Faithless Memories

Setting Out

Chapter 10

The night before the siblings were to leave, Zeke made it home early, and Sarah made a point of cooking them a special meal. She refused to allow Kris to help either. They had decided they were going to throw a going-away party, at least for the family. Throughout the afternoon, several of the villagers came by and wished them well, along with several reminders to stay out of trouble. Most of the boys that Zack spent time with came by as well. Every time one of them left and gave Kris a pouting look instead of looking forlorn at Zack, he had to tease her. She didn't notice most of them, but Sarah assured her it was true. It confounded Kris, but she let it go.

One of the last to arrive was the head councilman. He wished Zack luck, but he was grinning when he turned to Kris. "I know you had a rough start here, but we'll be rooting for you. I know it won't be easy to find something in Midgar while Zack's busy trying to make his way, but you got the guts to make it work. Take care of your brother while you're at it."

She gave him a smile. "Yes, sir!

At that point, he shuffled a little nervously and looked at Zeke and Sarah. They both gave him a slight nod and smiles. Kris and Zack looked between them with curiosity but waited to see what was going on. The man finally managed to find the words he was looking for and held something out to her. "Once you get to Midgar, you will both have to go through the process of getting IDs and such. Since you weren't born here, I know it might be hard for you, but both Zeke and Sarah have agreed that as far as they are concerned, you're their daughter. That being said, you can use this."

She took the envelope from him and slowly opened it after she gave the others a curious look. She held it up a little higher as she read because Zack was trying to read over her shoulder. Kris had to read it twice before it sank in. When it did, her head shot up in shock. Zack was the first to say something. He grabbed her in a hug so tight that it lifted her off the ground as he gave a whoop. "Yes! Now no one can ever say you aren't my sister again!"

Kris was still in shock when he let her down. She held a document that stated she was Kristobel Fair, daughter to Zeke and Sarah Fair. It even had the official village seal, just like the one Zack had. The shock had her standing still for several moments before she launched herself at her parents. She couldn't manage to speak past her tears, but she didn't have to. They knew how she felt.

The Councilman was still smiling when he spoke. "I hate to interrupt, but I have to get going. I wish the both of you luck, not that I think you'll need it." He gave them a wink and waved at Zeke and Sarah before he left.

Once he was gone, the family sat at their small table until later than they usually would have. Finally, Sarah shooed the two younger people to bed. They had an early morning that they couldn't afford to be late for. They both gave their parents hugs again before they finally went to bed.

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The next morning, Sarah made sure to get them both up before the sun was in the sky. Even though Zack grumbled a little, he didn't dawdle. They had both already packed everything they would need. All they had to do was change and grab their packs. Neither of the packs were small, or light, but they wanted to be prepared. When they walked into the common room, they were surprised that Sarah had a full breakfast prepared already. When she pointed to their seats, they both sat without complaint. Even though they both knew they couldn't afford to be late, they had enough time for this. Zeke was out before they were able to start eating as well.

They all sat in silence as they finished their last meal as a family. Once they were done, Sarah stopped Kris from picking up and gave them both a tight hug. When she finally let go, she grabbed their hands and gave them a bright smile. The sight of it nearly had Kris in tears. She knew the woman had to be as torn as they both were, but she was dead set on giving them a bright send-off. Her words reflected that determination. "I have faith that both of you will find everything you need. You have each other, so don't be afraid to lean on one another, and never forget that you have a family here when you need us. I love you both so much." Her voice finally broke on that, but she cleared her throat and continued. "I am already proud of you both, so never feel like you have to prove anything. Follow your dreams and have faith."