THIS STORY BELONGS TO ME!
ALL CHARACTERS of FINAL FANTASY VERSUS XIII BELONG TO SQUARE-ENIX
ALL OC'S ARE MINE!
This story is made for my entertainment and they enjoyment of others because FINAL FANTASY is freakin awsome! XD
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broke-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
~ Langston hughes
Love of a SOLDIER
Chapter one:
A young woman trudged into the tavern and stopped for a moment, looking around. The interior was lit with torches set into the walls instead of the standard electric lights, giving it an old-fashioned, yet natural look. The smell of smoke hung in the air, not oppressive but simply there, in its own way as natural as the torches on the walls. A large plaque on the far wall proudly proclaimed that Eurney's Tavern had been in business for over forty years. Behind the counter, the Innkeeper - presumably none other than Eurney himself - stood, polishing a beer glass which, judging from the chips and scratches, had been around as long as Eurney's Tavern itself had.
The tables were unoccupied - the sun still hung in the sky, and the night crowd had yet to come - but the counter itself played host to a handful of people. The young woman chose an isolated seat and sat down.
The man behind the counter was large and burly, dressed in a loose blue shirt and pants. His gray hair and wrinkled features told Heather that he was past his prime, but there was still obvious power in his muscled frame, tempered by the wisdom and experience that came with age. He turned and smiled at Heather.
"Eurney." she said, nodding at the bald innkeeper washing a few glasses behind the counter.
The inkeeper, with a cool gaze that spoke of years of experience, and chuckled at her sight. "Heather Sparks. Never thought I'd see you back after last time." His voice was a rough, low bass that rumbled like a drum.
Heather smiled, she flashed her teeth and tried to make the smile look like a real honest smile.
"I didn't mean to do that, Eurney. You know that."
Eurney the innkeeper shook his head and smiled. "Sure you didn't, Heather. But since I'm in a good mood, I'll let you off the hook but only this time, kid. You understand?"
"Absolutely!" Heather said, giving Eurney a thumb up. "But of course you got to stop calling me kid, you know I'm going to be a SOLDIER soon."
"...SOLDIER huh?" Shaking his head ruefully, the man said, "Why don't you just give up, Heather?" Eurney scolded her once. "It's obvious you can't join SOLDIER! You're like the turtle who wanted to fly!"
Heather smiled so brightly, so honestly, that Eurney had no doubt she was stupid. Who would smile when somebody told them off?
"I'll fly, one day- you'll see! I'll work really hard to achieve my dream of being a great SOLDIER!"
"I hope you do... for your sake..." Eurney had wanted to say, but when he saw a few of his costumers file in through the doors and sit down at a nearby table in the corner- what came out of their mouth was almost expected. "How pathetic. Whoever heard of a girl that wants to join SOLDIER?" a male voice came behind her.
Heather's face looked crushed.
"Did you hear me?" the man sneered, his eyes burned angrily. People listened to him, they never defied him, he would show this little girl how things worked around here. "Don't you know? Women arn't allowed to join SOLDIER."
Heather blinked out of her daze at the last proclamation and glared towards the man who had spoken it.
"Shut up."
One by one, heads swerved to watch the commotion.
"What?"
"…"
"What?!"
"Shut. Up."
Heather's body was shaking with suppressed rage for these men! They ridiculed her for what she was, a woman. Her fist was white as bone clutching it tighter. She wanted to hurt them, draw at least the first blood and end this! They were a poison that was attacking her inside and wouldn't rest until she surrendered to them.
"I will become SOLDIER." Heather said, turning to the voice behind her.
"A female in SOLDIER? That's cute." he said, apparently a SOLDIER himself by the look of his suit. "Must have something you're trying to prove, I assume."
"What of it?" Heather snapped.
"You won't get far," The man replied cooly. The lines of his frown deepened as the SOLDIER scowled, "Someone like you has no place in SOLDIER. So I suggest you give up before you break a nail." They laughed including everyone in the bar.
"Break a nail?" she demanded, her voice reamined firm trying to suppress her growing rage.
Big mistake. He pissed her off.
She glared, shaking with uttermost fury as she stood up.
"That's it!" Heather lunged at him, he yelped as she threw punches and kicks at his face. His lip was busted, his nose was bleeding down his chin and his left cheek was starting to bruise.
She punched him to the stomach. He had no chance avoiding attacks for she was on top of him giving more power in each of her punch. "Don't just stand there! Restrain her!" he shouted in between gasps as he earns a punch to his head and passes out on the floor.
They rush at her. There are probably seven of them.
Heather felt a sudden spike of panic and she twisted around as if to ask but the men grabbed her, hauling her along. She fought them then, pulling at her arms as she was dragged. When these attempts failed she jerked an arm free and struck one of the men. Again she did this when he attempted to restrain her.
Quite a few of her blows landed until she was picked up, still flailing about in her protest before the man she hit rallies back and returns a hard blow to her stomach. Heather was pretty sure she just heard something snap. Heather dosen't stop though, she can't give up. She needs to keep going, they will be her example for all those other bastards out there; messed with her who didn't believe she could do it.
Though no more words were passed from her lips, the sounds of her struggle were clear until she was tossed. Time seemed to have slowed down for Heather, her flying through the air with the sudden, strange, longing to fly suddenly with her before the harsh pain of the ground made itself known, as if telling her 'well that's not possible!'.
"Keep on walkin SOLDIER girl! A place like SOLDIER isn't a place for little girls," The one in the back spoke now, his arms folded across his chest as he looked over the brawl, which was fading in intensity now as everyone realized what had happened and stopped to stare at them. The vibration of the slamming door clearly indicated they walked back inside.
She gave a pained sound between a grunt and a shout before pushing herself up, running on mostly adrenaline at this point.
"SOLDIER is everything..." Heather said quietly.
Heather is english/scotish for 'flower/Plant' A low-growing shrub with small purplish flowers that thrives on peaty barren lands and Heath is devived from Heather which practically means the same thing. It is pronounced heeth.
This is my first story on this website that I haven't updated in a long time. Those of you who have sticked with this story I deeply appolize for the long wait. (Two three years? XD) I went back and edit and made a lot of corrections so it might look a whole lot different then it did before. It was fun to read over a story that was written by a fifteen year old me. haha I totally couldn't believe that I wrote that It reminded me of a noob amature writer? I'm embaressed! Even my profile needs updating! lol. My goal is to finish it and move on to my other stories to make my readers happy. ^^
I really do hope you'll all stay with this story till the end!
~Placido