THRICE

2 -- Introductions

Tatiana had never even been in an airplane before, much less a helicopter. It shuddered as it picked up speed, and she had to sit down to avoid falling over. Feeling sick, she buried her face in her hands, trying to avoid thinking about what had just happened, but the truth was right in her face. That boy, Squall, had hunted her down, and Azarel had only barely rescued her in time.

Tatiana looked up, trying to collect the courage to thank Azarel, and was startled to find a girl about her age watching her from across a low meeting table. She had dark skin and even darker curly hair that reminded Tatiana of a lion's mane. "You must be terrified," the girl murmured compassionately. "Let me help you."

She approached, holding out a palm, and Tatiana shrank back into her seat, silently questioning the girl's intentions. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," the girl laughed. Azarel gave Tatiana a reassuring look, and she sighed and allowed the girl to place a hand on her forehead. Miraculously, her fear began to fade, and her heartbeat gradually slowed down. When Tatiana gave the girl another questioning look, this time in amazement, she said, "My name is Monisha. I have a Gift for detecting and dampening emotions."

"Can't tell who th' 'motions come from, though," someone piped up behind them. Tatiana peered over her shoulder and saw a wide-eyed boy, probably four or five years younger than her, watching them from the next group of seats. His bright orange hair was particularly striking. "Right, Nisha?"

"Right. I only knew that somebody was deathly afraid when you and Aza came aboard," Monisha said. "We're all fine, and Aza's used to these sorts of missions, so that only leaves you."

Tatiana frowned in understanding but still didn't speak. "Y' don't talk much, do ya?" the boy asked, and she looked down at her lap in embarrassment. "Oh, almost forgot!" he suddenly cried, dashing to the back of the helicopter's cabin. "You're hurt! Get over here."

Tatiana looked down and was astonished to see how bloody her shirt was. She had nearly forgotten how much her chest hurt. She stood a little too quickly and began to feel faint. "Woah, slow down," Monisha crooned, catching her by the shoulder. Together, they walked to the back of the craft, where a pair of cots jutted out from each wall. Tatiana was sure that helicopters weren't usually this large or well-furnished.

The boy gestured for her to lie down and slid a first aid kit out from under her cot, sifting through it with a frustrated look on his face. "Roran may not have a Gift in medicine," Monisha joked, "but he's good at it all the same."

"Would be much better at it if y' guys put these things back in th' right spots," Roran whined, slipping on a pair of gloves. He took out some anesthetic cream, gauze, and a packet of suture material, then headed to the bathroom at the very back of the helicopter. Tatiana listened with nervous interest as he turned on the sink and let the water run for a while, waiting for it to get warm. Roran seemed far too young to know his way around medical equipment, yet Monisha seemed to trust him fully.

Roran returned with a small container of slightly soapy water. "This'll sting," he said apologetically, pulling her shirt down so he could see the wound properly. Tatiana looked away with a resigned expression and winced when the wet gauze touched her chest.

While Roran worked, Azarel got up and joined them. "Did he get to you?" she asked Tatiana concernedly. "Squall, I mean." A hush went over all of them when she said his name. Tatiana only raised an eyebrow in reply, and Azarel sat near the cot, fiddling with a hangnail. "He can be quite charming. He is a psychopath, after all. Most of his victims admit to being a little enamored." Tatiana rolled her eyes, though she could see Azarel's point all too clearly. Squall had been rather charismatic. "The ones we get to in time, anyway," Azarel faltered.

As Roran stopped to bead some cream onto a gloved finger, Tatiana managed to force out two words. "Why me?"

"Didn't Squall explain himself?" Azarel asked, perplexed.