Final Fantasy XIII: Episode Zero -Promise-

"Encounter", Chapter Two

"Encounter", Chapter Two

The sea breeze felt good on her cheek. Serah walked aimless along the promenade, and stretched her arms out wide. The weather was beautiful. The area around the promenade was quiet. In this season all the tourists go to the beach to swim in the ocean. Team Nora's cafe has probably been busy since morning. Even if it weren't the season, today is Lebreau's day to work. Her cooking always manages to bring in the locals.

That's probably why Snow was late. He probably said "I'll leave the rest to you guys." and then tried to leave, but then one of the regulars dragged him into a conversation. Seeing that image in her mind made Serah smile.

"Hey!" she heard a voice say, and she turned around. It wasn't Snow. It was the member of Nora named Gadot. Since he was riding the airbike by himself, he was probably just returning to work. Or maybe Lebreau had asked him to get some ingredients.

"So, he's going to be late... right?" She looked up at him and said as the airbike stopped beside her. Though he's shorter than Snow, his large muscles often make people think of him as a giant. When Serah first met him she thought he looked big and scary, of course now she felt different.

"Got caught by one of the regulars?"

"Bingo. And it will probably take awhile too." I wonder if it's one of those long-winded customers, Serah thought. She couldn't be sure whether Snow or Lebreau had asked Gadot to come as a messenger.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you." "

"Nah, I was coming this way anyway." And with that Gadot said "see ya", and took off again on the airbike. Serah waved goodbye and watched him leave.

The quiet returned, and Serah began walking again. There is a place down near the end of the promenade where sea birds gather. She decided she'd wait for Snow down there. She never got tired of watching the sea birds playing in the waves. Serah wished she had brought something that she could have given them as food.

"I love this city," Serah murmured. The birds playing in the ocean, the color of the sky, the leaves rustling gently in the trees, even the beautifully maintained promenade. But this was Serah's last year of high school. It has already been decided that should would go to the university in the Capital City of Eden. It's the road she herself chose, but just thinking of leaving the city made her sad. Snow always says,

"Eden is just over there. We can see each other whenever we want." and he'd smile. Serah would always tell herself, it's not like we'll never see each other again. Never seeing someone again, that is something Serah understood well.

The first one was her father. Even though she wasn't an age that could understand death, Serah understood that she would never see her father again. When her mother died of a sickness, she felt it even stronger, the pain of losing someone forever. Losing someone right in front of you. Snow too, he was raised by the same insitution that Gadot, Lebreau and Yuge were. They knew the same pain. That's why they look at people with such kindness. Even if they don't realize it.

I'm happy, Serah realized. I'm happy, so even having a little distance between us hurts. Being able to meet everyday, and talk about silly things, being surrounded by kind people. It's been so fun, that to lose even a little bit of it hurts.

"Spoiled brat. You're being greedy." She hit herself lightly on the head with her fist. Eden is not really as close as Snow says, but still it's true that if we want to see each other we can. So I'm going to stop feeling so sorry for myself. I don't want to lose the time I have left here feeling this way.

She had just decided, when she saw someone running down the promenade. It was Snow. He had come sooner than she'd thought. He probably had tried his best to finish the conversation as quickly as possible.