Savior

Beginning of a Journey

 The cherry scented breeze swept in through the country styled window to a reltively small girl who laid on her bed holding her stuffed animal as she read a book.  Click, click, click she sighed and tossed the book down before rubbing her eyes and looking over to the desk.  Click, click, click, another girl sat at the desk, the computer keys echoing in the silent room.  She sat up and pulled the bear into her lap before grabbing the picture frame on the endtable next to her.  There in the picture was her and the girl being held onto by a man and woman, all grinning as they played in the park together.  A drop landed on the mum's face.  Her mind wandered into a memory.  Laughter and a woman's voice, "Your aunt Charlotte is going to come by while we're out make sure you give her her Christmas present alright?"  She wiped her eyes before curling up into a ball.  "Hollie?"  she asked.

"Yeah?" the turned around to face her.

"Let's go to the park."

"Okay," she clicked a few buttons before packing up her laptop and stowing it in her backpack and hugging her sister.  "It'll be okay," she assured her as they slung their packs over their shoulders, "I know!  Let's have a picnic."

"That sounds good," she nodded.

She smiled and nodded as they grabbed a blanket and some snacks, "Remember how dad used to---," she stopped and Hollie came over to hug her.

"It's okay, Daisey..."

"I miss them..."

"Me too...  But they're still with us right?" Daisey nodded, "Let's have some fun.  Okay?"  She nodded again and they locked up before heading to the park.  The birds chirped loudly as they entered the park, singing their happy little songs as a greeting.  It sounded like the birds were singing about the water and trees.  "Rushing lower through the grass~  Waiting for the time to pass~ A song or story about things to come~ A loud whoosh full of fun~!  Landing through the trees at last~!" Daisey perked up a little and started humming the tune.  Causing her sister to smile and sing with her.  "Full of fun~!" They belted out the last part as they jumped onto the grass giggling.  "Remember last time when we were singing about snails!"

"And dad tripped over that gopher hole and landed in front of that squirrel!"

"I wonder if he's still around here?"  Hollie laughed as she made chittering noises.

"Come'ere Chippy!  We brought peanuts~!" Daisey laughed as she shook the bag.  A little squirrel's head popped up over a log and eyed the bag before rushing through the grass towards them, "There he is!  Oh!  And some little friends too!"  The three stopped a few feet away, "Peanuts for all!" Daisey said as she sprinkled a few into the grass, the squirrels gobbling them up greedily.  "Wait your turn Mister!" she laughed as a bluejay swooped down to whisk a few away onto a nearby perch.  The squirrels chittered a similiar message making them laugh.

Hollie rummaged through her bag getting out a bag of chips and tossing a few to them.  They got out some more snacks and started talking about school among other things.  "Ohh!  Look a deer!"  Hollie pointed behind her sister.  The deer hesitantly came trotting up to them while Daisey pulled out a cookie and started shaking it at her.

"It's oatmeal.  I made it myself!" she smiled.  The deer grew closer nibbling on it making the girls laugh.

"I've got another," Hollie offered, "They're very healthy!"

Daisey giggled, "Are you saying that so you don't feel guilty?"

"Well they are, aren't they?" Hollie defended.

Daisey laughed and shook her head, "They are but---,"

"Hey you two!"  They jumped at a man's voice along with the deer and the rest of the critters who shot off into the bushes.

"We weren't feeding the animals!" Hollie burst out, "They just came up to us, I---...  You aren't park rangers..."  she muttered as she inspected the couple.  The two backed up a few paces feeling a twisting feeling in their guts.

"We'll just be going!  Heh--heh..." Daisey said uncomfortably as they scooped up their bags.

"Hold it!" The blonde woman said stomping towards them.

"Dude!  We weren't doing anything wrong---!  Hey!!!  Let go of me!!!"  The woman gripped tighter onto Hollie's wrist, "You're hurting me!  Let go!"  She stomped as hard as she could on the woman's foot as she tried to wrestle out of her grip but failed.

"What are you doing!?"  Daisey looked around frantically from the man coming closer to the woman and her sister.

"Finally found you two," the woman smiled sickly.

"What do you want?"

"You two are coming back with us."

"We're not going anywhere with you!  Now let go!"

"That wasn't a question."

Hollie watched the man walk closer, "Run!" Hollie turned to her sister, but she didn't move, "Run!" she was frozen still, "Go!!" she screamed.

"I---I can't leave you!" Daisey backed up.

"Just go!"

As the man got closer Daisey turned and ran into the forest, branches and thorns scratched at her body, but she continued running. She was out of her mind with fear, her heart beat violently and she could barely hear anything. A grayish tornado-like wind started swirling around her, making her stop as it enclosed on her, making everything go dark.

+++

"Let me go!" Hollie struggled.

"Well!" The woman glared, "Did you find her?"

"She disappeared."

She glared, "You know it's pretty damn convenient how your targets always seem to escape lately!"

He glared in return, "And it seems pretty convenient to me that you're having trouble trying to secure a fourteen year old girl."

She growled, "Unlike you!  I have a recent injury!"

"Huh.  I've never known that to stop you before..."

She pushed Hollie onto the ground before finally forcing a rag over her mouth and nose, making the girl's struggles grow less and less, "So what do we do now, partner?"  Was the last thing Hollie heard before everything went dark.

*****

Blackness was all the watcher saw, until a light flashed, little specks of light appeared in the darkness. Space swirled around the watcher, with flowing green water spiraling into the distance. "Where---where am I?"

"Heaven," A voice spoke.

"I'm---I'm dead?" They panicked.

"Yes, try to remember."

The watcher searched their memories, "I---I remember, but who---who are you?"

"Good," the voice said, "I have many names, the Lifegiver, the father, the mother, Yahweh, the Lord, but you'd probably know me best as Minerva or Gaia."

"Wha---what?"

"In every world I have a different name, and some people see me as male or female sometimes both, sometimes neither."

"So... This---this is it---..." They choked.

"No, not yet. I need you to do something for me."

"Wh---what?"

"I'm giving you a choice; Stay here and have eternal life and happiness, or I can send you back to Gaia, but if you take this choice you won't be in the same body, you will have to do a task for me, and you will encounter many troubles and sorrows, but at the very end you will reach your happiness."

The watcher thought for a moment, "What's this task?"

"I need you to defeat Jenova with a few other warriors. Two of them are very dear friends of yours; Aerith and Cloud, but there are many others. Two of them I need you to watch over in particular."

"Who are they?"

"They are extremely special and will help change the course of events. They are identical twins, you'll meet one of them very soon."

"I accept," the watcher said.