Author's Note: This is my second try at a Fire Force fic. The first was too sex focused, and I grew bored of writing it fast. Knowing I would not complete the story, I decided to delete it. There will eventually be lemons in this but not until I figure out who I want to pair the OC with. I know it's early, but if you have an idea of who you want her to be with, share your opinion.

This story will turn mostly OC - centric at some point because that's how most of my stories are. They're pretty much original stories set in a specific universe while drawing in certain canon elements and even occasional scenes or events from the anime. So here we go and I'll do my best to persevere! I'm working on pacing so please let me know if it moves too fast. I hope you enjoy the introduction.

Princess Hibana knocked on the office door of Company Eight's Captain, Akitaru Obi. She had brought him a surprise. He would be positively thrilled by her gift, overwhelmed by her generosity. She was doing her part to contribute to their new collaborative efforts.

"Come in," he bid her entry from the other side of the door.

"Good morning, Captain Obi," she proclaimed, sweeping into the room in her typical regal fashion.

"What brings you here so early, Princess?" he inquired, putting down his pen and pushing aside the stack of paperwork.

Hibana cast a disapproving glimpse at Takehisa Hinawa who not only did not greet her but did not even bother to look up from the gun he was cleaning to acknowledge her presence.

"Hmph," she grumped, tossing her lovely light pink over her shoulder.

Uncouth neanderthal, she thought to herself. Didn't he know he was supposed to be basking in her delightful presence?

"I have graciously decided to loan you one my crew members," she announced.

"Oh?" Obi returned, folding his hands on top of the desk. "And why is that Princess?"

"Since we have decided to work together on these investigations I thought you could use the assistance since three of your company members have gone to the First at this time leaving you virtually without a crew," she explained.

"I'm here," Hinawa stated, still not looking up from his gun.

"Yes, well - "

"I appreciate the thought Captain Hibana, but it's really not necessary," Obi said, standing up from his seat to walk around his desk.

"Are you sure?" she asked, giving him a self-assured, lopsided grin.

What does that expression mean?, Obi wondered, scratching his head.

"Phoenix," Princess Hibana called, her eyes staying on the man's perplexed face. "Please, come in, dear, and meet the Captain."

A young woman stepped into the room from the hallway. This time Hinawa glanced up. At first his eyes returned to the weapon he was cleaning then slowly moved back up to gaze steadily at the young woman. He was assessing her, attempting to discern what she was all about as a person rather than judging her on her physical appearance.

Captain Obi remained unfazed, his face registering no emotion as he looked at the pretty young woman who entered. His dark eyes skimmed over her inquisitively, devoid of any sexual overtones. He too was trying to ascertain her personality while speculating about Hibana's true objective for bringing her here.

"Hmmm," The beautiful Captain of Company Five hummed to herself, musing about what the nonplussed men might be thinking. "Gentlemen, this is Phoenix."

The woman appeared to be around the same age as her Captain. Her shiny black hair was styled in a graduated bob cut, extremely short in the back and gradually lengthening to her chin in the front. Her almost colorless silvery grey eyes moved from one man to the other. A delicate smile gently turned up the corners of her smooth pink lips. A light tan gave her skin a healthy glow.

She did not have the same sexy flair in her clothing choices as her commander. The loose black silk shirt modestly buttoned up well above her cleavage and had sleeves down to her wrists. Although tight, her black pants covered her legs down to her mid calf. Black patent leather high heeled shoes with thick bottoms and a strap around her ankle completed her somewhat demure outfit.

"Phoenix..." Hinawa said, pausing dramatically in anticipation of a surname being provided.

"No surname. Just Phoenix," she responded to him then stepped forward to shake Captain Obi's hand. "I am pleased to meet you, Captain Obi."

"So," he began, crossing his brawny arms across his thick chest as he leaned against the front of his desk. "You want to work for the Eighth for a while, huh?"

"Yes, Sir. I would be happy to be a part of your team while three of your members are temporarily training at the First," she said, speaking in an extremely formal manner.

Hinawa liked that about her. She carried herself confidently, with dignity and poise. She spoke respectfully in a self-assured tone. He would not mind having her here - just temporarily. But he was not going to go easy on her especially while determining her true motivation.

"She's a Third Generation Pyrokinetic. Turn around, dear," Princess Hibana kindly commanded her subordinate.

As modest as the shirt looked from the front, the back was a different story. Completely backless, the shirt was nonexistent from the collar down to her waist, the existing material draping along her sides. A red tattoo stretched across most of her back: a fire bird, the mythological phoenix. Apparently her namesake.

Graceful wings arced above the bird's head, the tips of the outermost primary feathers almost meeting above its head creating a halo of sorts. Each wing had been drawn in great detail right down to the tiny feathers above the longer lower feathers on the wings. The beak of the bird was open as if crying out. The crest on the bird's head trailed over her right shoulder blade. The long, ornate tail feathers resembling flames streamed down her spine and curled elegantly in the small of her back.

"She has a beautiful and formidable power," Captain Hibana stated proudly as the two men stared at the veritable work of art in blood red ink.

Princess Hibana knew firsthand the joy of wielding a strong and gorgeous ability, producing pretty fire flowers that captivated the eyes but could destroy the body. The two men glared at her as if she were insane, seeing beauty and strength in the destructive power of the flame.

"Phoenix works equally well on defense or offense. She would be a good partner for one or both of your two young men...angel's wings to the devil's footprints or a shield to a sword...that is, should you decide to keep her here," she said, smiling broadly at Obi's deepening confusion.

"Where was she when we crashed Company Five's Combine?" Captain Obi questioned Hibana.

"I had sent her on an errand to Haijima Industries," she answered truthfully but vaguely.

Obi knew she had dealings with Haijima Industries, still sharing her findings with them from time to time to keep them from getting suspicious while keeping the lines of communication open for seeking information. The excuse was plausible and believable.

"Where was she the day of the barbecue?" Hinawa asked.

"She was there. It's not my fault you didn't notice her," she shot back, rolling her eyes.

For those two not to take note of her dear Phoenix, she would have believed Obi to be stupid and Hinawa blind. Although oafish and a bit oblivious sometimes , Captain Akitaru was far from stupid. He had other things on his mind that day, especially while negotiating their tentative truce and agreement to cooperate. Hinawa had been too busy showing off his skills on the grill to notice anyone, unless they did not like his kebabs.

"Why would you be willing to allow her to become a permanent member of Company Eight?" Obi asked in disbelief.

Remaining doubtful of the woman's motives, Hinawa immediately began to ponder what Captain Hibana would want in return for giving up a subordinate who seemed to mean a lot to her, one she entrusted to perform important duties such as going to Haijima Industries.

"We are working together now," she reminded them both. "At this time, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find the secret to Spontaneous Human Combustion...to stop the making of any more monsters bent on destruction. Wouldn't you agree now is not the time to be petty? We should put our differences aside, pool our resources, and work together for our common goal."

"I agree," Captain Obi replied, scratching his chin. "Well, with that being said..."

The big man stepped forward, offering his hand to the young woman whose smile broadened until her straight white teeth showed.

"Welcome aboard, Phoenix," he proclaimed.

She placed her hand in his massive palm that was warm, dry - strong. Her eyes met his dark ones that mirrored the friendly smile on his lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other man, Lieutenant Takehisa Hinawa. He stared at her warily, distrust in his chestnut brown eyes.

Captain Hibana had warned her about him. He would be a hard sell, being skeptical of her intentions. He would be reserved, staying quiet which is exactly what he did for the most part. Extremely loyal and protective of his Captain, Hinawa would withhold his trust until Phoenix earned it. Conversely, Akitaru Obi was more open and willing to trust up front until a person proved themselves untrustworthy.

Phoenix instantly liked the affable and casual Captain of Company Eight. The Lieutenant would have to grow on her - like a moss. His cold glower made her nervous, making her insides quiver. Outwardly she remained calm, holding her head high and her shoulders straight. She had nothing to be ashamed of because her reason for being here was genuine - to help in the absence of Company Eight's three crew members.

Today was the first time she had heard anything about her stay here possibly being permanent. Not that she was angry or would refuse, but she did wish Captain Hibana had discussed the option with her. It was shocking to hear that she could be traded like a collector's card or like a major league baseball player.

Despite her Captain's tendency to make unilateral decisions when it came to her subordinates, she implicitly trusted Princess Hibana's judgment. If she wanted her here, it would be for a very good reason and with her best interests in mind. Captain Hibana appeared to sincerely like Captain Obi which brought her a sense of comfort that she would be entrusted to him. She knew the woman wanted to find answers to heal her own deep scars and painful memories. She understood because her reasons were the same.

Phoenix also knew the Princess had a bit of a crush the boy with the Devil's Footprints, although her Captain would be loathe to admit 'the thing' she has for the young Fire Soldier. She had heard her haughtily deny him as being 'her hero' when teased by Akitaru Obi at the barbecue between the two company's only days ago. Apparently she had not registered on their radar despite being right there among them. That was a bit of a self-esteem crusher.

"Her suitcases are in the car. I'll have one of my underlings bring them in," Princess Hibana declared in her typical arrogant manner, flipping her hair and sashaying with a great swing of hips out of the room. "Ta ta, dear. Be a good girl and be a good helper to our Captain Obi."

Phoenix visibly cringed at the belittling statements that made her feel like a child.

"Hey, Hinawa, why don't you show the mini Princess around?" Obi suggested.

"The what?" both Phoenix and Hinawa inquired in unison. They glanced at each other briefly then back at the Captain.

"A Duchess would be ranked below a Princess, Sir," Hinawa informed him.

Phoenix gave him a double take. She glared daggers at him when he smiled at her; an expression full of mischief, almost mean in its intentions.

"Well, escort the Duchess around. Introduce her to Iris. The sister is the only person we have left at the moment. Good grief," Obi muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we really did need someone. I wonder how those other three are doing."

Akitaru Obi rolled his brawny shoulders and moved his thick neck from side to side as if uncomfortable.

"I need to go work out. I'm feeling a little bit stressed," he said, walking over to weight stand in the corner of his office.

"Come on," Hinawa muttered irritably, waving for her to follow him. "Let's go."

Phoenix followed the tall, brown haired man down the black and white tiled hallway. Random tiles were cracked or completely chipped. Cobwebs hung from some of the gold sconces on the wall and a few of the light bulbs were out, at least on every fixture. Captain Hibana had warned her the place was a bit broken down, old and in disrepair. Nothing a little cleaning and general maintenance would not help. Since Eight was such a small company, it was no surprise they did not have the time to perform these simple tasks.

"Yeah, I know it's a dump. Go ahead and say it," he grumbled as she looked around the place in awe. "But it's your home, temporarily, so you better get used to it."

The way he emphasized temporarily made her realize she would not be staying here on a permanent basis because he had already made up his mind as soon as the other three were back, she would be leaving. A sense of defeat swept over her. She would not mind staying here. The laid back, relaxed attitude of the Captain made her feel comfortable. She liked the general easygoing, unpretentious vibe of the place.

Life at the Fifth's Fire Force Combine could be strained and stressful. Princess Hibana acted like a true royal, and it was like court was always in session with certain expectations of behavior, even with interactions among fellow Fire Soldiers. Also the way Princess Hibana exerted her dominance over her male subordinates and their responses was like living in a Sado-Masochistic sex club twenty four seven. That shit got old real quick. It also made her glad she was a woman; one of the relatively few females the Captain allowed in the company.

Phoenix followed Hinawa up the wooden spiral staircase to the next floor. All of the doors were closed along the hall.

"This is the sleeping quarters. Mine and Captain Obi's are in a different wing on this level. This hall is were the subordinates sleep," he told her pointedly.

His attitude annoyed her. She was aware of her place in the pecking order. Every damn day at the Fifth she was reminded of her rank in the company, and she was okay with that. Having no illusions of grandeur or seeking titles, she could not care less about being in charge. She was happy to act on her superior's orders, fighting Infernals, and saving lives. That's why she had become a recruit last year after all.

"You can have the room down at the end of the hall to the left, Duchess. I'm sure it will need cleaning. It's by Maki's room. Sister Iris's room is across the hall. This room," he said, pointing to the on his left,"is Shinra and Arthur's room. In the off chance you should stay here longer, there is absolutely no fraternizing among members of this company. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir," she answered, keeping her hands behind her back. She wanted to salute him but it would be a one fingered salute that would not go over well with the exceedingly uptight man who seemed to like rules and order above everything else.

He continued the tour around the Cathedral: the roof, the kitchen, the shared dorm like showers divided into his and hers, the garage, and the courtyard. In the courtyard, there was a fountain, flowers, trees, birds, and butterflies - an unexpected oasis. In this small Garden of Eden, they found Iris. Her golden blond hair was cut short. Dressed in a plain white cotton gown so thin it was almost see through, the young woman knelt in front of the fountain praying.

"I'll introduce you later. We shouldn't disturb her," Hinawa whispered, leading Phoenix away.

The stoic man did not speak again until the were standing outside Captain Obi's office.

"I have important work I need to be doing. Do you have any questions?" he asked her curtly as if making sure she knew she had been an inconvenience.

"Where are the cleaning supplies?"

"The closet in the kitchen next to the pantry. Anything else?"

"Are you ever not an asshole?"

For a second his eyes widened behind the rectangular lenses of his thick black rimmed glasses. Phoenix stubbornly held the burning gaze of his fierce eyes. She had never seen brown eyes look so hot and angry instead of warm and inviting like Captain Obi's.

"No," he replied bluntly. "Any other questions?"

"No, sir," she returned, managing a smile that she hoped did not make her look like she wanted to bite him. Although she did.

His hostile attitude infuriated her. She had done absolutely nothing to make him hate her, but he appeared to detest her on sight making his feelings even more obvious during their brief tour. As Princess Hibana had warned her, that man was going to be a problem.

~\../~

Phoenix was on her hands and knees scrubbing the dirty floor of her old new room with a brush. The one pair of denim shorts and single t-shirt she owned was coming in handy. The were a relic of her former life before joining the Fifth that she had held onto for sentimental reasons. Princess Hibana did not allow such awful clothes in her presence.

She was almost done. This room had been absolutely deplorable, coated in layers of dust that had taken years to accumulate. There was a bed, a small four drawer chest of drawers, a desk, and a squeaky old chair that needed oil. There was not even a closet. Where was she going to put all of her clothes?

Droplets of sweat rolled down her forehead, and she reached up with her hand covered in a yellow rubber glove to wipe it away. The dirt on the glove mixed with her sweat to form a mud like substance. She had never felt so filthy. In desperate need of a long, hot shower it would have to wait because she still needed to beat the hell out of the mattress to rid it of a decade of dust and debris.

Using the last dry cloth she had among her cleaning gear, she wiped up the murky water from the floor leaving a clean, shiny spot behind that matched the rest. Gathering what little strength she had left after the hours of cleaning, she dragged the old, lumpy mattress off of the bed frame, pulling it down the hall. Thank God it was only a twin sized mattress, but she struggled with the awkward load especially when maneuvering it up the narrow spiral staircase to the roof.

Phoenix pushed the mattress through the door onto the roof, slipping on the metal threshold. She fell onto the mattress sending up plumes of gray dust. At least she had a cushioned albeit dirty landing. Coughing until her chest hurt, she resisted the urge to cry. Besides, the tears with mix with the grime and create a muddy mess.

Getting up, not bothering to brush herself off, she picked up the mattress and leaned it against the wall to commence beating it with the wire implement hanging nearby for cleaning carpets but it would do the job nicely. Her eyes watered, and she coughed, both growing worse with each successive puff of dust out of the mattress.

"You're a hard worker. I wouldn't have thought you had it in you," Hinawa said, striding past her before stopping.

"Thanks...I guess." She whacked the mattress with all of her might sending up a white cloud.

"Are you pretending it's me?" he asked, sounding ever so slightly amused.

"Maybe," she growled through her gritted teeth, violently smacking the mattress again.

"Once you get done abusing that thing, I'll help you carry it back down," he offered.

"You really don't have to trouble yourself," she muttered, pride taking over before logic could make her be quiet and take advantage of his gracious offer.

"Okay. Fine then," he said with a shrug, walking away from her.

After a few more murderous whacks on the mattress, a few of them to release the anger aimed at herself after stupidly, obstinately refusing his assistance. Phoenix fought with the bulky thing to get it back down to her room. After placing the mattress onto the bed frame, she resisted the desire to flop down onto it and go to sleep. Instead, she grabbed a change of clothes and went to the women's shower.

The hot water felt incredible on her throbbing muscles. Her entire body felt like one big ache. She would never confess to anyone that it had been a long time since she did any real domestic chores. All of the men at Company Five did the cooking and cleaning, all domestic chores, by order of the Captain.

She hummed as she massaged the honeysuckle and orange scented shampoo into her hair. She loved having short hair because it was so easy to take care of. It was also required when she used her ability as not to constantly singe the back of her hair.

An inharmonious voice sang loudly and proudly on the other side of the wall from her. The discordant warbling of the deep voice seemed to be making the wall itself vibrate. When she recognized the voice as Akitaru Obi's, she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggle. He probably had no idea she was in the shower as well or he wouldn't be singing so loudly - or probably not at all. The man struck her as a big lovable teddy bear upon meeting me. She never would have guessed him to be the singing in the shower type though, but it gave him an endearing goofiness.

From what she read about him in the personnel files, Okitaru Obi had a strong sense of right and wrong, an unflinching determination to seek justice in all situations. The accolades and medals he received for bravery and valor in the line of duty were revoked when it was discovered that he defied orders to save the citizens. In her opinion, his refusal to follow orders should not matter when human lives were at stake. She respected him already.

Phoenix assumed he would be the type to be fiercely protective of those entrusted to his care. At the moment, that meant her as well. As much as she admired her dominatrix Captain, she rather liked the idea of being under the supervision of this man.

After showering and dressing in a red halter top dress that tied around her neck, she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. All of the clothes her Captain bought for her revealed her back, showing off her beautiful tattoo for the world to see. She actually got the tattoo to cover disfiguring scars on her back that occurred when she was born. Apparently it did the trick. If anyone said anything, it was to compliment her on the intricate tattoo that had cost her a pretty penny.

Standing at the open refrigerator in her bare feet, she enjoyed the cold air blowing across her body under the thin material of the dress. She had taken too hot of a shower which was a bad habit of hers. Princess Hibana often warned her the excessively hot water was bad for her skin, drying it and making it wrinkle. She didn't care. Vanity was not one of her vices.

"Hey, newbie, what's up?" Captain Obi greeted her when he joined her in the kitchen. "Settling in okay?"

"Just fine. Thank you so much," she returned, grabbing a bottle of strawberry flavored carbonated water and closing the door. Since she could not decide on what to eat, there was no reason keeping her head buried in the refrigerator, although it did feel good.

"Didn't see anything you like?" he asked, opening the door.

"I just can't decide," she answered, sitting down on one of the bar stools in the kitchen.

"Oh, hello," the pretty blond sister said when she walked into the kitchen.

Phoenix hopped off the backless stool, offering her hand. "Hello, Sister Iris. It's so nice to meet you."

"So you'll be staying with us for a while?" Her big blue eyes so full of innocence and kindness blinked.

Oh, she's adorable, and I want to hug her!, Phoenix thought but sat back down on the bar stool instead.

"Just for a little while," Hinawa interjected as he entered the room.

Thank goodness the kitchen was one of the biggest rooms of the house because it also appeared to be the busiest.

"Ugh," Phoenix groaned before she could stop herself. She quickly raised the bottle to her mouth to take a sip when he turned his head to glare at her.

"What are we doing for dinner?" he asked Obi, deciding the best thing to do was ignore her.

"Why don't we go to Ippudo Ramen?" the Captain proposed. "To have a nice welcome dinner for the new recruit."

"She's only temporary." Hinawa was quick to jog his forgetful Captain's memory. "And she's not really new. Only new to us. I'm sure there's something here we can eat."

"I'm buying," he announced. "Let's go. If you don't want to go, Hinawa, fine, stay here and eat leftovers."

Phoenix met Hinawa's gaze. This was almost like the exchange between them earlier. Would he be as prideful as her?

"Let's go. I'm starving," he said.

Nope. At least he was smart enough not to let pure stubbornness keep him from having a free, delicious meal.

They walked to the restaurant that was just down the block from the Fire Cathedral Eight.

"Sit by me," Iris suggested as she slid into the corner seat on the bench.

"Sure thing," Phoenix rejoined, pleased that Captain Obi sat down across from her.

"Any idea what you want?" he asked her before she even had a chance to look at the menu.

Apparently he already knew what he wanted because he put the menu down on the table without giving it a passing glance.

"What's good here?" she questioned him, her eyes sliding over the vivid, full color pictures of all of the dishes.

"My personal favorite is the chicken ramen. Hinawa always gets the sushi sampler. Iris gets a salad with extra tomatoes."

Telling her everyone's usual order gave her lots of ideas. At the moment she was so hungry she would like to eat all of those things. Rather than embarrassing herself by acting like a pig and taking advantage of her new superior's kindness, she ordered the pork ramen bowl and a small side salad.

"Iris, I have been looking forward to meeting you," she said, turning to her cute blonde seat mate. "Princess Hibana has told me so much about you."

"She did?" Iris murmured, her light skinned cheeks turning a carnation pink.

"Uh huh," Phoenix confirmed. "She hopes we can be good friends and so do I."

"That would be great!" Iris squealed happily.

Phoenix laughed in response at the her enthusiasm. She truly could not wait to get to know her. Captain Hibana described Iris as extremely devout to the faith (which she abhorred for good reason). Kind hearted and soft spoken, somewhat childlike and guileless to a fault; Iris was definitely all of those things. The Princess also called her courageous and strong willed. She could see that behind those overly large blue eyes as well.

"How long have you been with Company Eight?" Obi Akitaru questioned her.

"A little over a year. So I guess I actually am still a newbie...and not just to your company," she said, openly contradicting Hinawa's assertions from earlier. She sipped the beer the Captain had ordered for her, daring the Lieutenant to start an argument.

"Why did you want to be a Fire Soldier and what made you join Company Eight?" Hinawa inquired bluntly, getting down to the serious questions quickly.

"I'll tell you how I got my name, Sir," she began. "Have you ever heard the legend of the Phoenix? The bird that dies by its own flames, incinerating itself so it can born anew?"

"Yeah, but what - "

"Listen," she demanded, cutting him off when he interrupted her. "My mother was a scientist in one of the research and development labs at Haijima Industries. She spontaneously combusted while in the lab one day. No one did a damn thing to try to save her. They watched as she burned. They even videotaped it, taking notes as they stood around her for future research."

Phoenix laughed, a harsh, bitter sound, grating on the ears. Everyone around the table visibly gritted their teeth because the malevolent sound set them on edge.

"How do you know all this?" Hinawa questioned her skeptically.

"Because I saw the video," she said, taking a long draw from her beer. "Captain Hibana showed it to me. I already knew my mother had burned to death. My aunt and uncle who raised me told me when I was about eight when they could no longer take me asking about my mother. I just didn't know the exact circumstances."

She took another sip of her beer, focusing her eyes on Hinawa's impassive face.

"Have you ever seen a bird that has died in a forest fire while protecting its young? Nothing is left but a charred, black husk but the babies are kept safe under the mother's protective wings. That's basically what happened to my mother. She was eight and a half months pregnant with me at the time yet I lived due to my inherent ability. Yet I still have the scar on my back. The tattoo is my memorial to my mother...for giving birth to me out of the ashes of her body."

"Holy hell," Captain Obi muttered, drinking his beer.

"I was drawn to Princess Hibana's beauty and strength. Beauty hides scars. You know that after learning more about my Captain Hibana. Fire can take something lovely, harmless, like flowers and turn them into something lethal. She's ambitious and intelligent, letting nothing stand in the way of getting what she wants. But she is also protective, almost motherly, to her subordinates," Phoenix said, finishing off her beer.

"Motherly is a term I would have never used to describe her," Hinawa muttered into his glass before drinking.

"Well, nobody asked for your opinion did they?" she shot back before she could stop herself. Despite everything, he was still her Lieutenant now. She bowed her head apologetically. "I apologize for my outburst, Sir. I was way out of line."

"So was he. It's fine," Captain Obi assured her, signalling to the waitress for another round of beers.

"I'm so sorry," Iris sniffled, tears running from her doll like eyes.

"I'm sorry too. Please don't cry, Iris," she begged, using her napkin to dry her companions leaking eyes. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel bad. I was simply telling you my story. That's all."

The server arrived with the food and more beers.

"Now, let's have a good meal," Phoenix chirped far more cheerily than she felt.

She did not intend for this dinner to be served with a side of indigestion from her sad story. Hinawa had asked; she gave him the answer. Putting on a brave face and a happy smile, she did her best to salvage her first meal, her first night, with her new company members.

"I think we should give you a nickname. Phoenix is a beautiful name but a little clumsy on the lips," the Captain said, digging into his ramen with his chopsticks. "What about Fifi?"

"Uhm...I don't - " she began to be cut off by an eager Iris.

"Oh, I like it. It's so cute," she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"What about Duch - " she tried to suggest only to be summarily ignored. She would have preferred the somewhat condescending nickname Duchess over Fifi.

"It's positively adorable, Fifi," Hinawa said, looking straight at her as she continued her failed attempts to protest.

Fifi? She had been called a lot of things but Fifi? Really?! If Hinawa had suggested it, she would have had no problem shooting him down. However, Iris and the Captain both seemed to like the awful nickname.

She thought for sure Obi would suggest the name Duchess for her after his crack earlier in the day. He and Hinawa both had called her Duchess a few times. God forbid they take to calling her Duchess Fifi!

"Fifi," she grunted, wanting to cry into her ramen for so many reasons. "Great."

Soon they had her laughing, talking about the exploits of the overzealous Shinra and dimwitted Arthur. She could not wait to meet to them. She hoped Hinawa allowed her to stay on, but in the end, Captain Obi had the final say on her remaining with Company Eight so that gave her hope.

Once they were back at the Fire Cathedral, Phoenix bid them good night at the common room, a living room of sorts with a television, gaming system, pool table, and other methods of entertainment and relaxation. Without bothering to make her bed, she grabbed her favorite throw blanket from her unpacked suitcase and lay down on the bare mattress with no pillow. She could go shopping tomorrow, but at the present time she needed sleep. Her eyes were barely closed before she was already well on her way to the World of Dreams.

Despite a few bumps in the metaphorical road, the most obvious being Takahisa Hinawa, her first day at her new company had been great. But it would take her a while to get accustomed to that terrible moniker her new team gave her.

Author's Note: I just wanted to share this excerpt from the play Henry VIII by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. This is where I got the title from. Archbishop Cranmer, compares Elizabeth (who was to become Queen Elizabeth I) to a Phoenix. In Act V, Scene V:

...The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,

Her ashes new create another heir

As great in admiration as herself;

So shall she leave her blessedness to one,

When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,

Who from the sacred ashes of her honour

Shall star-like rise ...