak to me over and over. I seemed to forget who I was myself but when your son spoke my name..." It trailed off.

"You... you can stay, with Kait and me and Irvine but... you have to give Irvine back!"

"...I can't... your friend has gone..."

"What?"

The voice begins to fade. "But I will return to my body and sign a contract with him as he wished... maybe then you'll see your friend again..."

The bird- the world, starts to fade away...

Squall's eyes open and he looks around. He's in the hospital. Irvine is laid up beside him, a mask over his mouth to help him breathe. "Ir-..." His throat is dry and hurts. It felt as if his skin has been microwaved by the sun. Was he dreaming that?

"Squall, you're awake." Quistis takes his hand. "How do you feel? You've been out for days."

"Days? What about Irvine, is he ok?"

"The doctor says that he's fine, he only needs the mask because his breathing gets eratic in his sleep. Squall, he woke up, he spoke to us but..."

"He's still not Irvine." He says sadly.

"...No. ...But he isn't Imari either. The Esper is at your house, as tiny as a sparrow... we caged it."

Squall nods. So Irvine is alive and well enough. He'll help him remember, though, even if it takes forever. With no Esper inside of him locking his memories with Stop he'll have a better chance at remembering sooner. Falling back onto the bed, he lets his eyes close so that he can sleep.

December 23.

Irvine skates over to the bench where Squall is seated. Plopping down beside him he wraps an arm around his lover. "Did I mention how great you look all covered up in winter wear?"

"Only a hundred times." Squall feels his cheeks rise.

"Well its true! Besides, I'd tell you a hundred more times so that I don't miss a minute of being with you."

"Daddies look at me spin!" Calls Kait to the two. Doing his spin he stops a little wobbly, having to spin his arms to keep his balance only to get plucked from under his arms by Zell to skate around the ice with the laughing male.

"He's so cute." Irvine snickers.

"I remember, you know?"

"Remember what?"

"You. You always had this look in your eyes and I never knew what it was for... its terrible when you can't remember people and when people can't remember you. But that day, when you got your memory back... it was raining just like it had been then... and you came outside sometimes and would take my hand." He takes Irvine's hand. "You would just look at me and smile, sometimes you would cry too... you would never say anything except for that first time when you did it. You looked at me and said... No one should have to be sad alone."

Irvine smiled a certain light in his eyes that Squall had never seen before. "We always hold hands to comfort each other, since then, huh?"

"Yeah. I thought it was weird when you grabbed it at the parade- you're a lech after all, but no... you just remembered what I didn't. Acting on an old impulse... I never remembered because all the other kids talked and talked, but you... everytime we were around each other you never said anything. Which was just what I needed sometimes. I love you."

"I love you too." Kissing him on the cheek he gets up. "Now let's get out there and show them what team Kinneas is all about."

"Team Kinneas?"

The man only laughs to himself as he skates away.

'Its good to have Irvine back, inside and out. And now, we'll always have a way to remember each other even when the other can't.' Skating out into the crowd he allows himself to bask in everything and everyone never wanting it to leave him again. Memories are nothing without the persons that put them there.

THE END